Smart’s record-setting night lifts BlackJacks over River Lions

The Ottawa BlackJacks entered Thursday’s game against the Niagara River Lions desperate for a win.

Javonte Smart made sure they got it.

Smart scored a season-high and franchise-record 44 points, including a miraculous game-winner, to send the BlackJacks past the River Lions 96-93 on Thursday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont.

Ottawa moved to 10-10 as it pursues second place in the East and a bye to the conference semifinals.

“I'm really proud of our guys, man. Shorthanded like that, and fighting through everything, the adversity we've been going through. And so to come out like that with a big win on the road against a really good team like this, I'm really proud of our group,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said.

Niagara, meanwhile, saw its franchise-record seven-game winning streak come to an end as it fell to 14-6 on the season.

In the early going, Ottawa looked like the team with way more to play for as it built a 17-point lead midway through the first quarter.

But the River Lions ended the frame on a 10-0 run, then slowly chipped away. After Niagara went up as many as nine points in the fourth, however, it was Ottawa’s turn to fight back.

The BlackJacks led 87-86 entering Target Score Time after River Lions guard Kimbal Mackenzie drew a three-point foul when Ottawa tried to initiate a whistle and the final stage of the game.

With the clock off, the teams traded scores until both were within three points at 93-all.

Then, Ottawa called a timeout, ostensibly to draw up some sort of play. Smart had other ideas.

“I told coach nah, I want the ball. It’s game time, I feel like winning,” he told sideline reporter Dhanung Bulsara after the game. “So that’s what I did.”

Smart received the ball following an inbounds play well beyond the arc on the left wing. He took one dribble toward River Lions defender Ron Curry, stepped back and launched a three-point heave from his left hip.

And in the 100th game of their existence, the BlackJacks picked up perhaps their most thrilling victory.

“Smart played a ridiculous game, made a ridiculous shot,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said.

DeAveiro added that it was a confidence-boosting win for his troops.

“Anytime you [can] play in Niagara and be successful at Niagara, it's quite the accomplishment, so it just gives us more confidence that we can go on the road and be successful on the road. We have to go on the road in the playoffs, so we have to be ready,” DeAveiro said.

Smart, who entered the game as the league’s leading scorer with 27 points per game in his first season in the CEBL, now has the Ottawa single-game record — a mark held at 37 solely by teammate Deng Adel since 2022 before Smart tied it himself on July 1.

Now, it’s Smart’s all alone.

An easy choice as the league’s top newcomer, Smart, the 26-year-old from Baton Rouge, La., played 18 NBA games with the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers before coming to the CEBL this season.

The LSU product only joined Ottawa on June 20, but has quickly made his presence known, adding 6.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in addition to his prolific scoring.

On Thursday, Smart collected eight assists alongside his 44 points while shooting an efficient 13-for-19 from the field, including six-for-nine from beyond the arc.

“I feel good. I feel like everything I put up was going on, so that's the work I put in here [showing],” Smart said.

Big man Zane Waterman also pitched in with 20 points and five rebounds, while Tyrrel Tate contributed 12 points off the bench.

The game grew increasingly chippy as the minutes wore on, with both teams seemingly unhappy with the officiating. 

DeAveiro was ejected late in the third quarter after arguing a non-call against Waterman, who also picked up a technical foul on the play. Assistant Matt MacLean took over from DeAveiro on the bench.

“I thought there was a lot of fouls today where they weren't being called,” DeAveiro said. “I just had to protect my guys. I was frustrated. You know, I got to be a little bit more mature on that situation, but I was just frustrated.”

For Niagara, meanwhile, the game represented its first since clinching the No. 1 seed in the East — and a trip to Championship Weekend — thanks to the BlackJacks’ Tuesday win against the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

Yet after falling behind early, the River Lions still fought back.

“I mean, did we play with the championship calibre mindset? No, I thought we were a little loose and that's the task that we have in front of us,” head coach Victor Raso said. “That's really difficult right now is that we have to approach these games as if they are as important to us.”

Curry paced the River Lions with 23 points, including five triples, to go with four assists.

Leading scorer Khalil Ahmad was held relatively in check by a fierce BlackJacks defence, managing just three points in the first half and 12 for the game. Ahmad, who missed all eight of his three-point attempts on the rare off night, became a facilitator instead with seven assists.

Mackenzie added 14 points and six rebounds, while forward Nathan Cayo neared a double-double with 13 points and nine boards.

Ahmed Hill became the first player in league history with 1,500 regular-season points when he nailed a corner triple late in the first quarter. He finished the game with nine points, four assists and three rebounds.

Curry said his team must stay locked in through its final four games of the season.

“We just got to be hungry, man. They wanted it a little bit more today. We can't get complacent. We got to stay hungry,” Curry said.

The BlackJacks led 26-19 after the first quarter, but by halftime, Ottawa’s lead had shrunk to 44-42. Niagara then took control in the third quarter and claimed a 72-64 advantage heading into the fourth.

But Ottawa’s comeback was mounted midway through the final frame as Smart refused to be denied. Then, he put the exclamation point on the win in Target Score Time.

Now, the BlackJacks are in the driver’s seat to join Niagara in Winnipeg.

Up Next

Ottawa returns home to host the Calgary Surge on Saturday, while Niagara begins a season-ending four-game road trip with a trip to the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Sunday.

Next CEBL Action

A triple-header Friday begins with an East battle between Brampton and Montreal before a pair of Western Conference matchups including Saskatchewan at Winnipeg and Vancouver at Edmonton.