BlackJacks fall in close game against Brampton

Yesterday, the Ottawa BlackJacks took their first loss at home since June 21, against the Brampton Honey Badgers. 

The BlackJacks have been excelling at home since their loss to the Saskatoon Mamba. Head Coach Justin Mazzulla credits that a lot to the crowd. 

“That show was able to give them great spirit and joy. And that pumps up the bench because we feed off each other,” said Mazzulla. 

A big part of Mazzulla’s relationship with fans has been his post-game routine. Win or loss, he takes the entire team to centre court to clap for the fans, as they clap for them all game. 

“It's obviously evident when we clap after games, win or loss,” said Mazzulla. “They know that we're trying to put the best product on the floor, and they trust and believe in us.” 

The 105-98 loss was a tough back-and-forth game, the BlackJacks' deficit never falling to more than 11 points. It was a battle fought to the end, but the Honey Badgers were able to take this one. 

This was Ottawa's fourth time facing Brampton this season, and meeting them again in the playoffs is very likely. The BlackJacks are currently sitting at third in the Eastern Conference, and the Honey Badgers are in second.

“They're a good team, and hopefully we don't see them too early in the playoffs,” said Brampton Honey Badgers Head Coach Alex Cerda. “A very well-coached team. So we're just happy that we're able to leave here with the win.”

Despite the loss, the BlackJacks did a lot of things well. Holding the deficit to around five points for the majority of the game had a lot to do with their efficiency from the field. The team was shooting 52 per cent from the field and 65 per cent from 2. 

With the new mid-season signings, the BlackJacks have become very dominant down low. Isaih Moore and Alex Fudge have become known for their dunks, as well as their rebounds. The BlackJacks had a total of 40 rebounds yesterday, along with their 44 points in the paint. 

Yesterday, the Honey Badgers also had 40 rebounds, a statistic that captain of the team, Javonte Smart, was not satisfied with. 

“I think their rebounding hurt us,” said Smart. “[The game] came down to the stretch; they made some big shots, and they out-rebounded us.” 

Smart finished the game with the most rebounds on the team with seven. He also had 26 points, 13 assists and was shooting 72 per cent from two. 

Smart also officially reached 200 career assists within the first quarter of the game. He is known in the league for shooting, and fans have said he has a ‘Steph Curry effect,’ and will often be double-teamed by the opposing team's defence. He says this has only made his assist game stronger. 

“They kind of load up a lot on me. Try to take my offensive scoring out of the game,” said Smart. “So I think it kind of makes it easier for me to find my teammates, get them good looks and help us push.” 

He was most recently named captain on July 2. 

The BlackJacks will take a 5-day reset before heading to Scarborough to rematch the Shooting Stars on July 18. 

The Shooting Stars are the number-one seeded team in the conference and were the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot. Last time they faced the BlackJacks, they took their second loss of the season. 

Now, the BlackJacks head to their turf to play them for the third time this season.