Barber-led Nighthawks withstand Growlers' comeback effort for 3rd consecutive win

Cat Barber poured in 30 points and the Guelph Nighthawks took their third consecutive victory, holding off a strong fourth-quarter effort from the Newfoundland Growlers to win 89-82 on Tuesday in Guelph, Ont.

The Nighthawks (4-3), who lost three straight following their season-opening victory against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, had their hands full in the final frame with the Growlers (0-6) making a serious push for their first win.

In a first quarter where both sides were able to get into a rhythm quickly, it was Guelph that hit the gas late in the frame, finishing on a 13-4 run to go up 33-20 after one.

The second quarter brought along a glimmer of hope in catching up for Newfoundland, with a 6-0 run to cut a 43-31 deficit in half by the 3:57 mark.

Unfortunately for Newfoundland, there was no withstanding an 8-0 run from Guelph, which eventually went into the half up 57-42.

After being unable to cut the deficit to less than eight points in the third, the Growlers went on a mission in the fourth.

Down 14, Newfoundland went on a 15-4 run through the first 4:51 of the frame, cutting Guelph's lead to just 78-75.

Heading into the Elam Ending down 80-75, the Growlers continued to chip away but Barber proved to be too much when the Nighthawks needed him most.

Barber, the second-leading scorer in the league, contributed his team's final seven points, including the game-sealing jumper.

AJ Lawson added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds, in addition to TJ Lall recording 12 points and seven rebounds for Guelph.

CEBL scoring leader Brandon Sampson led Newfoundland with 20 points, while Terry Thomas and Shaquille Keith contributed 19 and 18 points, respectively.

The Nighthawks will look to extend their win streak when they play the Ottawa BlackJacks next on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Newfoundland on the other hand, will continue its search for its first win against the CEBL-best Hamilton Honey Badgers on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

Both games will be streamed live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.

WATCH | CEBL on CBC: Newfoundland Growlers vs. Guelph Nighthawks: