Fourth Seed, First Seed, Does It Matter?

The first seeded Niagara River Lions go up against the fourth-seeded Hamilton Honey Badgers in a battle that will forever be in the CEBL history books! The Badgers entered this game, knowing that they are the underdogs and realized that all they have to do is win one measly game. The Lions, however, entered this game as the first seed while defeating the Badgers four out of the five times they met. With that statistical edge, the Lions has the edge before the game even started. However, this game ended up being the most anti-climatic match in the entire playoffs.

The first quarter started as a three-point contest. Both the Lions and the Badgers were on fire from past the arc. The Lions recorded an impressive 6/12 shooting from the three-point line while the Badgers went an astonishing 5/8 shooting from the three. Right away, you can tell that both teams were keen on shooting threes at an impressive rate. The shooting percentages for both teams in the first quarter was incredible overall. However, the critical difference when it came to shooting the ball were, the number of times both teams went to the free-throw line. For the Niagara River-Lions, they managed to shoot eleven attempts while making all of them. Ryan Anderson of the Niagara River Lions led his team in scoring with style in the first quarter. Anderson has proved himself that he is not only a go too bucket in the CEBL, he is also one of the best three-point shooters in the entire league. He managed to score 100% from every statistical category, which was a motivation booster for the Lions. The Badgers had their weapon of destruction as well. The combination of Demetrius Denzel-Dyson and Xavier Rathan-Mayes was what elevated this team to take the next step. Both Rathan-Mayes and Denzel-Dyson combined for 21 out of the 34 points in the first quarter. Both players had a hot hand in the first quarter, which was an unstoppable force of offence the Lions could not handle. Defensively, neither team had a significant impact due to the intense pressure of scoring the ball. In fact, throughout this game, neither team focused on defence and instead worked towards scoring the basketball. Whether it was three-pointers or clutch two-point shots, both teams scored the ball aggressively to gain an advantage. With both teams scoring the ball effectively, the final score at the end of the first was 34-34.

The second quarter continued the trend of high percentage shooting. Demetrius Denzel-Dyson continued to dominate on the offensive side. He was lights out from the three-point line which was looking problematic for the Lions. Niagara had no answer for Denzel-Dyson’s performance as no one was able to guard him. Even though the Lions were unable to stop Denzel-Dyson, they also had multiple players that came in the clutch. Guillaume Boucard is a primary example of dominance in this game. Boucard managed to score seven points in this quarter while also playing terrific defence in the painted area. Despite both teams having clutch performers, neither team was able to extend their lead at a significant rate. Similar to the first quarter, both teams primary goal was to score the ball. Although the Honey Badgers are one of the better teams on the defensive end, they needed to make sure that they score the ball first. The Badgers managed to outscore the Lions for most of the quarter until Nem Mitrovic decided to show up. Mitrovic was the highlight of this quarter. Whether it was a long three-point shot or a steep pass to one of his teammates, Mitrovic did everything right in this quarter. The Badgers played good defence on Mitrovic however, given how talented he is at shooting the ball, the Badgers had no answer. With every player doing their jobs with persistence, the first half ended with a score of 55-54 with the Badgers taking a last-second lead. Considering that the Lions have defeated this team countless times throughout the season, they were unable to stop anything the Badgers produced. The Lions needed something to change in the second half if they want to win this game.

The third quarter was by far the highlight of this game. Throughout this year of watching CEBL basketball, I have never seen both teams playing excellent basketball with high percentage shooting. This was a close game and was by far the most intense game I have ever experienced. The duo of Demetrius Denzel-Dyson and Xavier Rathan-Mayes was an unstoppable force at the offensive end. Both players managed to record an astonishing 21 points apiece. Even though both players managed to score similar amounts of points, Demetrius Denzel-Dyson not only scored incredible numbers but also managed to average 73% from the field. Denzel-Dyson attempted eleven shots while making eight of them. When putting that into perspective, Denzel-Dyson managed to outscore every team that played in the CEBL playoffs! Niagara, however, had a balanced route of scoring the basketball. Instead of having a two-headed dragon running the offence, the Lions relied on each other to score the ball. Even though Ryan Anderson scored an outstanding 23 points, the rest of the team scored together as a unit. Players such as, Guillaume Boucard, Nem Mitrovic, Yohanny Dalembert, Dorian Pinson, and Trae Bell-Haynes all recorded more than eight points which are quite impressive. The strongest asset that the Lions had was trust in one another and ball movement. The Badgers, however, decided to run an offence where you pass it to the stars. Ricky Tarrant Jr., Xavier Rathan-Mayes, and Demetrius Denzel-Dyson were all the primary scorers throughout the entirety of the game. This quarter brought scoring to the next level with the score of 81-80 with Niagara taking the lead. The Honey Badgers, at this point, needed to regroup and focus on their strengths and weaknesses if they want to win this game.

The fourth quarter started rough for the Niagara River Lions. Samuel Muldrow, who was named, defensive player of the year for the CEBL, ended up getting ejected from the game due to the exceeded amount of fouls he had. This was a massive loss for the Lions considering that they lost their best defender on the court. Niagara was in slight panic considering what they lost, which was a sign for what this fourth quarter would end up being. The Badgers ended up using Muldrow’s ejection as a confidence booster right away. Instead of slowing down, the Badgers managed to take their scoring efficiency to the next level. In the first couple of minutes in the fourth quarter, the Badgers were scoring lights out from every direction. Whether it was three-pointers or receiving an and-one opportunity, the Badgers were keen on winning this game. The Lions, however, battled it out against the Badgers with aggression and determination. Every time the Badgers made a shot, the Lions would immediately answer back with a chance of their own. This quarter was neck and neck as no one was able to dictate a winner in this game. The Badgers, however, managed to have a trio of scoring in, Ricky Tarrant Jr., Xavier Rathan-Mayes, and Demetrius Denzel-Dyson. This trio was unguardable in this quarter throughout the entirety of the game. They managed to score a whopping 71 points out of 104 points. The dominance that these players possessed in this game was deadly; however, the Lions had just as big of an impact. Even though the Badgers maintained a ruthless trio, Lion’s performance exemplified the true meaning of team basketball. Both Ryan Anderson and Guillaume Boucard each scored 20-plus points, the Lions managed to have four other players who scored in double-digits. The ball-movement that the Lions possessed was what allowed the Lions to still compete in this game. However, the main story for the Lions was Guillaume Boucard. He managed to score a monstrous eight points while also attaining multiple rebounds. Boucard came in clutch this quarter despite the rest of his team producing numbers. The Lions were looking unstoppable until Sampson Carter of the Badgers decided to show up.

Carter scored eight of his sixteen points in just the fourth quarter. Whether it was setting a pick to shoot a three or managing to get fouled, the former Memphis Grizzly was keen on winning this game. In the last few minutes of the quarter, the Badgers and the Lions were going neck and neck. If Ricky Tarrant Jr. scored a three-pointer, Guillaume Boucard would manage to answer back. If Trae Bell-Haynes shot multiple free-throws, Murphy Burnatowski would fire back with a three-pointer of his own. This game was by far the most balanced in the entire season. Both teams worked extremely hard to reach this stage hence why the clutch performers emerged. However, only one side can be named champion in this game.

In the final seconds of the game, the Badgers chances at winning this game ’we’re looking slim. Even though Murphy Burnatowski hit a clutch three-point shot, the Badgers managed to foul Trae Bell-Haynes in the last minute of the game. This would give the Lions an advantage if Bell-Haynes nailed both of them. Unfortunately for the Lions, Bell-Haynes managed to miss both clutch free-throws which led to the Badgers gaining a two-point advantage. All of a sudden, the fourth-seeded Hamilton Honey-Badgers were looking like the team to win this game until Yohanny Dalembert of the Lions attains a foul. The stress levels in the arena were rising as Dalembert stepped on the free-throw line. The intensity was increasing for the Lions and expectations were suddenly placed across the entire stadium. The pressure was rested upon Dalembert’s hands at the free-throw line, which resulted in immense stress. When a player is given the power to change the entire dynamic of a game, stress levels tend to backfire one you. That is precisely what had happened to Yohanny Dalembert as he managed to miss one of his free-throw shots. By the time Niagara would attain another opportunity to gain an advantage, the buzzer sounded, and the Hamilton Honey Badgers ended up winning this game with the final score of, 104-103. This game was heartbreaking for the Lions but exciting for the Honey-Badgers. Typically in basketball, it is extremely rare to see the worst team record-wise beat the top team in the entire league. This loss hurts the Lions; however, it also grants them a sense of humbleness considering the way they lost. This whole season, the Lions were confident that they were going to attain to the trophy and to see this happen is necessary for this club.

Overall, both teams played hard and aggressive. The tenacity throughout this match was something incredible to witness. Throughout the entirety of the game, high volume shots were taken with astonishing efficiency. Both teams played a fierce battle and equally deserved to make it to the finals. The reality is, there can only be one winner, which is why this game is even more devastating. The Lions may have lost this game yet; they never lost their composure in this game. One thing that is commendable about both team performances is that they both managed always to answer back. This loss hurts for the Lions, but they will be back with a vengeance on their shoulders. This game was anyone’s game the moment tip-off; hence, why this game was tough to watch. It was hard to root against one of these teams as anyone could tell that they spilled their hearts out on the court. Even though this loss is devastating, the Lions ended their season with class and honour, which is why they should not be upset about losing this game.