BlackJacks Look to Snap River Lions Six-Game Winning Streak

The Ottawa BlackJacks (6-10) will try to cool off the hottest team in the CEBL Saturday when they host the Niagara River Lions (13-5) and their lengthy six-game winning streak.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET at The Arena at TD Place, with live coverage available on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+, and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices.

The River Lions have been on a roll, coming off an 80-71 victory against the Brampton Honey Badgers in which they clinched the Eastern Conference's top seed.

Despite the Honey Badgers cutting a 13-point lead to five in Target Score Time, the River Lions were able to weather the storm in the clutch and secure a sixth consecutive victory.

Aaryn Rai had a career night with 28 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks. Jahvon Blair also chipped in with 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

The Ottawa BlackJacks, who are in a battle with the Brampton Honey Badgers for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East, are hoping they caught the River Lions at the right time. With the Montreal Alliance receiving an automatic bye to Championship Weekend as the host club, Niagara is now locked in as the home team in the Eastern Conference Semifinal and have little to play for in their two tune-up games – both against Ottawa – before the playoffs.

The BlackJacks are looking to get back into the win column after suffering a 92-79 loss to the Scarborough Shooting Stars this past Thursday.

The game was close heading into the fourth with Scarborough leading 65-63. However, Scarborough would come out red hot, starting the quarter with an 18-4 run, extending the lead and never looking back.

Turnovers hurt Ottawa the most in the end, giving away possession over 20 times and allowing Scarborough to score 20 points on those mistakes.

Tevin Brown had a great game despite the loss with 26 points, four rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

Player Spotlight

Rai has been having a great season for the River Lions and has no plans of slowing down. With Khalil Ahmad missing the team’s previous game, he stepped up with his best performance yet.

Rai is currently averaging 12.6 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 24 minutes this season.

He’s proven to be a reliable scoring option for Niagara, shooting 50.9 per cent from the field, and 47 per cent from three. Rai is also third on the team in rebounding per game, and his size has been essentially for securing the ball, cleaning up any mistakes, and protecting the paint.

Last Matchup

Niagara cruised to a 110-86 win in Ottawa on July 6 the last time these two teams met. They will round out their three-game season series Saturday, July 27 in St. Catharines.

- CEBL -

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.