Shooting Stars survive late comeback in win over BlackJacks

Thomas Kennedy’s 18-point double-double led the Scarborough Shooting Stars to their third consecutive win in a row and an 85-83 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks on Tuesday night.

The forward’s season-high scoring mark and third double-double of the season helped his team get back to .500 and a four-way tie for the best record in the Eastern Conference. None of his baskets were more important than his emphatic slam over friend turned opponent Kadre Gray.

“The crowd’s playing a role [in the game-winning dunk],” Kennedy Said. “But also my man Kadre [Gray] is playing a role, that guy can hoop and get up. I knew I had to try and get higher than he can…I came out lucky and came out just a little bit higher this time.”

It was the Walker and Walker duo of Kyree and David who did the secondary scoring for the Shooting Stars on the night, with both notching 17 and 14 points respectively while each shooting over 40% from the field.

On the other side it was Deng Adel who led the way with his game-high 23 points. Despite the strong scoring night, the forward did have his fair share of struggles as he ended up with seven of his team’s 26 turnovers. 

It was Kyree Walker who was especially proud of that outcome as he made it his personal goal down the stretch to limit Adel and his production.

“Deng [Adel] had 14 at half and in the locker room I told all the coaches, I got it,” Walker said. “That matchup was personal for me, I told the coaches don’t switch anymore…I’m going to lock him up and that’s what I did.”

The first quarter of this game went almost identically to how the previous matchup between these teams went down. Ottawa despite committing five turnovers in the frame, found themselves up 27-18 heading into the second. Largely due to the team’s team’s ability to push the pace and find quality baskets – just like they did in that previous win. The BlackJacks were a +7 on transition baskets while also missing just five shots in the period on a stellar 66 per cent shooting.

What was different for Ottawa this time around was who led the way – with it being Adel doing most of the damage via his eight first quarter points. The forward was yet to join the BlackJacks the last time these teams faced off and looked determine to make his presence felt in this one.

As they tend to do, the Shooting Stars kept fighting to keep things close as back-to-back Kassius Robertson triples – followed by a Danilo Djurcic splash – had the lead that was up to 13 at one point, back down to five. However, that margin didn’t budge any closer as Scarborough uncharacteristically began giving the ball away.

The league’s most disciplined team at just 11 turnovers a game, passed that number with 13 by the end of the first half, eight coming in the second frame alone. The 14 points as a result of those giveaways had the Shooting Stars down 45-37 as they went into half-time. 

However, Scarborough did end the frame by giving the home crowd a jolt of optimism through an 8-2 run – punctuated by a Cat Barber floater at the buzzer.

That optimism wasn’t left unfulfilled as the Shooting Stars found their way back into the game throughout the third quarter. After trailing for almost the entirety of the frame, the team rattled off a 16-4 run to end the period up two points. It was David Walker – who after scoring just two points in the first half – took over in the third by scoring eight of his team’s final 10 points and putting them up 64-62 heading into the fourth.

“I just seen the rim open up,” David Walker said. “that’s one of my strengths. I kept attacking and going at the rim, that’s one of my strengths.”

Scarborough looked ready win their third game in a row as they began the final period on a 12-4 run led by their big man off the bench Thomas Kennedy. He scored the team’s first six baskets in the fourth, also grabbing a rebound on route to a double-double well before the end of the contest, helping his team to a 76-68 lead with Target Score Time to go.

No strangers to making comebacks of their own – already having made a double-digit comeback once this season, the BlackJacks were looking poised to do it yet again. They began the final frame on a 17-4 run to find themselves all the way back up 83-82 and just two points away from ending the game. 

The teams then traded possessions back-and-forth with neither able to seal a win as a raucous Scarborough crowd watched as they stood on their feet. It was Kennedy who then told everyone it was time to go home as he picked off Adel and then rose up over Gray for the game-winning dunk, 85-83 the final.

It wasn’t just Scarborough’s ability to capitalize on turnovers (25 points off giveaways), it was also their dominance on the glass. The team came into the contest averaging just under 40 per game and finished at 48 and a +6 on the boards, while grabbing 19 on the offensive side. Unsurprisingly the team generating 20 extra possessions out of those boards and scored 16 second chance points as a result.

Neither team will have much time to revel or dwell on the results of today as both teams return to action in just two days. The BlackJacks will head home to take on the Montréal Alliance on Thursday while the Shooting Stars stay home to host the Edmonton Stingers. The Eastern Conference standings now has four teams with a 4-4 record as the race to CEBL postseason and CEBL Championship Weekend heats up.