Game Preview - June 14: BlackJacks Back at Home, Looking for Revenge Against River Lions
The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) take on the reigning CEBL champion, Niagara River Lions in a Father’s Day matchup this afternoon, at 2 p.m.
Ottawa enters this game coming off of six away matches in row, the last three of which were on a road trip out west to face the Vancouver Bandits, Calgary Surge, and Edmonton Stingers–the BlackJacks finished that stretch of games with an unfortunate record of 0-3.
Those losses bring their official record to 2-5 on the season, just a game ahead of the Brampton Honey Badgers for the worst record in the Eastern Conference. The River Lions sit second in the East with a record of 5-3.
Looking deeper into why those three straight losses happened for Ottawa, it’s clear that all of the time on the road affected the team. Living out of a suitcase and in an unfamiliar city is tiring enough, and adding three games in just five days on top of that was bound to exhaust the players.
“We got ourselves into a situation going into every fourth quarter where we were right there to compete,” said BlackJacks Head Coach David DeAveiro, “I think fatigue was part of it.”
Ottawa found themselves within at least five points during the fourth quarter of all three of those road games–but the tiring nature of being away from home got to the players, and Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton all went on scoring runs to end the games.
So being back at TD Place was a relief for DeAveiro, nearly a month after their last home game.
Coming home to Ottawa isn’t the only breath of fresh air for the BlackJacks in this game, though–newly arrived forward Zane Waterman will play his first game with the team this afternoon and forward Isaih Moore has finally returned from injury after missing the entire stretch of away games on concussion protocol.
After going through the infamous recovery process that comes with a concussion, Moore is thrilled to be back on the court: “I was in the dark for weeks–I’m very happy to be back on the court. I can’t even explain that,” he said when asked about his recovery.
The rest of the team will be equally excited about his return. During his two games played this season, Moore averaged 17.0 points per game, good for the second best mark on the team. He also made his presence known on the glass, where he averaged 3.0 offensive rebounds per game (first on the team) and 6.0 total rebounds per game (second on the team). It’s easy to see just how much impact Moore brings to the table.
“We missed [Isaih],” said DeAveiro, “we missed that energy and that athleticism on the road trip.”
Coming back onto the court after sitting on the sidelines for so long also gives Moore the ability to bring a new perspective to the team, by watching from afar, he made a few takeaways about how the team can improve for the rest of the season.
“Sticking together during times of adversity,” he said when asked about where the team could improve, “I think that’s what builds the true character of the team.”
Pushing through times of adversity was definitely a struggle for the BlackJacks during the road trip. All of those poor fourth quarter performances could be attributed to fatigue, but staying solid in tense situations was an apparent issue in those moments as well that the team needs to work on. With Moore’s return and his new perspective, the BlackJacks’ resilience can hopefully improve.
The team gave a perfect example of struggling under pressure during their first matchup against the River Lions this season, where they gave up a 17-point lead during target time to lose the game, 87-85.
That loss only added to the brewing rivalry between these two teams. After a loss in the CEBL quarterfinals to the River Lions in the 2024 playoffs, the BlackJacks have had their hearts broken by Niagara a few too many times.
“Everybody is definitely ready for the game [today],” said Moore, “it’s definitely always a game when we play Niagara. Everybody’s locked in.”
Both squads enter this anticipated matchup with a new-look roster compared to their last meeting.
The River Lions have added a number of players who join the team after having finished their professional seasons overseas, including forward Nathan Cayo, guard Jahvon Blair, and most importantly 2022 CEBL MVP Khalil Ahmed.
Ahmed leads the league in points per game this season with 26.3, as well as free throws made per game with 7.8. His scoring ability will be a huge addition to the River Lions’ already strong roster.
But the BlackJacks made some changes, too–the aforementioned Waterman brings not just immense talent to the team but also some much needed championship experience.
Waterman took home the CEBL championship in 2022, playing alongside the then-named Hamilton Honey Badgers alongside fellow current 2025 BlackJacks signee, Keevan Veinot.
That experience will be massive in helping out a struggling Ottawa team that’s still looking to reach its first CEBL Finals as a franchise. It will come in extra handy against Niagara, a team full of veterans coming off of a championship just last season.
“Anything I can do to help us win games,” said Waterman when asked how he could help the team.
That statement is a perfect description of Waterman’s all-around playing style–he averaged 15.9 points per game last season for the Honey Badgers, leading the team. He also sat second on the team in rebounds per game with 6.0, and three point percentage at .370
Waterman joined the BlackJacks at practice just two days ago, but feels comfortable with his transition into the team’s system.
“With basketball, everything’s the same when you’ve played for so many years,” said the three-year CEBL veteran, “it’s like riding a bike. I’ll get in rhythm soon, and these [teammates] will make it easy for me.”
With Waterman’s confidence in a strong start from himself, his championship experience and all-around game will no doubt prove impactful against the experienced River Lions.
Add in Moore’s return, and the team’s first home game in nearly a month, and the BlackJacks must be feeling optimistic coming into this afternoon’s Father’s Day game–especially against a rival team like the River Lions.
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