Waterman Leads BlackJacks to Crucial Win Over Shooting Stars
Published
Freshly back from a stint on the injured list, Zane Waterman didn’t miss a beat as he led the Ottawa BlackJacks to a crucial 100-93 victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars.
The win clinches the head-to-head tiebreaker for the BlackJacks, giving them a leg up on their provincial rivals in the race for second place and the right to host the Eastern Conference Semifinal.
Tuesday’s result also ensures that the Niagara River Lions will finish first in the East and claim the conference’s automatic bye to Championship Weekend.
Waterman made 14-of-17 field goals on the night to finish with 36 points – one shy of the franchise record held by teammates Deng Adel and Javonte Smart. The former had five points and 10 assists against Scarborough, while the latter scored 22 points to go with his 10 assists for the double-double, and made the game winning three-pointer in Target Time.
Tyrell Tate chipped in with 14 points including four three-pointers.
“I had a lot of energy because I was off for a while,” said Waterman. “I kind of lost my wind in the first half, but a lot of the credit goes to my teammates because they found me. Both Deng and Javonte had 10 assists, so we really moved the ball well. I was just lucky to be the one who took advantage of it tonight...”