Report: The Guelph Nighthawks Defeat The Ottawa Blackjacks In An Epic Duel!

On July 25, 2020, the second game features the newest addition to the CEBL, the Ottawa Blackjacks and the returning Guelph Nighthawks that intend to make the playoffs. Last season towards the end, Guelph made a significant comeback in hopes of making the playoffs but were later defeated by the constant coaching changes and the inconsistent rotations. However, this season, the Nighthawks managed to revamp their team and coaching staff entirely and, as a result, displayed a new style of Nighthawks basketball. Ottawa however, is a new franchise with many expectations. With signing players such as Oliver Hanlan, the Scrubb brothers, and returning player Shaquille Keith, the Blackjacks are entering this league as the underdogs. But, their first game of the season didn’t go as planned despite their incredible rotation.

In the first quarter, the game started with a beautiful display of fundamental defence while failing to convert on offence. Although there were some big-time buckets, both teams struggled to score overall and entered the game with a mentality that defence is what will win this game. For Guelph, their mindset quickly shifted the moment they observed how physically weak the Blackjacks were. At the start of the game, both teams lacked a star scorer and instead shared the ball fluently while allowing everyone to score. The Blackjacks quickly dominated the first quarter and showed signs of being an elite three-point shooting team. The Nighthawks couldn’t answer back as the Blackjacks defence was too unstoppable for Guelph to overcome. The second quarter would kick-off where the Nighthawks entered the game with a completely different identity!

When entering the second quarter, the game appeared to be a very low scoring match as the score was 16-12, with Ottawa leading the charge. However, both Guelph and Ottawa entered the second quarter with the same momentum. Similarly to the first quarter, both teams didn’t have a dominant scorer and instead facilitated the ball reasonably well. From Jonathan Arledge dominating inside the paint for the Nighthawks to Thomas Scrubb shooting consistent three-pointers, both teams had a hard time displaying a natural edge and instead played almost equal basketball. The only advantage that the Nighthawks had during the duration of this game was their elite athleticism and their bench unit. In just 11 minutes of playing time, Jamal Reynolds finished the game with 13 points while shooting perfect from the field! The Blackjacks showed promise in this quarter but looked drained as they had troubles running towards the end of the first half. During the half-time interview, Thomas Scrubb stated that they didn’t expect the physicality that Guelph inhabited and felt that Ottawa was losing their competitive side due to fatigue. Surely enough, Thomas Scrubb would predict the future as the Ottawa Blackjacks were not prepared for what would come in the second half of regulation!

The third quarter introduced the question of which team can withstand extreme physical conditions. In the beginning, The Nighthawks dominated the basketball court as they stole the ball numerous times while scoring inside. Olu Famutimi, the veteran and captain of the Nighthawks, reminded the CEBL why he was once in the NBA as he was lights out from the three-point range and leading his team verbally to success. However, for the Blackjacks, they managed to match anything that Guelph threw at them as Philip Scrubb, Thomas Scrubb, Shaquille Keith, and Kyle Landry played exceptionally well in the third quarter. But, fatigue finally hit the Blackjacks as they started to look much weaker on both sides of the floor, making Ottawa a very vulnerable team. The Nighthawks kept their consistent energy and capitalized whenever they would see Ottawa slipping. Even though the score was close at the end with 60-56, the Nighthawks were in the lead and were ready to expose the much weaker Ottawa Blackjacks.

In the final quarter of play, Guelph went on a quick scoring streak as they managed to defend well and nail three-pointers as if it was a lay-up. Guelph managed to score 27 points with Kimbal Mackenzie, Tre’darius McCallum, and Jonathan Arledge being the primary options. From Mackenzie outrunning his defender with ease to McCallum hitting dagger jump-shots and threes, the Blackjacks struggled to score anything as Thomas Scrubb was the only one continuously igniting the flame for his team. The Blackjacks only scored an abysmal 15 points where most of their shots were from the free-throw line. For the most part, the first three quarters were pretty competitive, but the fourth quarter was Guelph basketball. The Nighthawks were more physically fit and skilled as a unit than the Blackjacks, as they never displayed great chemistry. Guelph knew where they needed to be while the Blackjacks appeared lost at times as they looked like a chicken with no head. The final score for this game was 87-71 as the Blackjacks were in this game for the most part, but were quickly bit by the fatigue bug towards the end of the game.