While the clouds were outside in the Brampton area on Wednesday, it was raining threes inside the CAA Centre as the Ottawa BlackJacks tied a franchise-record with 17 made triples en route to a 101-73 win over the Honey Badgers. The BlackJacks made 11 of those long-balls in the second half, finishing plus-seven on made triples overall while converting on a 54 per cent clip for the game as they improved to 7-7 on the season — tied with the Scarborough Shooting Stars for second in the East and two games back of the Niagara River Lions. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers fell to 4-11 and remain at the bottom of the conference. Leading Ottawa’s three-point onslaught was Javonte Smart, who finished with a game-high 28 points on 4-of-6 shooting from distance as the team improved to 5-1 since adding the import guard. Behind him was Isaih Moore with 17 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on 8-of-11 from the field. Deng Adel and Zane Waterman (off the bench) each chipped in 17 points as the forward duo also each knocked down five threes, respectively, going a combined 10-of-15. Meanwhile, Keevan Veinot added 12 points and eight assists while going 5-of-7 from the field. “It was a great second half, we obviously shot the ball well, but I think the main difference in the second half was just defending (better),” Adel said after the win. “We did a good job of matching their intensity and stopping their main scorers.” On the other side, David Muenkat’s 16 points and seven rebounds led the way as Brampton lost its third game in a row. Quinndary Weatherspoon added 14 points while Amari Kelly and Bryson Williams rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts with 11 and 10 points apiece. “Ottawa made a lot of threes in the third quarter and that kind of just opened up the game,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said. “Sometimes it was making open shots, other times it was tough shots, they just had it rolling … that was literally the game right there.” Conference rivalry games are never supposed to be easy, especially when one team has taken the first two of four matchups by an average of 17.5 points, like Ottawa had. Something Brampton appeared determined to change on Wednesday, as they kept things much closer early on. The first half between the East rivals saw 12 lead changes as neither team carved out a lead larger than six points, despite the BlackJacks going on an 8-0 run mid-way through the second, to which the Honey Badgers responded with a 10-0 charge of their own. Once the dust settled on an opening half that fittingly saw both teams shoot an identical 51 per cent from the field, and was capped off by an Adel triple right before the buzzer , Brampton held on for a 45-42 lead. That narrow edge was largely thanks to their efforts defensively as the Honey Badgers forced 12 BlackJacks turnovers in the first half, eight in the second quarter alone, from a team that entered the day averaging 14.7 per game. That disruptive play not only won Brampton the first-half possession battle, it also earned it a 14-7 edge on points off turnovers. That trend wouldn’t continue, however, as the BlackJacks only gave the ball away three times the rest of the way. “The two things we talked about at halftime were turning things up on defence, and then taking care of the ball,” Ottawa head coach Dave DeAveiro said post-game. “I thought we did a really good job in those two areas in the second half.” And then the third quarter happened. A frame in which the BlackJacks outscored the Honey Badgers 32-13 after Ottawa caught fire from beyond the arc. The same team that made six threes in the opening half drilled eight triples in the third quarter alone. Leading that charge was Adel, who hit four shots from beyond the arc as he scored 12 points in the third to more than remedy a quiet first half with just three points. “Deng has great self-awareness,” DeAveiro explained. “He had four shots in the first half (he knew) he needed to take more shots … he played with a lot more bounce, a lot more step and let the game come to him.” Right behind him was Waterman, who’s two triples towards the end of the third not only contributed to a 12-0 BlackJacks run en route to a 74-58 lead before the fourth, but also marked his 100th regular-season three-point make all-time. The sharpshooter was just the 15th player in CEBL history to reach that mark. “Our energy kind of died down in the second half,” Muenkat said after the loss. “We weren’t able to have a response to their late-game push … they just really got hot, which kind of tilted the momentum.” Ottawa’s lead only ballooned from that point, leading 92-68 at the start of Target Score Time before Moore wrapped up the Camp Day win in front of the 2,641 in attendance with a make at the charity stripe as part of nine points in the fourth quarter. It won’t be long before the East rivals square off again, as they’ll run it back for their fourth and final regular-season matchup in less than two weeks (July 21) when the BlackJacks host the Honey Badgers with hopes of sweeping the series. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600625 Up Next The Honey Badgers stay put in Brampton as they get set to host the West-leading Bandits on Friday — a rematch from Sunday when Vancouver held on for a three-point win. Meanwhile, the BlackJacks get an extended break as they’ll return on July 17 when they host the red-hot Edmonton Stingers, winners of five straight. Next CEBL Action Wednesday’s double-header slate resumes with the first-ever Stampede Game at Scotiabank Saddledome as the Montreal Alliance visit the Calgary Surge for a cross-conference clash at 9:30 p.m. ET. 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 Brampton Honey Badgers of the CEBL this afternoon, at the CAA Centre in Brampton at 12:30 p.m. The Honey Badgers enter this game with a record of 4-10 and ownership of the last place spot in the Eastern Conference, while the BlackJacks sit third in the East at 6-7. In the teams’ two meetings this season, Ottawa is 2-0. The BlackJacks were riding a four-game winning streak, but the Saskatchewan Rattlers brought it to a bitter end on July 5. Saskatchewan mounted an eleven-point comeback in target time to take the victory, 93-90. “Saskatchewan has proven that they can play with anybody in this league,” said BlackJacks Head Coach David DeAveiro before the game–and right he was. That loss was a huge momentum killer for Ottawa, who had just started to turn their season around after starting 2-6–the Rattlers owning the worst record in the CEBL only worsened the sting. Prior to the unfortunate loss, the BlackJacks’ sudden turnaround was mostly thanks to the arrival of guard Javonte Smart, who immediately stepped up as the team’s lead offensive producer. In five games with the team, Smart has averaged 30.8 points per-game to lead the CEBL at over five points more than the second highest scorer. After tallying 23 in his BlackJacks debut, he’s put up 30 or more in every game he’s played–he even tied the franchise’s single-game scoring record of 37 on July 1 against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Despite yet another offensive masterclass from Smart against the Rattlers, though, Ottawa was still outscored 93-90. The issue fell on their defensive efforts, which was an uncommon result for the team. Before that game against the Rattlers, they’d held four straight opponents to 80 or less points, a feat that’s earned them the best points allowed per-game in the CEBL over the past five contests. Those stellar defensive numbers come from the BlackJacks ability to slow down their opponents best player. They’ve managed to suppress the talents of some incredible players in their recent games, including holding the CEBL record holder for the most points in a single game, Jalen Harris, to just 11 points on 26% from the field. That didn’t happen against Saskatchewan, though. Guard Jordan Bowden finished with a professional career-high of 40 points, and a Rattlers franchise record of nine threes. Ottawa’s strongest isolation defender, Shakur Daniel, had his hands full with multiple Rattlers guards during the game; he spent time guarding both Nate Pierre-Louis and Devonté Bandoo as well. With Daniel distracted between his multiple matchups, it allowed Bowden to score lots in transition and knock down nine threes, which was also a professional career high. Another defensive loss struck the BlackJacks prior to the matchup when it was announced that forward Isaih Moore would be missing the game due to illness. Moore leads the team in blocks per game this season with 1.1, and was ranked as the CEBL’s Defensive Player of the Year in the league media’s “Midseason Awards” earlier this week. Moore is expected to return against the Honey Badgers this afternoon, but either way, Ottawa will have to clean up their defensive tactics. Looking at season averages, the 4-10 Honey Badgers aren’t much of a threat–they average the lowest points per-game in the CEBL at 81.6. That isn’t to say that the Honey Badgers will go down easily, though. After starting the season with a miserable record of 0-6, the team has fought back to go 4-4 in their last eight matchups. Although their record may not show it, the quality of their roster equates to a .500 season. Some of the losses during those eight games were close down the stretch, too–that included just a three-point loss against the best team record wise in the CEBL, the Vancouver Bandits. Brampton’s recent resurgence has been mostly due to the signings of a few new players: namely guard Marcus Carr and forward Bryson Williams. Carr’s passing has impressed thus far, as he leads the team in assists per game with 6.8. On June 20 against Saskatchewan, he posted a season-high 12 assists in his first game with the team. Williams, on the other hand, is more of a scorer, averaging 7.6 points per-game in his five appearances this season. Both Carr and Williams also bring extra professional experience to the roster. Carr is a former All-Big 12 First Team member from his time with the Texas Longhorns and Williams spent two seasons in the NBA G League with the Ontario Clippers. The two new signees join an already experienced group of players on the Honey Badgers, including former NBA champion Quinndary Weatherspoon and four-year CEBL veteran, David Muenkat. All of this experience and a recent improvement in performance makes the Honey Badgers more of a threat for the BlackJacks in this game. In terms of individual defensive matchups, the most notable name to stop will be Muenkat as he’s led the team in scoring during their last five games averaging 15.6 points per-game on 55% shooting from the field. The last time these two teams faced off, he scored a team-high 21 points. The 6-6, 220-pound forward may be a bit oversized for Daniel, so it’s likely that we’ll see BlackJacks forward Deng Adel pick up the matchup. Adel’s matchup with Muenkat will be crucial to slowing down the Honey Badgers’ offense. Another key matchup will be Daniel on Weatherspoon. The last time these two teams faced off, Weatherspoon was held to just three points on a mere 1-of-5 shooting from the field while fouling out in the third quarter. That defensive masterclass from Daniel led the charge in the BlackJacks winning that game, and will be something that needs to happen again this afternoon. Weatherspoon can get hot in an instant, as was made clear during the first meeting between these two teams this season, where he scored a season high of 29 points. And so Ottawa will need to focus mostly on defense in this game with their offense, thanks to the former NBA guard Smart, running on all cylinders. Smart’s drives to the rim open up easy opportunities for his teammates, which has led to the team holding the league’s highest field goal percentage over the past five games, with a smoldering 47.6%. With that efficient shot creation, the team was able to put up 90 points in a recent win against the Montreal Alliance, who boast the league’s second best defense. Having a scorer as electric as Smart gives Ottawa the leeway to place their efforts onto their defense, where slowing down Brampton’s new-and-improved roster will be key. If the production of Muenkat, Weatherspoon, and the team’s new arrivals can be minimized, the BlackJacks should be back to winning games in no time. Interact with us on social media: Instagram: ottawablackjacks X: Ott_BlackJacks Facebook: OttawaBlackJacks TikTok: ottawablackjacks

Jordan Bowden’s CEBL career-high 40 points led the Saskatchewan Rattlers’ furious fourth-quarter rally as they picked up a 93-90 win over the Ottawa BlackJacks on Saturday night. The Rattlers improved to 4-11 on the season despite entering the fourth quarter down by 14 points and trailing 82-71 at the start of Target Score Time — outscoring the BlackJacks 35-18 in the decisive final frame. Meanwhile, the loss dropped Ottawa to 6-7 and snapped a four-game win streak that was tied for best in the league entering Saturday. “We’re some dogs,” Bowden said after the comeback victory. “We came together, got stops when we needed them, and got the shots we wanted at the end … we fight and we can play with anybody in the CEBL.” Bowden’s big night was largely thanks to a stellar showing from beyond the arc, going 9-of-14 to set a new Rattlers franchise record for made three-pointers in a single game. He wasn’t the only one to reach a new milestone, however, as teammate Nate Pierre-Louis set a new single-game assists record for Saskatchewan with 14 to go with his 12 points. The import ranked third in the league entering the night, averaging 7.4 assists per game. Behind them was Grant Anticevich, who chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds, and Devonté Bandoo, who scored 13 points off the bench. “Our defensive intensity in the fourth and our will to continue to compete allowed us to come back,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said post-game. “I thought we took good shots in the first half, but they just didn’t fall, so huge credit to our guys, they just continued to battle … and give themselves an opportunity.” On the other side, Javonte Smart led the way with his 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting and five made triples, in what was the BlackJacks' first loss with him in the lineup. Ottawa’s only other starter to reach double-figures for scoring was Deng Adel, who added 13 points and 11 assists. Meanwhile, Zane Waterman chipped in 20 points off the pine on 5-of-10 shooting from distance. “I was disappointed in the way we finished the game,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAviero said after his team’s first loss in nearly three weeks. “But give credit to them. Bowden had a huge game, he made some tough shots, and they were much better than us in the Target Score ending.” Entering the matchup, the Rattlers' story this season was one of resilience, but with ultimately little success to show for it — nine of their 11 losses coming by single digits. And much of Saturday’s contest appeared to be a repeat of that tale as Saskatchewan and Ottawa remained neck-and-neck early — neither team leading by more than eight points in the first 20 minutes of play — and just one more made field goal by the BlackJacks in the first half being the difference as they led 41-39 at the break. “I don’t know if there’s any secret sauce that allowed us to (win a close game), other than we’ve continued to battle every single game,” Magdanz explained. “Sometimes the ball isn’t going to bounce in our favour, but when we compete this hard … we give ourselves an opportunity.” All the while, that slim deficit for the Rattlers was largely thanks to Bowden (a continuous trend on the night), who put up a game-high 15 first-half points, including a transition layup at the 2:04 mark that capped an 11-0 run. That basket also briefly allowed Saskatchewan to retake the lead before a Waterman triple in the final minute of the half put Ottawa back up. The BlackJacks completely seized the momentum coming out of halftime, however, as they opened the third on a 12-0 run and took the game’s first double-digit lead. That burst was thanks to some lights-out shooting as all four of Ottawa’s makes in that stretch came from beyond the arc, matching its first-half total for made triples (4-of-13) in less than three minutes into the third. Ottawa ultimately made seven threes in the third quarter en route to a 72-58 lead after 30 minutes. A more characteristic showing from a BlackJacks squad that entered the night ranked third in three-point percentage (35.7), finishing the game 13-for-30 (43 per cent). But unlike all season, the Rattlers' story on Saturday didn’t end with a comeback ultimately fizzling out once more. Saskatchewan outscored Ottawa 22-8 in Target Score Time, using stops on defence to fuel transition offence (27-16 for fastbreak points) — including a game-ending 8-0 run — led primarily by the duo of Bowden and Anticevich, who scored 14 and 12 points each once the clock stopped. The pair also capped off the double-digit rally with back-to-back threes, first Bowden and then Anticevich from the left wing to seal the stunning victory. “I think it was just the want ,” Bowden explained when asked what clicked for Saskatchewan in the win. “Just the details were losing us games … but today we wanted to win and we went and got it.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600637 Up Next The BlackJacks wrap up a quick two-game road trip on Wednesday as they visit the Brampton Honey Badgers for an Eastern Conference clash. Meanwhile, the Rattlers continue a four-game homestand on Friday as they host the Winnipeg Sea Bears for the second of three Banjo Bowl rivalry matchups this regular season. Next CEBL Action A triple-header slate on Sunday resumes league-wide action, starting with the defending champion Niagara River Lions visiting the Montreal Alliance at 4 p.m. ET. The Edmonton Stingers will then host the Calgary Surge for the latest Battle of Alberta at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the Honey Badgers visiting the West-leading Vancouver Bandits at 8 p.m. ET. 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 Saskatchewan Rattlers tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET. The BlackJacks enter this game sitting with an even record of 6-6, good for third in the Eastern Conference Standings. The Rattlers are fifth in the Western Conference, with a league-worst record of just 3-11. Saskatchewan is currently sitting with a two-game losing streak, going 1-4 in their last five games. Ottawa, meanwhile, has had their momentum trend in the opposite direction in their recent matchups. They’re on a four-game winning streak, after starting the first eight games of the season at 2-6. This sudden surge in wins has come together largely in part thanks to the team’s new signee, guard Javonte Smart. Smart joined the BlackJacks on June 20 for an away game against the Scarborough Shooting Stars–he scored 23 in that game despite having not yet practiced with Ottawa at the time, and his scoring numbers have only risen since. In the following games, Smart put up 32, 31, and most recently scoring 37 to tie the BlackJacks single-game scoring record. “[Javonte] is a legitimate scorer,” said BlackJacks Head Coach David DeAveiro, “He’s done this now consistently for four games…not many guys can do that when teams are preparing to try to stop you.” Those scoring numbers give Smart the highest points per game in the entire CEBL, with 30.8. He also leads the league in field goals made, with a whopping 11.8 per game–2.7 more than the second place player. “[DeAveiro] put me in a position to score and create for the team, and I think I’m doing a good job of it,” said Smart. And create for the team he has–one of the biggest impacts of Smart’s scoring ability is the pressure it’s taken off of Ottawa’s other stars, forwards Deng Adel and Isaih Moore. To start off the season, Adel was the BlackJacks’ top scorer–he averaged 21.5 points through the team’s first four games. Eventually, though, Deng struggled to score as the primary focus of the opposing team’s defense. In the following four games, his average dropped to just 12.8 per game on 36% from the field. Adel is clearly a talented scorer, but struggles as Ottawa’s first option. With Smart’s addition, Adel has been able to settle into a secondary scoring role, and has thrived. In the BlackJacks last game against the Winnipeg Sea Bears, Adel scored an efficient 14 points, six of which came in the final five minutes. With defenses focused on Smart, it opens up Adel to play freely. Another beneficiary of Smart’s gravity has been Isaih Moore. The forward is gifted open looks at the rim after Smart drags in multiple defenders with his drives. Moore has also been able to grab tons of offensive rebounds thanks to the space that Smart creates–in the last five games, he leads the CEBL in offensive rebounds per game with 6.4. “You put two [defenders] on the ball to try to stop Javonte, we can just throw the ball up and Isaih is athletic enough to catch it and finish it above the rim,” said DeAveiro. With Moore available above the rim as a lob threat and shooters open at the three point line, Smart’s offensive game can create a myriad of high-percentage shots for his teammates. Those open looks are crucial to the team’s success, no matter who they’re facing. The Rattlers as a team aren’t great statistically, but manage to hold their own on the glass-they average a solid 27.8 defensive rebounds per-game, good for fifth in the league. Moore’s ability to crash the offensive glass could counteract one of Saskatchewan’s greatest strengths, and flip it on its heels. And while Smart’s offensive abilities have helped kick the BlackJacks production into high gear, the more impressive part of their recent win streak comes from their defense. On this four-game winning streak, the BlackJacks haven’t let a single opponent score more than 80 points. Some of those opponents, for example, the Shooting Stars, average over 91 points per-game this season–that means Ottawa held them to over 10 points below their season average. On the year, the BlackJacks boast the second best points against per-game in the CEBL, with 85.5. In the last five games, that number drops even lower to 80.2–good for the best in the league. The key to this impenetrable defense for Ottawa is to focus on stopping each team’s primary offensive threat. In their last few games, they’ve shut down multiple top-ranked players in the CEBL. Most recently against the Sea Bears, two of the team’s top three scorers, Jalen Harris and Simi Shittu, each only scored 11 points. The final member of that top three, Tevian Jones, only scored 15. All three of those players finished with a field goal percentage of under 40%. Ottawa’s impressive individual defense has been led by guard Shakur Daniel. The Ajax, Ont. native leads the team in steals per game with 1.4, and enjoys the challenge of guarding the best player on the opposing team: “As a basketball player, I’m a competitor. My mentality is that I don’t like anybody scoring on me…it’s been fun. I’ve been enjoying it every single night.” Daniel’s matchup for tonight, if he plays, will likely be the Rattlers’ top scorer, Devonté Bandoo. The all-time leader in points for the Rattlers franchise, Bandoo rejoined the team in late June after a nine-game stint with the Edmonton Stingers. In his two games back in Saskatchewan this season, he’s led the team in points per game, with 20.0. Bandoo’s last game played was back on June 22nd, though, so it’s unknown whether or not he will be available tonight–if he does play, it’s likely that Daniel will match up with him in an attempt to slow down Saskatchewan’s top scorer. With or without Bandoo, this Rattlers team is not one that DeAveiro has glossed over in the scouting report: “They’ve been in every game that they’ve played, so we know we’re in for a tough matchup, especially on the road.” Saskatchewan’s season, despite their league-worst record, has seen them as a part of lots of close games this season–they’ve even pulled off a few upsets, recently taking the 6-6 Montreal Alliance to within one possession and upsetting the 9-4 Calgary Surge on two occasions. So while their record may say otherwise, you can’t deny the effort that the Rattlers bring into every game. The BlackJacks defense and Smart’s scoring won’t be able to take an off-day against Saskatchewan tonight, no matter how the momentum may seem in the favour of the Capital. Interact with us on social media: Instagram: ottawablackjacks X: Ott_BlackJacks Facebook: OttawaBlackJacks TikTok: ottawablackjacks

On a day of celebration in the Nation’s Capital, Javonte Smart gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about, tying the Ottawa BlackJacks franchise record with 37 points in a dominant 104-80 win over the visiting Winnipeg Sea Bears — the team’s fourth straight victory. The crowd had plenty to get behind early as the BlackJacks got off to a 9-0 lead early thanks to the stifling defense they’ve become known for over their winning streak, having now held their last four opponents to 80 points or fewer. It was more of the same from Ottawa in the first quarter, holding Winnipeg to just 6-of-17 shooting from the floor and taking a 29-16 lead into the break. While the BlackJacks got all their points the old-fashioned way in the first quarter – failing to make a three-pointer – they found their shooting stroke in the second, hitting 4-of-6 from deep. For their part, the Sea Bears managed to push the pace and get the home squad to get away from their preferred playing style but were unable to take advantage hitting just nine of their 24 shots. “I thought our guys did a tremendous job,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said following the win. I thought they followed the plan and executed the plan really well. We had the little hiccup in the second quarter where we didn’t lock in defensively. But after that, we just locked in and did a good job making life really tough for their top three guys.” Those three players for Winnipeg – Tevian Jones, Jalen Harris and Simin Shittu – were held to 15, 11 and 11 points, respectively, though Shittu did finish with a franchise record 19 rebounds, just one behind the league record. Emmanuel Akot had 17 points and five rebounds, while Jaylin Williams had 15 and seven rebounds. “The first thing is giving credit to Ottawa” Seas Bears head coach Mike Taylor said. “Javonte was outstanding, they had a great team game. I felt like our defensive effort was inconsistent. I think that we did not pressure the ball and contain the ball like we needed to, and that gave them some easy baskets in transition that got them feeling good. It comes down to the things…on the road you have to work hard, defend, rebound – all the fundamental parts of the game. Today we were a little bit soft with that and Ottawa took advantage. Credit to them, they played a great team game. But especially from our starting five, we expect a little bit more defensive effort.” Winnipeg would make a passionate push early in the third quarter, scoring 14 consecutive points to cut a 58-41 lead down to just three. But Smart would take over once again and the BlackJacks pulled away for the rest of the game. “He’s a scorer. He’s a legitimate scorer,” DeAveiro said. “He’s done this consistently for four games. How many guys can do that consistently for four games when teams are prepping trying to stop you. We’re lucky to have him. He’s also unselfish and will pass the ball to find his teammates to get a good shot. You put two people on the ball to stop Javonte and you just throw it up and Isaih is athletic enough to go up and finish it. Javonte puts a lot of pressure on teams’ defenses, so you have to come up with strategies to defend Javonte. Any time they put two bodies on him, it’s either a lob up to Isaih or a kick out for a three.” Smart aside, there were a number of impressive performances from the home side. Isaih Moore had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Deng Adel had 14 points, and Tyrell Tate and Zane Waterman both chipped in with 11. The game was the 100th in the history of the BlackJacks, combing both regular season and postseason games. For a player like Adel, it’s been a great experience seeing the team grown, both on the court and off it, during his extended time with the club. “It’s been dope seeing the fanbase grow each year, people coming out and enjoying themselves,” Adel said. “It’s a great area, and it’s just fun to be a part of. Guys want to come here and play here which has been important, and it’s been good.” On top of being their fourth win in a row, it was also the BlackJacks second win over the Sea Bears this season. For the Sea Bears, it was their third straight loss, and second in as many games giving up 100 points. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600626 Up Next The Ottawa BlackJacks will travel to the prairies on July 5 to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers in the first of their two meetings this season. The Winnipeg Sea Bears continue their three-game road trip as they take on the Niagara River Lions for the first time this season on July 4. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers will host the Calgary Surge on July 3, streaming live on 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 Winnipeg Sea Bears this afternoon, at 3 p.m. at TD Place. The BlackJacks currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, with a record of 5-6. The Sea Bears are in a similar position, with a 5-7 record and the fourth place spot in the Western Conference standings. Both Ottawa and Winnipeg find themselves just below .500 around halfway into the season, coming off of a rough start to the season and impressive runs in the last few weeks to throw themselves back into playoff contention. The Sea Bears went just 1-5 in their first five games, then stormed to a four-game winning streak to even up their record before losing their last two matchups to bring them to 5-7 on the year. The BlackJacks started out with an equally frustrating record of 2-6, but are riding a three-game winning streak which has nearly brought their record back to .500 on the season. After the BlackJacks most recent win, a 90-77 outing against the Montreal Alliance, Head Coach David DeAveiro spoke about the difference in energy that comes with stringing together wins: “Morale is good, but the expectation has been set…my job is to make sure we stay at that bar, and not let us play below of how we’re capable of playing.” That high bar has been set not only by strong performances from the BlackJacks team, but strong individual performances from new arrival Javonte Smart. In just three games, Smart has already achieved two of the top four scoring regular season games in BlackJacks history–he scored 32 on June 22 against the Brampton Honey Badgers, and 31 on Saturday against the Alliance. That offensive dominance has been a much-needed addition to a BlackJacks team that was looking for an offensive spark all season. “You’ve gotta have a ‘guy’ in this league, who, especially in Target Time, can get you a bucket–and that’s what he can do,” said DeAveiro on Smart’s late-game scoring. Smart is a natural bucket-getter who isn’t afraid of the moment, and that’s shown in his production during the CEBL’s Elam Endings. Against the Honey Badgers, he scored all nine of Ottawa’s target time points. Against the Alliance, he had four of their nine. Ottawa struggled in late-game scenarios earlier in the season, most notably blowing an 11-point lead in Target Time to the Niagara River Lions during their first game of the year. Adding a player who thrives in those types of situations solves that glaring issue immediately. “[Javonte] has been a big help for our team,” said BlackJacks guard Shakur Daniel, “with his scoring, he’s been helping us a lot–especially in Elam…it’s fun to watch him play.” Smart hasn’t been the only bright spot on Ottawa during this win streak, though–Daniel has started two of the team’s last three games, and has brought some seriously impressive individual defense with him. Daniel often takes on the task of guarding the opponent’s best players, and does a fantastic job of “cutting the head off of the snake” by minimizing their production. In his first start, Daniel slowed down the Scarborough Shooting Stars guard Cat Barber, who has the second-most points in CEBL history, holding him to just nine points on 27% from the field. The Honey Badgers’ top scorer, Quinndary Weatherspoon, averages 17.8 points per game on the season, but against Ottawa he was held to just three points on only five shots taken–he also fouled out in the third quarter. The Alliance’s top scorer in Tavian Dunn-Martin averages 17.2 points per game, but only scored nine points while shooting 18% from the field against the BlackJacks. “I’m happy with it–I love playing defense,” said Daniel when asked about his role as the team’s defensive leader, “I just love seeing my team get going. They motivate me to keep going on defense, and I’m motivating them to keep going as well.” Not only does Daniel enjoy playing team defense, but he takes pride in slowing down the opposing team’s best player: “As a basketball player, I’m a competitor. My mentality is that I don’t like anybody scoring on me…it’s been fun. I’ve been enjoying it every single night.” With Daniel at the helm of the team’s defense, Ottawa has turned into one of the best defensive teams in the CEBL. In their last three games, they’ve held each of their opponents to under 80 points–nine points below the league scoring average of 88.9. The BlackJacks now sit third in the CEBL in points allowed per game, with an average of just 86.0. That number falls to just 82.8 and the top-ranked defense when adjusted for the last five games. “You play defense, you win three games [in a row],” said DeAveiro, “they’re seeing that those things relate to each other.” The team defense will have to be especially elite against this Sea Bears team, who are a snake with three heads: forward Simi Shittu and guards Jalen Harris and Tevian Jones. All three of them average over 17 points per game. In Winnipeg’s last matchup against the Shooting Stars, those three scorers combined for 67 of the team’s 93 total points–slowing them down is absolutely the key to the game for the BlackJacks. The best way to take advantage of that offensively for Ottawa is to utilize their strong bench–while Winnipeg’s bench usually struggles to score 10 points per game, the BlackJacks are one of the deepest teams in the CEBL. With names like Zane Waterman, Tyrrel Tate, and Keevan Veinot suiting up off of the bench for the BlackJacks, those non-starter minutes will be crucial for Ottawa to build up a lead while Winnipeg’s big three are sitting off. “We don’t take a dropoff,” said DeAveiro, “our bench plays the same way [as the starters], they do the same things, and we’re fortunate enough to have really good players coming off of the bench.” The last time that Ottawa and Winnipeg matched up this season, neither Harris nor Shittu had suited up for the Sea Bears. Coach DeAveiro is aware that they’re a different team now, and has adjusted his defense: “We still have our base in terms of what we want to do defensively…we tinker here, we add some different things here. … When you add those two guys, you’re adding two guys that have been in NBA camps.” And so despite the individual impact that Daniel brings as a defender, he can only guard one of Winnipeg’s big three–that means team defense will be of the utmost importance in this matchup. With the likelihood being that Daniel will start the game guarding Harris, that leaves Shittu and Jones to provide a majority of the scoring for the Sea Bears. BlackJacks forward Deng Adel has the height and wingspan to help cover Jones, and center Isaih Moore has impressed with his interior defense–so those matchups will be important ones to focus on coming into this afternoon’s game. If the BlackJacks’ team defense can slow those three players down, it will no doubt make for Ottawa’s fourth straight win. 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For the third time in as many games, Javonte Smart showed exactly what he’s capable of doing on the basketball court. The former member of the Miami Heat made his home debut for the Ottawa BlackJacks (5-6) and gave the crowd something to cheer for, scoring 31 points to lead the team to a 90-77 victory over the Montreal Alliance (5-5). “I just let my work speak,” said Smart, who has combined for 86 points over his first three games with the club. “I’ve been working and I get the opportunity to show my game, and that’s what I’ve been doing: just showing what I can do. They brought me in with welcome arms. Nobody had an attitude, and we all joined together and we’re getting wins. I think winning solves everything, there’s no complaining. I think if we continue to win, everything will go smooth.” “I think everyone can see the impact he has,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said of his new star player. “Sometimes towards the end he gets a little tired because he’s playing a lot of minutes, and I think he’s still learning and trusting his teammates. But as he learns to trust his teammates a little more, I think he’ll grow and you’ll see an even better Javonte.” It was the away team that started off strong, dominating the paint to take an early 8-0 lead. Some clutch three-pointers from the BlackJacks would help close the gap, but the Alliance would hold on to a 28-22 advantage after the first quarter thanks to a 17-8 lead in rebounds and scoring 20 points in the paint. Ottawa would make some key adjustments during the break and begin to surmount a comeback early in the second. A pivotal 9-0 run capped by a Smart basket would give them a 41-40 lead, their first of the game, fueled by shooting 6-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first half. They kept their foot on the gas and took a 49-45 advantage into halftime and never looked back. “One of the things that team has is length,” DeAveiro said of the opposition. “They’re physical. They send four guys to the glass. We don’t play many teams that send that many guys to the glass. I think we got better as the game went along. I thought our rebounding got better. It’s just adjusting to that length and physicality. We held them to 49 points in three quarters. That’s amazing. That’s great defense. With all the missed boxouts and offensive rebounds, I felt as the game went on that we got better.” Tavian Dunn-Martin, one of the CEBL’s most dynamic players, was held to just nine points on 3-for-15 shooting from the field, though he chipped in with six rebounds and 12 assists. O.D Anosike led the Alliance with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Quincy Guerrier had 15 and Brandon Porter had 14 in his CEBL debut. “We need to give credit to Shakur (Daniel),” DeAveiro said of his teams ability to shut down the Alliance offence. “He’s out there guarding their best player, fighting through screens. He kind of sets the tone for us defensively, and you need a guy like that on your team. The last three games he’s guarded their best offensive players. It all starts with Shakur and everybody else can feed off of that. I think we’re just going to get better defensively, and soon the standard is going to be 75, because I’m greedy like that.” On top of his stellar defensive play, Daniel finished with six points and four steals. Isaih Moore had 21 points to go with eight rebounds and Zane Waterman chipped in with 12 off the bench. It was just the fourth time the BlackJacks had cracked the 90-point plateau this season. “We got to defend. I’ll keep it simple,” Guerrier said of himself and his teammates. “We have to get back to keeping teams under 90 points. I think all our losses were 89 points plus, so we have to find a way to be better defensively. It’s everybody. Everybody has to do their job. Guarding the ball is the most important thing. You don’t want them to penetrate with the ball and just kick it out. Obviously, you have to win your matchup one on one, but it’s a team effort and we have to do a better job.” It was another disappointing outcome for an Alliance team that started the season 5-0, but now finds themselves straddled with a 5-5 record. The BlackJacks, who sit immediately below the Alliance in the CEBL standings, have found themselves on the opposite trajectory, winning three straight and improving to 5-6. The teams play twice more this season. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600620 Up Next The Ottawa BlackJacks will celebrate Canada Day by welcoming the Winnipeg Sea Bears to TD Place for their second and final meeting of the season. The Montreal Alliance continue their three-game road trip with a Canada Day game against the Edmonton Stingers. Next CEBL action The Niagara River Lions head to Brampton for the second of four meetings between the quads this season, streaming live on CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. 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