Game Preview - August 2: BlackJacks and Surge Match Up for First Time Since Early June
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) take on the Calgary Surge this afternoon at 2 p.m. at The Arena at TD Place.
Both teams rank second in their respective conference standings with the BlackJacks at 10-10 in the Eastern Conference and the Surge at 13-7 in the West.
These two teams have only matched up one other time this season in early June, where Calgary emerged victorious in a 24-point blowout. The loss was Ottawa’s worst all year.
Each team’s roster has changed since that game, though.
The Surge have added the electric Evan Gilyard II in place of guard Karim Mané. Gilyard II has ranked sixth in the CEBL in points per game (21.4) in his eight games played this season.
Ottawa’s lineup has also made some big moves since that matchup in June. They’ve added forward Zane Waterman and swapped out guard Matt Coleman III for the high-scoring Javonte Smart.
Smart leads the league in scoring at 28.4 points per-game, and has boosted the BlackJacks offensive numbers significantly. In the month of June, Ottawa averaged 87.6 points per-game. That number jumped up to 93.6 in July, largely in part to Smart signing on June 20.
Ottawa’s offensive boost has led to a two-game winning streak which gives them the momentum over the Surge in this one, who have lost two in a row.
The Surge were taken down by the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the Scarborough Shooting Stars in their last two contests, two teams who the BlackJacks have had success against this season.
In Ottawa’s two games against the Sea Bears, they went 2-0, winning by an average margin of 19.5 points. Against the Shooting Stars, they went 2-1, including a 100-93 victory on Tuesday night.
If their recent history of opponents and momentum coming into this matchup says anything about the possible outcome of this game, the odds are in Ottawa’s favour.
That win against the Shooting Stars was the BlackJacks first win all season by a margin of seven points or less. After starting the season 0-6 in those situations, something clicked in the team’s offense as they outscored Scarborough 10-4 in target time.
Ottawa’s positive momentum in clutch situations carried over into their next game against the reigning champion and top seed in the East, Niagara River Lions, where they took home a 96-93 win in another close one.
Smart exploded for 44 points in the matchup–a professional career high, BlackJacks single-game record, and the second-highest scoring performance in CEBL history. The showing culminated in a ridiculous fadeaway from far beyond the three-point line to win the game for Ottawa.
That outing was one for the CEBL history books, and shows that the BlackJacks can beat even the best teams in the league with the help of some strong individual performances.
Smart’s night was even more important against Niagara because of how many players Ottawa was missing. Forward Isaih Moore was suspended from the lineup due to accumulating six technical fouls on the season, and guards Shakur Daniel and Keevan Veinot both missed the game due to injury.
Although Moore will return in this afternoon’s matchup, the statuses of Daniel and Veinot are still unknown. The BlackJacks will have to try to orchestrate another strong offensive night from Smart or another one of their top scorers in Moore and Waterman.
The Surge have the third-best defensive rating in the CEBL, allowing just 87.9 points per game this season. Ottawa’s offense will have to be even more productive to match that, especially if they continue to deal with nagging injuries.
Calgary isn’t the only strong defensive team in this matchup, though–the BlackJacks actually boast the best defensive rating in the league, allowing 86.3 points per game. That team defense will be key in slowing down some of the Surge’s top scorers.
Alongside Gilyard II, Calgary boasts three other players who average 18 or more points per game: Greg Brown III, Jameer Nelson Jr. and Sean Miller-Moore. Ottawa’s defense will need to continue to be top-notch in order to slow those four down.
So expect a strong defensive matchup on both sides tonight. Despite the BlackJacks entering this game with better momentum, the Surge are strong scorers and defenders who have beaten the BlackJacks before.
The biggest question is whether or not Ottawa’s newer players, especially Smart, will have impactful enough individual performances to make a difference from the outcome the last time these two teams faced off.
Interact with us on social media:
Instagram: ottawablackjacks
Facebook: OttawaBlackJacks
TikTok:
ottawablackjacks