Niagara River Lions handily defeat Ottawa BlackJacks in CEBL season opener

Jaylen Babb-Harrison came off the bench to score 30 points to go along with Kassius Robertson's 21 points, as the Niagara River Lions handily defeated the Ottawa BlackJacks 103-78 in the CEBL's season opener Thursday.

In the first season back to playing in teams' host cities, Niagara did not disappoint.

After Ottawa got out to a four-point lead following the first quarter, Niagara began its takeover in the second frame.

Around the midway point of the second quarter, the River Lions went on a 15-4 run, going up by 13 points with four minutes left before halftime.

Niagara closed out the half up eight points, by a score of 52-44.

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With momentum on Niagara's side, the River Lions continued to feast, expanding their lead by outscoring Ottawa by 10 and going into the fourth quarter up 18.

The BlackJacks had little to show for their efforts as the game wore on, with Niagara entering the Elam Ending period up 94-73 and eventually winning by a 25-point margin.

Kadre Gray led the way for Ottawa, scoring 25 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. BlackJacks forward Nick Ward posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

The BlackJacks are next scheduled to face the Guelph Nighthawks on Monday, while the River Lions are set to square off with the Fraser Valley Bandits on Tuesday.

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