Edmonton Suffers Another Tough Loss.
The Edmonton Stingers were defeated on Thursday, 16, 2019 against the Niagara River Lions. Opening day for the Edmonton Stingers was a successful one as they faced up against the Lions with an Overtime defeat. However, the Lions answered back with a monstrous defeat against the Edmonton Stingers with the final score of, 108-66. A lot of factors came into play with this game three performance. The excessive amount of turnovers the Stingers committed was one of many factors that cost them this game. The Lions and the Stingers are slowly turning into a rivalry considering the strive of tenacity from both teams. However, the question remains, what went wrong for the Stingers?
Edmonton Stingers Performance
The performance that the Stingers displayed was an overall disappointment. Similar to game two, the Stingers are struggling to find momentum when facing a home team. The Stingers look like a completely different team when playing on the road due to a few factors.
The main factor that caused the Stingers to lose was the number of turnovers. In fact, Edmonton managed to finish the game with 18 turnovers compared to Niagara’s nine. This horrendous amount allowed the Lions to find momentum in the game to execute their shots. This was caused by, the lack of communication the Stingers displayed. There were multiple instances where the Stingers would have enough clearance to make a shot, however, would insist on rushing a pass. If Edmonton produced smart passes, the outcome of this game would have been different. The outstanding amount of turnovers was not the only factor that resulted in the Stingers defeat.
One of the few positives that came out of this game was the performances by Jordan Baker and Xavier Moon. Both Baker and Moons performances prevented this loss from being a complete disaster. With Moon finishing the game with 26 points and Baker scoring 23, more than half the Stingers points resulted from just these two players. To put that into perspective, 49 out of the 66 points that the Stingers scored came from just two players. The lack of scoring from the rest of the team really hurt the Stingers chance of winning this game. Xavier Moon displayed leadership as it seemed as if he was not affected by the deficit. Baker was a huge contributor in the inside as he would grab multiple rebounds and block a few shots. If the rest of the roster for the Stingers managed to execute the shots that they were shooting, this game could have been more competitive.
This game so far has suffered the greatest scoring deficit this season. Edmonton needs to take this game as if it was a practice due to how they lost. The season is still just beginning for the Stingers which determines that the communication for this team will only rise. Edmonton needs to have good chemistry on the court in order for them to pass the ball effectively without committing a turnover. Furthermore, players such as Grandy Glaze and Mamadou Gueye need to contribute a lot more than what they did in game three in order to ensure a win.
Niagara River Lions Performance.
The Lions extinguished the Stingers in game three as they were seeking to get revenge. When the Lions and the Stingers first battled, the outcome of the Lions was different. However, Niagara was not ready to give up just yet. With vengeance on their shoulders, Niagara was hungry to defeat the Edmonton Stingers.
Overall, the Lions played excellent basketball. With their chemistry through the roof, it insured that the Lions were going to win. Yet, as previously mentioned Hamilton defeated Edmonton through their defence. With the Stingers committing 18 turnovers, it allowed the Lions to convert those turnovers into points. The more the Stingers turned over the ball, the more the Lions gained momentum at a high rate. Although these turnovers were arguably the main reason as to why the Lions defeated the Stingers, their depth should not be unrecognized.
Unlike the Stingers, the Lions roster came to play. With more than five players scoring in double digits, it seemed as if the Lions could not miss a shot. Players such as Nem Mitrovic and Ryan Anderson, both scored high efficient shots from past the arc. Those performances resulted in players such as Trae Bell-Hayes, Dorian Pinson, Yohanny Dalembert, and Alex Johnson to all score above 10 points. Hamilton’s depth allowed them to win this game as everyone on the roster contributed offensive plays whether it was from past the arc or inside the paint. Their communication allowed them to commit high volume shots which resulted in a blowout.
Final Thoughts
The Stingers played a bad game against the Lions however this game does not dictate their future. The reality is, in basketball its tough to have a road win when the home team gains momentum at a fast rate. With their impressive roster, the Stingers have one of the best players in the CEBLeague being Xavier Moon as he has averaged 26 points and is also top 3 in steals with 1.7. Edmonton has the right pieces to win games however, they just need to gain better communication on the court in order to find the switch to help them gain momentum. There is a lot of talent on the Stingers roster that can elevate them from becoming a better team, they just need to find their niche on the court.
With the Stingers facing the Guelph Nighthawks on Friday, May 24, the expectation for them to win this game is relatively high. Edmonton needs to bounce back and prove why they are called the Stingers.