Three 21-point performances and a solid defensive effort allowed the Ottawa BlackJacks (3-7) to win 102-80 against the Scarborough Shooting Stars (6-5) on Thursday night.
After losing two games in a row and being limited to 67 points, their lowest total of the season, in their last outing, the BlackJacks bounced back in great style against the defending champions. Tyrell Tate, Keevan Veinot and Isaih Moore each scored 21 points to help Ottawa reach the 100-point plateau for the first time in 2024.
But it was the defense that particularly stood out, with the BlackJacks limiting the Shooting Stars to a 39 percent success rate on their shots from the floor, their second-worst performance of the campaign.
“Certainly our best overall performance so far,” Ottawa head coach James Derouin said after the win. “On both ends of the floor, but especially holding them to 80 points. They’re the best offence in the league. To stop them like that, that’s probably the biggest takeaway from the game.”
For Scarborough, the loss snapped a two-game winning streak and cost the champions a chance to potentially gain ground on first-place Niagara in the East. Cat Barber led the way with a season-high 26 points and three steals. He was supported by Jackson Rowe, who finished with 15 points and five steals in his first game at his former team’s home since joining Scarborough, and Devoe Joseph, who scored 11 points as a substitute.
“I thought we played well for maybe six minutes in the second half,” Shooting Stars head coach Devan Blair said after the loss. “During the target scoring period, the effort was there, but when you’re trailing by 20, it doesn’t really matter anymore. »
The return of Deng Adel, after finishing his season abroad later than expected, was understandably the main talking point for fans gathered at TD Place before the game. The team-record points holder and versatile winger who led the team with an average of 17.5 points per game last year while helping Ottawa to 12 wins, is proving to be a bright spot for the injury-plagued team.
His impact was immediate. Adel recovered a loose ball eight minutes into the first quarter and delivered a spectacular dunk in transition to score his first points in the 2024 LECB. His presence alone drew enough attention to pave the way for teammates like Veinot, who scored eight points in the opening frame.
Adel finished the game with 11 points, six rebounds, nine assists and two steals.
With their dynamic duo, the BlackJacks jumped out to an early 12-4 lead, but the defending champions responded with a 13-3 run that cut Ottawa’s advantage to 24-23 after 10 minutes of play.
“To get a big win at home after a disappointing game last week is incredible,” Veinot said after his first start of the season. “We finally have some guys here, it looks like a complete team. This looks like a team, so hopefully we can continue to get wins.” »
In the second quarter, the BlackJacks regained control. Partly thanks to Tate’s three triples en route to a halftime-high 12 points, but mostly thanks to a defensive effort that held the Shooting Stars to a 35 per cent shooting percentage. It was the first time this season that Ottawa held an opponent to a shooting percentage of less than 50 per cent in a half.
For a team that allows the second-most points per game in the league (95.7), stopping the LECB’s best attack (93.5) was quite an accomplishment.
This balanced offensive and defensive effort earned Ottawa a 49-40 lead at halftime.
“We all pitched in,” Veinot said when asked about his team’s improved defense Thursday. “We had some good moments in other games, but for the whole first half it seemed like everything was working. »
However, although the BlackJacks extended their lead to 14 points in the third quarter, Scarborough once again closed the gap. The Shooting Stars’ leading scorer in 2023, Barber exploded with 19 points in the period to help his team close to 75-68 heading into the fourth period.
It was only the third game of the season for Barber, who joined the team a week ago after his season in Portugal. He is averaging 19.3 points per game since his return.
“He gave us a chance,” Blair said when asked about Barber’s impact in that game. “We need him. He won a championship (with Scarborough) last year, we’re going to need him in the future. It is enormous. »
Once the last quarter began, it was once again the defense that contributed to Ottawa’s success. The BlackJacks started the fourth quarter on a 12-3 run, shutting out the Shooting Stars for nearly four minutes at one point. Rowe finally scored Scarborough’s first basket 6:28 into the game.
Ottawa entered the target scoring period with a 93-75 lead and was not going to miss the opportunity to topple the second-best team in the East. The Shooting Stars only scored five points as the BlackJacks finally capped their best game of the season with a dunk from Isaiah Moore.
While defense was the catalyst for the win, offense also shined. Ottawa shot 50 percent of its total shots and, more impressively, 70 percent of its two-point attempts.
The win also moved the BlackJacks into third place in the conference, overtaking Brampton and Montreal, who have identical 3-8 records.
Next matches
The BlackJacks continue their three-game homestand Thursday when they host the Montreal Alliance at TD Place. It will be the third of four regular-season meetings between the two teams.
The Shooting Stars will stay on the road for two more games, starting Sunday with a matchup against the Brampton Honey Badgers, their Greater Toronto Area rivals.
– LECB –
About the LECB
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with the mission of developing Canadian players, coaches, sports managers and referees, the LECB has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, its rosters being composed 75% Canadian and counting a record 10 players with NBA experience in their ranks in 2024. Players also come from the NBA G League, top international professional leagues, the Canadian national team program, programs from the NCAA, as well as U SPORTS and the CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts after one CEBL season, and many CEBL players participate in NBA G League training camps each year. The LECB season runs from May to August. The matches are broadcast live on CABLE+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment et Courtside1891. Further information on the LECB is available at CEBL.ca and via @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook et YouTube.
