HAMILTON, ON – The Honey Badgers defeated the Newfoundland Growlers 95-91 on Thursday night. The Honey Badgers moved to 7-1 on the season, Newfoundland 0-7.
The first quarter started with an exchange of quick baskets. A three-pointer from Zane Waterman and an answer from Nysier Brooks, which led to the guards trading until it was 13-10 Hamilton at a timeout. From the timeout on, Hamilton used their offensive rebounding to which they got seven in the first quarter, to get second chances and capitalize around the paint.
The Honey Badgers got nine second chance points in the quarter and six points off of four Growlers turnovers to extend their lead to double digits, 26-14 with 58 seconds left in the quarter. Christian Vital led the scoring for the Honey Badgers with nine points while Jahvon Blair added six for the Growlers. Newfoundland created a Meshack Lufile layup in transition and a Blair three at the buzzer to get the deficit back to single digits. Hamilton held a 26-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Hamilton started the second quarter with back to back threes to push their lead to 12 thanks to Waterman and Caleb Agada. The Honey Badgers perimeter shot extended their offence throughout the half as they made eight in the first half, a pair from Agada and Waterman. The Growlers got to the foul line in the second quarter with Blair and Lufile when they found their spots in transition, and in the half court they were able to move the ball around to Brandon Sampson and Terry Thomas who shot efficiently at 60 per cent for Sampson and 57 for Thomas.
The Growlers found more second chance opportunities in the second quarter and were able to turn the Honey Badgers over to create 12 points off turnovers. Vital’s shot creating gave him 13 points at half, with Thomas’ perimeter shooting giving him 10 points for the Growlers. Hamilton’s lead maintained as both offences responded, and the Honey Badgers went into halftime leading 50-40.
Newfoundland’s defence gave them opportunity to cut back into the game and they did just that in the third quarter. A spark from Junior Cadougan off the bench led to Honey Badgers turnovers and the Growlers ability to get to the line to go with a Thomas three pulled them within one point halfway through the third quarter, 57-56 with 4:48 to go in the quarter.
Five more points from Thomas tied the game at 60 and the two teams traded shots through the rest of the quarter. Jahvon Blair gave the Rattlers the lead seven and a half minutes into the third and Thomas fed off of the momentum hitting a three to put the Growlers up five. At the end of the third, Newfoundland’s lead was 71-64.
Newfoundland started the fourth in transition and hit three consecutive threes off the hands of Blair twice and Sampson. The Growlers lead extended to double-digits and the Honey Badgers slowed down their offence to limit turnovers and help their execution. Vital and Prince Oduro were the primary scorers for the Honey Badgers in the first five minutes of the quarter and their shots got Hamilton within seven with a minute until Elam time. A Vital three was the last basket before Elam time and the score was 86-82 Growlers with the target score set at 95.
Vital’s fourth quarter gave him 29 points on 61 per cent shooting going into Elam time, while Sampson scored 22 points and Thomas 20 points. Sampson got his baskets on 72 per cent shooting and Thomas on 61 per cent. Nikola Djogo three-point play and Zane Waterman inside the paint gave the Honey Badgers a 87-86 lead in Elam time and the Growlers continued to attack the basket getting to the line or finding opportunities for their forwards down low.
The defensive rebounding of the Honey Badgers didn't allow the Growlers to convert on second chances and the ability for Agada and Vital to get inside the paint gave the Honey Badgers a 91-89 lead with Hamilton four points away from victory and Newfoundland six. Just as it was late in the fourth, the lead exchanged throughout Elam time with both offences responding when the other team scored. A Zane Waterman offensive rebound and put back put the Honey Badgers within two, 93-91. A stop on the other end gave Hamilton the opportunity to call a timeout and start the offence from half court where Agada drove to the rim and finished with a floater to give the Honey Badgers the win.
Hamilton won 95-91 and improved to 7-1 while the Growlers fell to 0-7. Vital led the Honey Badgers with 31 points, four rebounds, an assist and three steals. Thomas and Sampson both recorded 22 points, Sampson adding eight rebounds seven assists and two steals, Thomas eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks.
Christian Vital talked about his offence following his 31-point night. “I was just taking what the defence gave me, took my shots, I was able to get to the rim. I noticed that they were playing a drop coverage a lot so I was able to get to my midrange, so it was really just reading the different coverages and being able to execute on a efficient basis”.