A team on a roll or homecourt advantage, something has to give on Sunday.
Winners of three of their last four games, the Guelph Nighthawks are hoping momentum and some high-flying guards help punch a ticket to Edmonton and their first CEBL Championship Weekend appearance in franchise history. The fourth-seeded Fraser Valley Bandits will host the quarterfinal game Sunday afternoon (4 p.m. ET, 1 p.m. PT, live on CBC TV) against Guelph with the final berth to the big weekend on the line.
After a midseason struggle, Fraser Valley will look to their success at home and a raucous Abbotsford Centre crowd to continue their championship drive. A 5-2 record in their home venue, the Bandits are a significantly better team when sleeping in their own beds – on the defensive side of the ball.
The difference between Fraser Valley’s offence at home compared to on the road is negligible. We’re talking just two points per game better in Abbotsford. Even their shooting accuracy from the field and the line are indifferent to location.
Bandits’ opponents? That’s a different story.
When visiting Fraser Valley, opponents average just 78.1 points compared to 90.6 points when they are in their own building. They also tally significantly fewer three pointers, rebounds, and assists when playing at the Abbotsford Centre. The Bandits really have created a advantage.
Kenny is the Man
Kenny Manigault has been on fire as of late. Coming into the quarterfinals, Manigault has averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 9.7 assists in his last three games. He put together a solid performance during the win against the Nighthawks as well when he registered 14 points, five rebounds and six assists. If he continues his strong play, Guelph will certainly have their hands full.
Dynamic Duo
You would be hard pressed to find another pair of guards in the CEBL who have taken such a heavy load of its team’s offence than Cat Barber and Ahmed Hill from the Royal City. The tandem accounted for 41 per cent of Guelph’s scoring and an equal amount of the team’s assists. The Nighthawks were the only squad in the CEBL to have two players rank in the top five in scoring. Barber (18.1 ppg) finished third, while Hill finished fifth (17.5 ppg). However, during the only meeting against Fraser Valley this season, the Bandits held the dynamic duo to a combined 26 points, six rebounds and seven assists, in addition to eight turnovers and a .314 (11-35) shooting mark from the field.
A hard fall midway through the Nighthawks’ August 4 game in Ottawa forced Barber out of the lineup for the season finale against the BlackJacks two days later. Fans are hoping a week of rest for their leading scorer will be enough to return Barber to form.
In order for Guelph to book its ticket to the CEBL Championship Weekend, the Nighthawks will need Barber and Hill at their best - share the ball and be their explosive self.
New-Look Lall
If there was a most improved player award in the CEBL, Nighthawks forward T.J. Lall would certainly be under consideration. The six-foot-six forward from Cambridge, Ontario made a significant physical makeover in the offseason. Lall was a backup player for the Ottawa BlackJacks during the 2020 CEBL Summer Series but a focus on nutrition and strength training saw him return to the league 40-pounds lighter, significantly stronger, and with the addition of a decent outside shot to his game. The results have been rewarding. Lall leads the list of current Nighthawks in rebounding (4.6 rpg), and steals (0.9), while listing second in field goal percentage (.518).
In the final five games of the season in which Guelph won three times to secure the fifth seed, Lall averaged 9.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and logged more than 30 minutes in each game. Look for him to be an X-Factor in the quarterfinal game against Fraser Valley.
Last Meeting
In their only meeting this season, the Bandits handled Guelph convincingly in a 92-71 rout on July 14. Bandits guard Malcolm Duvivier led all scorers with 20 points, including five triples in just 24 minutes, despite starting on the bench. The Nighthawks led, 24-23, after the first quarter but ran out of gas, producing just 47 points the rest of the night.
What’s on the Line?
Unless there is a major upset in Saturday’s first game between (3) Hamilton and (6) Ottawa, the winner from this Bandits versus Nighthawks playoff tilt will play the top-seeded host Stingers as part of semifinal Friday.
Championship Weekend Schedule
Semifinals: Friday, August 20, 2021
No. 2 Niagara River Lions vs. Higher Seeded Quarterfinal Winner (7 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. MT)
No. 1 Edmonton Stingers vs. Lower Seeded Quarterfinal Winner (9 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. MT)
Championship Game: Sunday, August 22, 2021
Semifinal Winner 1 vs. Semifinal Winner 2 (4 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. MT)