The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Canada’s largest professional sports league, announced today that the club has been acquired by Diamond Sports Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Global Sports Fund Management Group. The group is owned by Bandeli (Lee) Hagipantelis and Justin Pascoe, who also serves as Chief Executive Officer. Pascoe brings more than 20 years of executive experience in elite-level sports administration. He holds an MBA from Melbourne Business School and has completed additional studies at Harvard University. Throughout his career, he has consistently elevated the profile of organizations across the sports, consumer products, automotive, and industrial sectors. In Australia, Pascoe has held senior leadership positions across multiple major sports, and he brings a global perspective through his work in private equity and the sports industry across North America and Europe. In addition to his role with Global Sports Fund Management Group, he also currently serves as Owner of the Newcastle Jets, an Australian soccer club competing in the A-League. Based in Newcastle, New South Wales, the club is currently preparing for the Final of the Australia Cup. "I feel incredibly privileged to be afforded the opportunity to help build a franchise that the entire community can be proud of,” said Pascoe. “This process has been nearly eight months in the making, and throughout that time, it’s become clear to me that the CEBL and the Ottawa BlackJacks represent a sleeping giant in the Canadian sports landscape.” Added Pascoe, “Our focus is on creating a basketball franchise that fosters authentic engagement across all stakeholders — fans, community members, government, and corporate partners alike. We believe that by bringing our global operating experience to the table, we can complement the hard-working and talented staff here and help elevate the organization to new heights. This goes beyond just the BlackJacks. It’s about collaborating with Mike and the CEBL to drive league-wide awareness, deliver unforgettable experiences for fans, and create a sustainable, thriving league that embraces a growth mindset — one that aims to position Canadian basketball as a force on the global stage." Diamond Sports Canada Inc. takes over ownership of the club from Canadian Basketball Ventures LP who had stewarded the team since their inception in 2020. They will serve as the first privately funded group with an ownership stake in the BlackJacks and the first international owners in CEBL history with their base of operations being located in New South Wales, Australia. “Justin Pascoe and the Diamond Sports Canada Inc. group bring valuable international perspective and a wealth of sports business experience and sophistication to the Ottawa BlackJacks,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner & Co-Founder of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. “Their ownership strengthens both the team and the league as we continue building a sustainable model for professional basketball in Canada. The group’s commitment to innovation, community engagement, and long-term growth perfectly aligns with the CEBL’s vision for what our teams represent, and we truly value the extension of our ownership table beyond Canada.” Transition of team operations will begin immediately, with the seventh season of Ottawa BlackJacks basketball set to kick off in May 2026 at The Arena at TD Place . About Global Sports Fund Management Group A sports-specific investment strategy that aims to capitalize on the booming sports investment market by strategically acquiring sports-related assets that offer high returns. The company adopts a diversified approach, targeting a range of sports assets to mitigate risk and maximize returns for investors. The company adheres to stringent investment criteria, focusing on assets with strong growth potential and the ability to deliver sustainable returns while providing a vertically integrated approach to the investors and their other businesses. Interact with us on social media: Instagram: ottawablackjacks X: Ott_BlackJacks Facebook: OttawaBlackJacks TikTok: ottawablackjacks

Canadian Basketball Ventures L.P. (CBV), the corporate entity that owns the Ottawa BlackJacks, announced today that the organization has mutually agreed to part ways with BlackJacks’ President, Mark Wacyk, effective immediately. In his lone season with the organization, the team finished in second place in the CEBL’s Eastern Conference, and hosted the conference semifinal. Mark also played a role in expanding the BlackJacks’ presence through community partnerships and connections within Ottawa’s basketball network. CBV thanks Mark for his contributions and wishes him well in his future endeavors.

In the end, the Scarborough Shooting Stars were just too much. During the early stages of Saturday’s Eastern Conference Semifinal, the short-handed Ottawa BlackJacks scratched and clawed and put a jolt into the favoured Shooting Stars, threatening an upset victory. But by the time the final buzzer sounded, Scarborough had safely punched its ticket to Championship Weekend in Winnipeg. The Shooting Stars wound up with a 114-81 win over the BlackJacks on Saturday at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Que., an Ottawa home game that was forced across the provincial border due to a scheduling conflict. Scarborough’s offensive output broke a CEBL playoff record, surpassing the mark of 108 it set in 2022. “When you’re going against a team that is missing some of their guys, oftentimes the overall sentiment is it’s going to be easy. Nothing is easy in basketball. You have to make it easy and I thought we really had that mindset in the second half,” Shooting Stars head coach Mike De Giorgio said. The Shooting Stars move on to face the top-seeded Niagara River Lions in the East final. The BlackJacks, meanwhile, will head home after a promising season was derailed by mass roster changes. Ottawa lost 70 points from its lineup with the absences of league-leading scorer Javonte Smart, Sixth Man of the Year candidate Zane Waterman, longtime BlackJack Deng Adel, big man Isaih Moore and Canadian Keevan Veinot. Instead, head coach Dave DeAveiro dressed an all-Canadian lineup for the first time in league history — and saw his troops start the game with a 9-0 run, only to fizzle out from there. DeAveiro said he was proud of his team for how it fought amid the turbulence. “Those guys played, left everything [on the court] and represented the organization as best as they possibly could,” he said. “My hat’s off to all the guys.” Still, the Shooting Stars — who were missing some players of their own — were able to take advantage of their undermanned opponent. Scarborough led by a playoff-record 26 points at 105-79 when the clocks stopped for Target Score Time. And it finished things off quickly, scoring on four straight possessions to end the game. Kobe Elvis punctuated the victory with a pair of game-winning free throws. “That’s kind of like the step-on-their-neck mentality that we wanted to have. And that’s something that we’ve been missing a lot this season. We get big leads, and [Target Score Time] they get back in, so today was really a test for us to get a lead … and hold it,” said Donovan Williams, who led the team with 27 points to go with five assists. With the Shooting Stars missing guard Cat Barber and forwards Kalif Young and Jaden Campbell, De Giorgio dressed practice player Samuel Wong and assistant coach Daniel Mullings. But, as it turned out, the extra depth wasn’t necessary as Scarborough shot a blistering 50 per cent from three-point range. Terquavion Smith, the hero of the play-in game, added 17 points, five rebounds and five helpers. Elvis came off the bench to pour in 19 points and seven dimes. And forward Khalil Miller broke a team record by hauling in 17 rebounds, completing a double-double with 19 points, too. Miller said “it feels great” to be moving on to Winnipeg. “Everyone said we just had to come together and take care of business and that’s what we did,” he told sideline reporter Heather Morrison in a post-game interview. On the other side, the BlackJacks’ season comes to an end despite a second-place finish in the East at 12-12. One positive that came from the loss, however, was the all-Canadian roster. “That’s what this league’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to be a breeding ground for young Canadians as they move forward in their professional careers and giving them opportunities,” DeAveiro said. David Walker, who played 14 games for the Shooting Stars earlier this season, paced the BlackJacks with 19 points off the bench while adding five rebounds. Ottawa captain Tyrrel Tate had 17 points, while big man Christian Rohlehr had 16 points and eight rebounds. Walker said it was fun going against his former squad. “There was a lot of extra motivation. Those guys were talking trash,” he said. He added that the pre-game mindset for Ottawa was simple. “It was just like we got guys in the locker room, we’re gonna go out with these guys, battle with these guys,” Walker said. While the BlackJacks started the game with that 9-0 run, the Shooting Stars settled in and led 26-25 through 10 minutes. Scarborough then poked ahead even further in the second quarter, taking a 54-42 advantage into halftime. Through three quarters, the Shooting Stars led 81-67, and they finished the job without much stress in the fourth. Now, their next challenge — in Winnipeg, against the defending champion River Lions — awaits. “To be the champ you gotta beat the champ,” said De Giorgio, “so we’ll be ready to go.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2700442 Up Next The Shooting Stars will meet the River Lions in the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. Next CEBL Action Championship Weekend in Winnipeg begins with the Eastern and Western Conference finals on Thursday. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . Interact with us on social media: Instagram: ottawablackjacks X: Ott_BlackJacks Facebook: OttawaBlackJacks TikTok: ottawablackjacks

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) face off against the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the league’s Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup this afternoon, at 1 p.m. The winner of this game will advance to the CEBL Championship Weekend 2025 in Winnipeg, where they’ll play the Niagara River Lions in the Eastern Conference Final. The game will take place at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Que.–the hosting BlackJacks’ regular home arena, The Arena at TD Place, is currently hosting the Masters Indigenous Games 2025, which prompted the team to move to the new spot for today’s game. “Gatineau is a good basketball community,” said BlackJacks Head Coach David DeAveiro when asked about the scenery change. “In my time in Ottawa, I’ve known Gatineau to be a great basketball community, so it [still] feels like being home for sure.” Ottawa finished their regular season with a record of 12-12, good for the second seed in the East. That placing guaranteed them a bye past the Conference Play-In round and home court honours in this afternoon’s game. The Shooting Stars, on the other hand, had to earn their way to this point by winning in the Play-In round against the Montreal Alliance. They finished as the third seed in the East with a record of 11-13. Scarborough’s battle against Montreal went down just two days ago on Aug. 14–the BlackJacks, on the other hand, have had a lot more time to rest since the end of their regular season on Aug. 10. That extra rest is sure to come in handy for the BlackJacks today, as they’ve packed a ton of play into the last few weeks–nine games in 21 days, averaging out at one every 54 hours. “Any time you can get rest after [that] stretch of games, it’s really important.” noted DeAveiro. The Shooting Stars had a similarly busy schedule in that same timeframe, playing seven games in the last 17 days. Because they had to play that extra game, the BlackJacks will have the advantage in energy this afternoon. Ottawa also holds a disadvantage, though. After their final regular season game, three key BlackJacks players transitioned to their next professional opportunities: Javonte Smart to Team USA in the 2025 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup along with Zane Waterman and Keevan Veinot to their respective overseas clubs. “[We’re] thanking those guys,” said DeAveiro, “they were a big part of our success, a big part in us getting here and having this opportunity. I wish them all the best with their teams this fall…they’re going to be missed.” The team will especially miss the offensive production that those players brought. Smart led the CEBL in scoring over the regular season, averaging 25.9 points per-game. Waterman was one of the top bench scorers in the league averaging 15.4 and Veinot chipped in with 8.3 of his own. Losing that much offensive firepower is a tough blow for the BlackJacks’ roster–the rest of the rotation will have to work extra hard to fill the gaps that those three players left. “We’ve got to figure it out,” concluded DeAveiro when asked how his team would adjust. “Not having really played a game without those guys, it’s a little tougher having to do it on the fly. But we’ve got a great [coaching] staff and we’ll figure it out.” They were able to figure it out against the Shooting Stars during their matchup on July 29, where Ottawa stole a seven-point win while undermanned. Despite missing guard Shakur Daniel and starting center Isaih Moore only playing eight minutes due to an ejection, the BlackJacks played team basketball and won as the underdogs. They knocked down 15 threes in the game, four more than their season average. That shooting ability is crucial in saving the BlackJacks in games where they don’t have a full roster. Ottawa also has held one of the best benches in the CEBL all season, and that depth will come in handy with this updated roster. Players that have held smaller roles in the past will likely play a bigger part in this afternoon’s game. “We’re going to rely less on individuals and rely more on a team effort.” said DeAveiro. A key part of that team effort will be guard Tyrrel Tate, who had settled into a bench role this season, averaging just 22.4 minutes per night. With Smart and Veinot’s departures leaving an offensive gap at the guard position, Tate’s ability to turn it up as a scorer will be vital. “It’s been the ‘next guy up’ mentality since the year started,” noted Tate. “Guys are in and out all the time, so you’ve just got to be ready when your number is called. Me and the whole team know that we’re going to have to step in and fill in some gaps, but we’re up for the task and we’re not going to lay down for anybody.” In addition to Tate’s likely increased role, the BlackJacks also made some new signings to bolster their guard depth: David Walker and Calvin Epistola, both former Shooting Stars from this season. Walker averaged 8.4 points and 1.2 steals per game during his 14-game stint with Scarborough this year, and will add a nice defensive presence to the court. Epistola played during Ottawa’s final regular season game against the Vancouver Bandits, and notched four assists. Those new additions, along with the team’s depth and next-up mentality, provide Ottawa with some offensive hope despite the unfortunate losses of Smart, Waterman, and Veinot. On the defensive end, the BlackJacks will continue to hang their hats. Before giving up 130 points in that game against the Bandits, Ottawa owned the second-best defense in the CEBL. They still have the league’s best defense against Eastern Conference opponents, giving up just 84.0 points per game. Against a team like the Shooting Stars, who boast the fourth-and-fifth-highest scorers in the CEBL in Terquavion Smith and Donovan Williams respectively, that defense will be more important than ever. “We have to be solid defensively to give us a chance to be successful.” affirmed DeAveiro. A player who will become extremely important in slowing down both Smith and Williams will be the BlackJacks’ primary defensive weapon in Daniel. He’s taken on the challenge of defending some of the most talented guards in the CEBL, and slowed them down quite a bit. This afternoon, he’ll need to do the same against the Shooting Stars in order for the BlackJacks to win. Daniel’s likely matchup will be Smith. Gatineau native Justin Ndjock-Tadjore, who’s been a solid secondary defender for Ottawa in spots this season, is a good option for the team to try against Williams. “Shakur probably has the toughest assignment,” noted DeAveiro. “But if you’re a basketball player, you want those challenges…that’s what makes you a winner.” Tate affirmed Daniel’s importance on defense, but also noted that the entire BlackJacks team will need to step up this afternoon if they want to advance to Winnipeg: “It becomes important for everybody as a whole, everybody’s defense to step up. We lost things on the offensive end, so we’ve got to come back on the defensive end and be able to fill those gaps.” Despite the change in both roster and arena, the BlackJacks enter this game with the right mindset–adjust on the fly, use the “next man up” mentality, and focus on their strong defensive skills to win this afternoon’s game. If all of that comes together, Ottawa will be taking a trip to Winnipeg. 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With both teams having their playoff seeding locked in coming into the game, the Vancouver Bandits and Ottawa BlackJacks didn’t have much to play for other than giving the fans a show. That’s precisely what they did. The Bandits set a CEBL scoring record since the introduction of Target Time, and the teams combined for the second-highest scoring CEBL game ever when Vancouver downed Ottawa 130-112. Mitch Creek and Tyrese Samuel led the way for the road team, with Creek scoring a game-high 36 points while Samuel added 33 to go with 17 rebounds. Shamar Givance scored a CEBL career-high 22 points along with eight assists, while Kyle Mangas and Zach Copeland both had 12. “We have a group of guys that are super competitive,” Bandits head coach Kyle Julius said of his team. “We have a drill that we practice that nobody wants to do, but as soon as they start doing it, they start competing and talking trash and getting after it. So, we said that’s what today was: today was going to be that drill. As soon as that ball was tipped, they just competed. For me, I told them I’m proud to work with them. They’re a competitive group; they’re a great group of guys. To them, I don’t think there’s any game in the world that wouldn’t mean anything. They want to play and compete.” Both teams came out setting the pace immediately. Vancouver built up a 21-9 lead before Ottawa stormed back with a 13-5 run of their own to cut the deficit to four. The squads would continue trading baskets – each seemingly unable to stop the other – until the Bandits took a 73-62 lead into halftime. That score by the Bandits is the second highest halftime total in the CEBL’s history, trailing only the then-Guelph Nighthawks record of 75 in 2019. It seemed that no matter what the BlackJacks would do, the Bandits would find a way to get the ball into either Creek or Samuel’s hand and get a basket. While the home team never went away, often cutting the lead down to single digits throughout the entirety of the contest, those two players made sure the outcome was never in question. “Tyrese is an incredible kid. Probably one of the more coachable players I’ve ever had,” Julius said. “He wants to get better, his work ethic is incredible. I think he’ll play in the NBA and I think it will be sooner rather than later. I’m proud that he chose to come play with us and work with us. He leads by example. The guys love him. When he’s out there playing like he did tonight, we’ll be tough to beat. “Mitch is by far and away the best player and leader that I’ve ever had,” he added. “He’s amazing. His game, the way he treats his teammates, the way he respects the process, the way he takes care of himself … he cares about his teammates. I don’t know what’s better, his personality or his game. He’s an exceptional player, teammate and person.” “It would be really easy for me to sit here and talk about how we didn’t play defense, but understanding the game and the season that we’ve had … Today was more about getting through the game and staying healthy, giving some other people more opportunities,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said. “Would I had liked to see us play better defense? Of course. I thought we did a really good job of offensive shooting. But there’s different things you can take away from this game; Justin (Ndjock-Tadjore)’s growth, Alvin (Icyogere) getting an opportunity, giving some guys a little bit more of a run than we normally would.” Ndjock-Tadjore had a coming out game in the regular season finale, tying for the team lead in points with 19. Javonte Smart was the other player to reach the mark. Deng Adel had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Keevan Veinot had 15 points, and team captain Tyrell Tate had 13. “It’s been a roller coaster of a season,” said Adel, whose driving layup early in the third quarter saw him become the tenth player in CEBL history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. “Obviously starting 2-6 is tough, but we kind of have this thing in Ottawa where we get to the midway point of the season, guys just start ramping up, start playing better ball as a team. The support has been amazing all year, so that’s helped us lock in. There’s something about the halfway point that we just collectively come together.” Both teams now head into the postseason unsure of who their first matchup will be. The Bandits will host the winner of the Calgary Surge and Edmonton Stinger matchup in Langley, while the BlackJacks will play the winner of the Montreal Alliance and Scarborough Shooting Stars game in Gatineau. “We won’t know who we’re playing until Thursday night. So, making sure that over the next level while we get beter, we get healthy,” DeAveiro said. “That’s the first thing. Then we get into practices and work on things that we can do better as a group, focusing on us. The good thing is we’ve seen each other those teams two, three, four times. It’s not about the surprises. It’s just a few minor adjustments here and there.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600680 Up Next The Ottawa BlackJacks and Vancouver Bandits have both secured a spot in their respective Conference Semifinals and will host their first playoff games on August 16. The BlackJacks will await the winner of the Montreal Alliance and Scarborough Shooting Stars matchup, while the Bandits will face the winner of the game between the Edmonton Stingers and Calgary Surge, both on August 14. Next CEBL Action Playoff action kicks off in the CEBL as the Scarborough Shooting Stars host the Montreal Alliance in their first-round matchup, live on TSN, CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . Interact with us on social media: Instagram: ottawablackjacks X: Ott_BlackJacks Facebook: OttawaBlackJacks TikTok: ottawablackjacks

The Ottawa BlackJacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) take on the Vancouver Bandits this afternoon at 3 p.m. at The Arena at TD Place. Today is the BlackJacks’ Fan Appreciation Day, where the team will represent its home crowd and honour them for a season of support. This is the final regular season matchup for both of these teams. The Vancouver Bandits hold the best record in the Western Conference, and the entire CEBL, at 18-5, while the BlackJacks sit at second in the Eastern Conference at 12-11. Standings-wise, this afternoon’s game has no consequences for either team. The Bandits have already secured the top seed in the CEBL and have automatically advanced to the Western Conference Semifinal–there, they’ll play either the Calgary Surge or the Edmonton Stingers for the opportunity to play the Western Conference Final against the host team Winnipeg Sea Bears during Championship Weekend 2025. The BlackJacks sit at second in the East, giving them a spot in the Eastern Semifinal. So, neither team has much to play for in this matchup, that doesn’t mean they’ll go down easy though. The Bandits and BlackJacks are both statistically elite teams. They rank in the top four in points per-game, points allowed per-game, assists per-game, field goal percentage and three-point percentage. With two high-level squads facing off like this, each side will want to give their best efforts in order to get some extra reps against high-level competition before the playoffs start. Another reason for Ottawa to give it all in this one is their home crowd–especially on Fan Appreciation Day. “We got a good fanbase here,” said the team’s leading scorer Javonte Smart, “we just want to come out and get a win for the fans.” Today’s matchup though will be the final time that those fans will be able to cheer in The Arena at TD Place this season. Due to the Masters Indigenous Games 2025 taking place from August 14-17 in the arena, the BlackJacks have officially moved their Eastern Conference Semifinal game on Aug.16 to the Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Que. Tickets are available now at theblackjacks.ca/2025-playoffs . So, the BlackJacks will be looking to make the most of their final regular season game–both for the fans and for their own playoff preparation. In that playoff game, they’ll be taking on the winner of the East Play-In game between the Scarborough Shooting Stars and the Montreal Alliance on Aug. 14. To get themselves ready for that game, they’ll want to focus on fixing their weaknesses. One of the team’s most glaring points of improvement is their rebounding. Despite their strong record and statistical ranks, Ottawa sits second-last in rebounds per-game at just 37.4. Both the Shooting Stars and the Alliance are strong rebounding teams. Scarborough is second in total rebounds per-game (40.4), and Montreal is second in offensive rebounds per-game (12.4). Vancouver is another fantastic team on the glass, ranking just below Scarborough in total boards per-game at 39.9. This afternoon, then, Ottawa can use the matchup against better rebounders than themselves to improve their own rebounding abilities. A large part of crashing the glass comes from a team’s big men, and this afternoon’s matchup is set to have quite the matchup from that position. Ottawa’s starting centre, Isaih Moore, leads all players in rebounds per-game this season with 11.4 while Vancouver’s Tyrese Samuel sits third on that list with 10.4. With Samuel to battle on the inside, Moore will have his work cut out for him this afternoon. Aside from Moore, some of the BlackJacks’ key role players will need to step up and grab rebounds. Forwards Justin Jackson, Zane Waterman and Deng Adel have all made impacts on the glass so far this year, averaging 4.5 rebounds per-game or higher. That impact will be extra important today against a team like the Bandits. So look out for a battle on the glass today, as the BlackJacks leave it all on the court for one last game at The Arena at TD Place this season. If Ottawa can fix their biggest weakness and grab more rebounds, they’ll no doubt be one of the CEBL’s top teams heading into the playoffs. Interact with us on social media: Instagram: ottawablackjacks X: Ott_BlackJacks Facebook: OttawaBlackJacks TikTok: ottawablackjacks

In arguably their biggest game of the season so far, the entire Ottawa BlackJacks team stepped up to secure the victory and punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. Six Ottawa players scored in double digits as the BlackJacks rode a huge third quarter to a 98-92 win over the Montreal Alliance. The win, combined with the Scarborough Shooting Stars loss shortly after the game’s conclusion, solidified the BlackJacks as the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ll now await the winner of Thursday’s matchup between the Alliance and the Shooting Stars as they host a playoff game at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, Quebec. Javonte Smart and Zane Waterman tied for the team lead in points with 19, and Isaih Moore had 17 points – including seven in Target Time – to go with 11 rebounds and five assists. Justin Jackson had 12 points and six rebounds, while Deng Adel and Tyrell Tate added 11 and 10 points, respectively. “We knew Montreal was going to be a tough game again today. We always play them tough, they always play us tough,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said. “We knew we were in for a battle and the way the playoffs scenario kind of works out, it’s awkward, but we were just focused on playing our game, controlling our own destiny. Finishing second would be great, having the fans over in Gatineau joining our fans over here… We’re looking forward to that opportunity.” In the second half of a home-and-home series, the familiar foes kept the game close for the majority of the first half. After a 13-0 Montreal run early was answered by an 18-6 run from Ottawa, the teams traded baskets for the first two quarters until the Alliance took a 49-47 lead into halftime. Things took a drastic turn coming out of the break, as Ottawa controlled much of the third quarter with their size and athleticism. They held Montreal to just 5-of-16 shooting in the period and made 11-of-12 free throws as the Alliance struggled to defend them cleanly. The BlackJacks outscored the opposition 27-13 in the frame. “I think they made free throws and we didn’t,” Alliance head coach Jermaine Small said of his team’s performance. “You look at the third quarter and we literally shot ourselves in the foot by turning over the ball. I think a big part of it was the free throw shooting. They did a good job of getting to the line in the third quarter. They got into the bonus really early, and they did a good job of making their free throws. Credit to them.” Tavian Dunn-Martin led the Alliance with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Brandon Porter had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the double-double, while Quincey Guerrier had 13 points and six rebounds. Tavis Smith added 14 points off the bench. With the BlackJacks building their fourth quarter lead to as much as 11, the Alliance came back to cut it down to four during Target Time. With a number of Alliance fans making the trip to cheer on their team and the Ottawa faithful responding in kind, the atmosphere was electric as the end of the game drew near. “I love the fans at TD. It’s been amazing,” Justin Jackson said of the local support. “Even when I was playing for Calgary and I would come back here, I would always say, ‘Ottawa has a great fanbase. I wonder what it would be like to play here.’ And now I’m actually here. It’s pretty fire. I love you guys, man. Continue to support us and we’re going to push this as far as we can.” The game was the second standout performance in a row for Jackson, who had 21 points including the game-winning three when the teams last played on Wednesday. For the former NBA draft pick who has had injuries significantly impact his career, it’s encompassed his whole time with the BlackJacks organization, which includes playing for his old high school coach. “It's been a dream come true for me, honestly. Especially with how the last few years of my career have been,” he reflected. “It feels amazing to be in a spot where I’m appreciated, I’m loved on and off the court… it makes basketball fun again. Just being around the guys, we got a bunch of children on our team so they always just bring the inner child out of me.” The back-to-back wins give the BlackJacks their first winning record on the season at 12-11. The third straight loss drops the Alliance to 8-15 as they head into a matchup against the Scarborough Shooting Stars in what will be an early preview of their playoff matchup on Thursday. “We just want to walk in healthy. We’ve been banged up, like most. Rosters are changing and it’s not about what you don’t have, it’s about what you have and making the most of it,” Small reiterated. “It’s all one game series and it’s all about making the most of it. Whatever happens Sunday happens. But Thursday everyone is 0-0 and we’ll see who the best team is.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600673 Up Next The Ottawa BlackJacks finish up the regular season playing hosts to the league-leading Vancouver Bandits on August 10. That same day, the Montreal Alliance travel to Scarborough to face the Shooting Stars in a preview of their first-round playoff matchup. Next CEBL Action All 10 teams will once again be in action on August 10, starting with the Montreal Alliance taking on the Scarborough Shooting Stars at 2 p.m. ET, streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . 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