BlackJacks secure win against Montreal to move to third in conference standings

The Ottawa BlackJacks secured a huge 104-77 win over Montreal last night to move up to third place in the Eastern Conference. 

As the CEBL heads into its final three weeks of regular season play, the playoffs are not far off, and the BlackJacks' jump to third place puts them in a more comfortable position to secure a playoff spot. 

“Every game from here on out is really important,” said Head Coach Justin Mazzulla. “We're taking care of what we have to take care of.”

Three-point shots were the name of the game last night and helped the BlackJacks secure a comfortable lead early in the first quarter. As a team, they shot 53 per cent from beyond the arc, and made franchise history for most three-point shots in a single game as a team with 21. 

Eight of those came from star guard and franchise-record-holder for most points in a single game, Javonte Smart. He shot 66 per cent from three, and officially reached 100 career CEBL three-point shots. 

He also reached 750 career CEBL-career points after reaching 500 CEBL-career points just seven weeks earlier. 

After finishing the game with 38 points, six assists and six rebounds, Smart also surpassed Kadre Gray for all-time assists and now sits in second in franchise history for total assists with 195. 

“I like making my teammates look good. I'm a playmaker at heart,” said Smart about his multiple-record-breaking game. “I'll continue to work and continue to try to break records on any chance I get.”

Another highlight of the game was the return of Tyrell Tate, a 5-year veteran on the team. He went down early in the season with a rib injury, but was back on BlackJacks home court for his first game after his return. 

“[It’s] been a long two months, so it just felt good to see [the ball] go in and hear the crowd,” said Tate about his first basket back. “When I checked in, hearing them go crazy, it showed me how much I missed them.” 

Tate finished the game with six points, three assists and three rebounds. 

The BlackJacks will face the Brampton Honey-Badgers at home on Sunday, July 12. Brampton is currently sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, so a win against them will only help the playoff run more.