CEBL Highlight Games: Fraser Valley vs Niagara, 7/11/19
The events at the Abbotsford Centre on July 11th 2019 unfolded in a completely different way than anyone had expected, as the high-flying Niagara River Lions travelled cross-country to take on the struggling Fraser Valley Bandits in the CEBL.
Niagara had one of the best starts to the sseason and came into this one with a 10-3 record. Fraser Valley, having lost their first nine games of the season, snapped their losing skid with three wins in a row prior to hosting the River Lions on July 11th, 2019. Expectations would be defied and crowds would be witness to one of the season's biggest thrillers.
After a crunching start to the game, Marek Klassen hit seven successive points for Fraser Valley, who would then lead by nine after just three and a half minutes played. Sam Muldrow and Ryan Anderson got Niagara to within one point of their hosts, with Guillaume Boucard giving them their first lead of the game with a three.
Chris McLaughlin tried to give the lead back to the Bandits, but Yohanny Dalembert kept making layups to keep the River Lions in front. McLaughlin then got Fraser Valley to within one just before the end of the first quarter, and when play resumed Klassen hit a three to return the lead to the Bandits.
Alex Johnson put the River Lions back in front and Fraser Valley tied the scores twice before Bercy returned the lead back to the Bandits. Six lead changes followed in the remainder of the second quarter, the last from Fraser Valley's Levon Kendall put them up by one at half-time.
When the second half began Niagara kept getting their noses in front only for the Bandits to tie the scores almost immediately. They could not get back in front until Kendall put them up one after four minutes and Jelan Kendrick made it more with a jump shot.
Boucard and Dalembert both put the River Lions up one afterwards, then Johnson hit a three to make Niagara's lead stand at four. Joel Friesen hit a three of his own for Fraser Valley, cutting the lead down to one and with the last shots of the third, McLaughlin hit two from the line, putting the Bandits up one going into the final period of play.
Soon after the start of the fourth quarter Boucard tied the scores and Johnson hit a three, putting the River Lions back in front. Sam Muldrow tried to make their lead larger, but Kendrick kept the Bandits to within one, then Klassen and Kendrick both returned the lead to Fraser Valley.
Clint Robinson completed a three-point play, putting the Bandits up five midway through the quarter, but Trae Bell-Haynes tightened the gap, then Nem Mitrovic tied it up before Ryan Anderson put Niagara up three ahead of the final two minutes.
Kendall tied the scores after another minute of regulation went by, but Mitrovic hit his second successive three, putting the River Lions up four with a minute to go. Fraser Valley started fouling but that only allowed for Niagara to finish the game off with six unanswered points and to end the game with a ten-point lead.
Marek Klassen finished as Fraser Valley's top scorer with 23, with Tyrrel Tate and Jelan Kendrick both impressing with 14 and 13 points respectively. Yohanny Dalembert had 14 bench points off six of seven field shooting for the Niagara River Lions, who also saw 16 from Sam Muldrow and a team-best 25 points and 10 rebounds from Guillaume Boucard as they took down the Bandits by a final score of 104-94.
Picture: John Morrow
