NIAGARA 72 SASK 71, RATTLERS FALL TO 0-4

The Niagara River Lions (2-2) overcame a six-point deficit heading into the Elam Ending to secure a 72-71 victory against the Saskatchewan Rattlers (0-4) on Sunday afternoon at the SaskTel Centre.

Niagara outscored Saskatchewan 15 to eight in the Elam Ending while a pull-up three-pointer by guard Kassius Robertson was the dagger.

The game was a back-and-forth affair as both teams were wanting to rebound from a loss and were playing hungry for the win. Each squad played lockdown defence, and this resulted in the lowest scoring game in the CEBL this season.

A bright side in this loss for Saskatchewan was their defensive stops that prevented Niagara from getting out in transition, and forced the River Lions to play in the half-court. The Rattlers’ on-ball pressure led to nine Niagara first half turnovers that converted into 18 Saskatchewan points.

“It was something we saw against Fraser Valley we had to work on and I think we did a great job today,” said guard Devonte Bandoo. “Small errors cost us at the end of the game. We put our hearts out there and it’s just unfortunate, a guy made a tough shot contested, it happens.”

The Rattlers were leading heading into the Elam Ending but were unable to capitalize late in the game.

“We struggled to get good quality shots in Elam time,” said head coach Chad Jacobson. “I thought we were better the first three and a half quarters and then when it came to Elam we just settled for some real tough shots.”

Saskatchewan started the game with great energy and were playing with a tenacity that showed they were hungry to secure their first win of the season. The team had a trio of steals and outrebounded Niagara in the first half. The Rattlers were solid on the offensive boards generating multiple opportunities per possession but were unable to convert those second chances. The team also had great perimeter ball movement which saw some open looks for the likes of Mambi Diawara and Devonte Bandoo.

“Our guys battled from start to finish, they competed, they left it all on the floor and like I said it was just the execution down the stretch, a few breaks here, a few breaks there and that game could have been a different outcome,” said coach Jacobson. “I just say keep staying the course, keep working and putting forth that effort and things are going to turn around for us.

Saskatchewan will travel to Edmonton next to take on the Stingers (2-0) at the Expo Centre on July 8 at 9:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. local.

The River Lions return to Niagara and welcome in the first-place Fraser Valley Bandits (4-0) on July 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Meridian Centre.

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.

(CEBL Communications)