The Ottawa BlackJacks and Saskatchewan Rattlers recently saw their winning streaks come to an end. They look to get back in the win column when they face off on July 6 at 7:30 pm ET in the nation’s capital.

The BlackJacks are currently eighth (3-8) while the Rattlers (7-5) are sixth. Ottawa lost to the Hamilton Honey Badgers 86-75 on the road after winning two games in a row before that. Saskatchewan started off their three-game road trip with a 83-60 loss at Newfoundland after winning four straight games at home.

The Rattlers lead the league in three-point shooting at 39.6 per cent – something they did well during their win streak – but shot 34 per cent against Newfoundland. Guard Devonte Bandoo averages 43 per cent shooting from beyond the arc but hit one of four threes against the Growlers. Their scoring was spread out as captain Scottie Lindsay led the team with 13 points.

A key for Saskatchewan will be to return to their usual three-point shooting prowess. They’ve used the deep ball to make big runs and gain big leads in recent games. Bandoo will play a big role in that.

Another factor to account for is how they replace guard Tony Carr, their second-leading scorer and leader in assists. Carr has missed the past two games.

Sebastian Åris came in as a starter against Newfoundland while Ali Sow played almost 24 minutes off the bench. Åris has provided energy and a scoring spark off the bench since he returned from injury. Sow scored the game-winning basket from a driving layup in a 92-90 victory over the Niagara River Lions.

Taking care of the ball will be important. They turned the ball over 22 times against Newfoundland compared to 12 times in their win against Niagara.

For Ottawa, the focus will be on starting the game better. Against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, they were in a 22-6 hole after the first quarter. They trailed by 14 points heading into Elam time before mounting a CEBL record comeback to win after Tyrell Green scored 11 of his team’s last 13 points.

Green had 15 points against Scarborough but only six against Hamilton as the BlackJacks fell behind 25-13 after 10 minutes and 44-30 at the half. Ottawa’s leading scorer Deng Adel – who averages 18.2 points – scored nine against Hamilton.

Adel, Green and guard Walt Lemon Jr. will likely need to be productive for the BlackJacks to win against Saskatchewan. Adel leads the league in three-point percentage (50 per cent) and might need to hit threes to match Saskatchewan’s deep shooting.

The BlackJacks signed guard Kadre Gray on July 5, marking his return to the team that he played for in 2021. The former U SPORTS Player of the Year averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 11 games with the Fraser Valley Bandits this season. Gray gives the BlackJacks another effective ball-handler who can get to the rim.

This is the first and only meeting between the two teams in the regular season this year.

All games will be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ and on CEBL Mobile the official app of the CEBL for iOS and Android devices. Games are also available to stream live in Canada via cbcsports.ca , the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .