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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