The BlackJacks, on the other hand, started their CEBL Summer Series campaign 0-2 but closed out round robin play by rounding into form and going 3-1 down the stretch. In those victories, Ottawa won by a combined 37 points.

Guelph and Ottawa will take the court against each other for the first time since their opening day matchup on CBC national TV. The Nighthawks routed the BlackJacks 89-71, holding Ottawa to just 37 percent shooting from the field.

Fast forward nearly two weeks and Guelph has found its identity, utilizing a score by committee approach with multiple players chipping in on both sides of the basketball. The BlackJacks have a bona fide scorer in Thomas Scrubb and have received solid contributions from U SPORTS and Carleton standout Lloyd Pandi. 

Tonight’s game is being livestreamed on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and Twitch (CEBLeague). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Which Rendition of the Nighthawks Will We See?

The Nighthawks lost to the Bandits, 84-70, in their final game of the round robin. For a moment, it looked that Guelph might take the game after scoring 33 points in the second quarter and entering halftime with all of the momentum, but Guelph came out flat in the second half, scoring just 25 points.

Turnovers were a poison for the Nighthawks, who gave the ball away 20 times in Wednesday’s contest against Fraser Valley, which led to 16 fastbreak points for the Bandits. 

Guelph had four players finish in double-digits in scoring, Jabari Craig, Jonathan Arledge, Tre’Darius McCallum and Kimbal Mackenzie, but no one registered more than 12 points. 

If the Nighthawks are to advance past Ottawa, they will need a go-to scorer to emerge from the pack and lead the way. 

Three-Point Woes

The BlackJacks are at their best when they get the ball into the paint. As a group, Ottawa is shooting just 30.4 percent from three-point range. The BlackJacks’ inability to stretch the floor has proven to be a double-edged sword because they’re averaging 13.7 offensive rebounds per game, many off of missed three-pointers, which has consequently led to easy lay-up opportunities for proficient offensive rebounders like Eric Kibi and Pandi.

However, six games in the books and a developed scouting report on the BlackJacks in tow, opposing teams have the option to give space to Ottawa’s shooters and force them to connect from beyond the arc.

If the BlackJacks are unable to hit from three, it could prove costly as teams will opt to prevent opportunities in the paint at the expense of allowing open three-pointers. 

Opening and Closing Quarters

Guelph has struggled as of late to get off to a hot start and to close quarters with momentum. The Nighthawks were outscored by the Bandits 17-12 and 22-10 in the first and third quarter on Wednesday. Save for a buzzer beating half-court three-pointer by Joel Friesen, the Nighthawks struggled to maintain the momentum built midway through each quarter. 

If Guelph is to soar to new heights this postseason, team leaders like McCallum and veteran Olu Famutimi will have to prove that they can lead the Nighthawks through the trenches for when opposing teams make their run. McCallum shot a solid 4-of-7 on Wednesday, and also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists while committing just one turnover. It was a strong performance from a player who has shown glimpses of offering more offensive output.

If McCallum can shoulder the load offensively and guide Guelph through the heat of the moment, the Nighthawks will have an opportunity to emerge victorious from Tuesday’s playoff action.

Next Up

The winner of Thursday’s game will play either play the Fraser Valley Bandits or Edmonton Stingers on Saturday in semifinal action depending on the result of the Niagara River Lions and Hamilton Honey Badgers, which precedes the second half of Wednesday’s doubleheader.

Both games are available to watch on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and Twitch (CEBLeague).