Matthew Winick
The Ottawa BlackJacks (4-8) will look to avenge a recent defeat to the Guelph Nighthawks (4-9) as the two squads will square off for the second time in three nights on Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph.
After falling 96-71 on Wednesday, the BlackJacks will look to rebound with a better overall effort in Friday’s rematch. Another Nighthawks victory would usurp them over Ottawa for the CEBL’s fifth seed in Guelph’s final game of the regular season.
With both teams having one eye on the playoffs, and another on the final standings, Friday’s rematch of Ontario squads should carry plenty of intrigue.
Turnover Issues
While the turnover tally in Wednesday’s contest between these two teams only resulted in a 15-9 advantage for Guelph, the impact that those giveaways had on the game was far larger.
The Nighthawks continuously used Ottawa’s cough-ups as opportunities to score on the other end, resulting in 24 points off turnovers compared to only seven from the BlackJacks.
Guelph used its athleticism and speed advantage with Cat Barber and Michael Bryson to continuously make Ottawa pay for its mistakes. Should the BlackJacks be able to play a more cerebral game and not give easy transition buckets to the Nighthawks, they’ll be able to turn Friday’s contest into more of a half-court game, playing into their favour.
Unsung Star
While Bryson and Olu Famutimi got most of the attention with major scoring performances in Wednesday’s win, Canadian forward TJ Lall made an equally large contribution.
The current Carleton Raven finished third on the team with 15 points on efficient shooting, going 3-4 from both two-point and three-point range. He also added four assists and three steals while being a team-best +28 on the night.
Lall’s playstyle isn’t flashy, but he brings hustle and energy each time he takes the floor. When his shot is falling like it was against the BlackJacks on the road, he becomes one of the more important role players in the entire league.
Playoff Picture
With the CEBL’s regular season coming to a close, each game carries its own playoff implications, and this game is no different.
For Ottawa, its slim chance of passing the Fraser Valley Bandits and grabbing the four seed requires both a win against Guelph, and a victory in its season finale against the Niagara River Lions on Sunday. Should the BlackJacks secure both wins, they would then need Fraser Valley to lose each of its last three games.
The highly coveted four seed is the difference between hosting a quarterfinal game or playing on the road. With the new inclusion of fans at CEBL games, the opportunity to have your home crowd cheering in a win-or-go-home game is crucial.
On Guelph’s side, things are simpler. The Nighthawks are unable to catch the fourth place Bandits and have already secured a playoff berth. If they win on Friday the team finishes fifth, while a loss keeps them in sixth place in the standings.
Current CEBL standings can be found here
All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service CEBL+, cbcsports.ca , the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 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 typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube