Guelph kept their winning streak going with a 89-83 victory over the Honey Badgers at home on Sunday. Guelph advances to 6-3 winning five in a row, with the Honey Badgers now 7-2.
The Nighthawks and Honey Badgers exchanged baskets inside to start the first quarter. Caleb Agada drove the paint and dished it to Zane Waterman who used his footwork to get to the rim, while Ahmed Hill used his ball handling to create opportunities including one from beyond the arc. Hamilton jumped out to a 14-9 lead six minutes into the first quarter thanks to 66 per cent shooting. As the quarter winded down, Guelph took advantage of a series of Honey Badgers turnovers to find transition opportunities including a Stefan Smith three and a Sean Miller-Moore fast break layup to retake the lead. Guelph led the Honey Badgers 19-18 going into the second quarter.
Hamilton took the lead back immediately in the second quarter. Opportunities for Waterman and Keevan Veinot came regularly around the paint and aside from four points from the Nighthawks by way of Hill and Clayton Henry, the Nighthawks pushed their lead to double-digits, 35-23 before Tj Lall and Aj Hess responded with six more points. The guards of the Honey Badgers moved the ball around the perimeter until they got a lane to the paint and they finished through contact to keep the Nighthawks out of reach of the lead.
Waterman finished the first half with 14 points while a trio of Nighthawks scored six points led by Hill with eight points. On the boards Hamilton maintained their advantage, 24-16 going into halftime, only allowing two Guelph offensive rebounds while Guelph only gave Hamilton four second chances. Off the bench the Honey Badgers got 16 points to the Nighthawks six. Hamilton’s 45 per cent shooting gave the Honey Badgers a 43-35 lead at halftime over the Nighthawks.
Guelph’s double-digit comeback that started with cutting the deficit to eight at halftime, finished with nine unanswered points for the Nighthawks to start the third quarter and a 44-43 lead. Attacking the paint efficiently worked for both sides, and offensive rebounds set the advantage which the Nighthawks won in the third with six to the three from Hamilton. Hill and Miller-Moore kept the Nighthawks attacking with Julian Roche and Lall cleaning up the opportunities.
After a 9-0 run by the Nighthawks, Agada and Waterman continued to make an impact offensively getting to the midrange and finishing at the rim. Agada got to 10 points on the night at the end of the third, with Waterman leading at 16 points. Hill and Miller-Moore’s third quarter got them to 14 points and 12 points going into the fourth. The game tied at 58 at the end of the third quarter.
An series of threes commenced the fourth quarter as the two sides traded leads. Roche, Smith and Agada each made a three early in the fourth and the pace picked up for both sides. Henry got out in transition for the Nighthawks to push them to a 74-71 lead with a minute until Elam time. A dunk from Waterman, a three from Henry, a three from Agada and a three from Hess all transpired in the last minute before Elam time. Going into Elam time, Guelph held a 80-76 lead over the Honey Badgers with the target score set at 89.
All five Nighthawks starters were in double-digit scoring going into Elam time led by Hill with 14 points and 10 points from Henry off the bench. Waterman led the scoring for Hamilton with 21 points followed by 16 points from Agada.
Hill started Elam time with a turnaround jumper to give the Nighthawks a 82-76 lead which was followed by two free throws from Waterman and a three-pointer from Koby Mcewen. With the Nighthawks leading 82-81, Agada took the lead at the rim 83-82 but that was immediately followed by five unanswered points from the Nighthawks. A three from Hess and a layup by Miller-Moore put the Nighthawks within two points of victory, a margin Hill closed in transition to give the Nighthawks the win. Guelph defeated the Hamilton Honey Badgers 89-83 at home.
Five Nighthawks finished in double-digits on the scoreboard, Hill leading with 23 points, four rebounds and two assists. Aj Hess scored 14 points going with four rebounds and an assist. Miller-Moore finished with 12 points while Lall, Smith and Henry each recorded 10 points.
Zane Waterman led the Honey Badgers with 23 points, eight rebounds, two assists a steal and a block. Agada made an impact across the boxscore with 16 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, four steals and a block. Mcewen finished with 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and a block.
Guelph Head Coach Charles Kissi talked about the impact of Sean Miller-Moore and others in the win, “we asked him to do a little bit more today, we felt like he had some pretty favourable matchups that he could take advantage of and he did. That’s just what it is, you have to be prepared, because of the way we play, you have to be prepared to get called on and deliver when it’s your time. Down the stretch we said Ahmed it’s your time and he delivered, we called on a number of guys, Tj, Clayton, you name it, we called on some guys at certain points and we called on them fast and they responded so that’s really positive for us. Especially in the absence of Cat and A.J. Lawson that’s a pretty big statement.”