BlackJacks hold off Weatherspoon, Honey Badgers for first win

After watching a sizeable lead in Target Score Time disappear in their season opener, the Ottawa BlackJacks were determined not to let history repeat itself.

In a tough, physical game largely contested in the paint, the BlackJacks were able to prevail and pull out a 105-83 victory, giving head coach Dave DeAveiro his first CEBL win.

Isaih Moore led the way for the home team in the first half, piling up 18 points and seven rebounds. He finished with 20 points before being forced to leave late in the game with an injury. Deng Adel finished with 26 points, five rebounds and eight assists, while Justin Jackson added 13 points off the bench, including scoring eight consecutive points to help the BlackJacks pull away late in the fourth quarter.

“I think we stayed solid throughout the game,” DeAveiro said following the win. “We had a couple episodes late where we took a bad shot and that led to a three-point shot for them. I know our start wasn’t a great start, but we stayed solid and composed.

“We just gotta believe in what we’re doing,” he continued. “You’re going to hear me saying ‘stay solid, keep doing what we’ve been doing in practice, you don’t win games on your own.’ We made a couple of adjustments in the half defensively and this time it worked; they don’t always work. I thought Miryne (Thomas)’s defense in the second half on Weatherspoon… He was on fire in the first half and Miryne’s defense and (Justin Jackson)’s defense wore him out at the end. Those two guys did a tremendous job in the second half.”

Quinndary Weatherspoon, a former NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, looked every bit of a former champion as he posted a game high 29 points to go along with seven assists. Fellow import Will Douglas and captain Koby McEwen both added 13 points.

“It felt good,” the NBA veteran said of his first game in the CEBL. “I’m just trying to work myself back, get into a rhythm. a lot of shots weren’t falling tonight. I think that just comes with playing and getting in a rhythm. I seen some great things happen, just getting to the backet. We have to be better as a team and cut down on the turnovers.”

“Quinndary is one of the top players, if not the top player, in the league – and I expect him to do that,” Brampton head coach Sheldon Cassimy said of his new star point guard. “He had 29 points and seven assists. He’s able to share the ball, he’s able to score it, he’s able to defend… This is his first game in the league and I think he’ll be even better going forward. He brings veteran experience and sets the table for everyone else.”

It was a grueling game that saw the BlackJacks score 51 of their first 76 points either in the paint or at the free throw line. Their size was a problem from the Honey Badgers all game, as they finished with 17 offensive rebounds and were able to force their opposition into 24 turnovers.

The Honey Badgers led at halftime, but after starting the game hitting 63-percent of their field goals, they were held to just one made basket in the last seven minutes of the third quarter. Ottawa went 7-of-13 during the same stretch.

It was an all too familiar sight for the Honey Badgers, who haven’t picked up a win against the BlackJacks at TD Place since 2021.

Up next for both teams

The BlackJacks head on the road for the first time this season as they travel down Highway 417 to meet the Montreal Alliance in the CEBL’s first ever outdoor game at IGA Stadium on May 23. The Brampton Honey Badgers will take to their home court for the first time this season when they welcome the Scarborough Shooting Stars on May 25.

Next CEBL action

The Edmonton Stingers travel to Saskatchewan to take on the Rattlers in their first of three games this season. Catch all the action streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+.