Best defence is plenty of offence
SkyHawks make new coach Jackson a winner in debut behind bench
SKYHAWKS 126, MIRACLES 114
Under the new tutelage of Jaren Jackson, the Ottawa SkyHawks had their biggest offensive output of the season, but defensively they continued to be one of the most gracious teams in the league.
Wednesday night the SkyHawks (5-3) won their third straight game and first since Jackson was named as head coach immediately after the sudden firing of Kevin Keathley on Monday.
Jackson was happy with the offence in his team’s 126-114 win over the Moncton Miracles, and feels his defence will round into form, and it needs to.
Coming into the game the SkyHawks had allowed an average of 103.43 points per game — second worst in the nine-team league. What was saving them was the fact they had scored 101.14 points per game which was good for fourth in the league.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Jackson said.
“We have a base and I thought we did all right and at the end they made a run. We’re not the strongest team and (Moncton) is much more physical than us but we’ve got to take advantage of our strengths which is not only the speed but also being efficient on offence, and that’s what I was proud of.”
The offence Wednesday for the SkyHawks, which had its best night since a 113-99 win over the Island Storm last Friday, can be partly attributed to their opposition as the Miracles are eighth in the league with a 2-8 record. The fact they allowed triple digit points against them is a concern.
“They made a run late in the second half and they played with a lot of pride. I tried to get as many guys in and at the same time keep the lead and it almost backfired, but we were able to hold down the fort,” Jackson said.
Three of the four Canadians on the team were dressed and all saw playing time, with Jamie Vanderbeken leading the way with more than 10 minutes on the floor. Monock Lual and Eric Kibi, both of Ottawa, combined for 10 minutes as well.
The SkyHawks held a slim 51-50 lead at halftime but controlled the game in the second half, only to fade away slightly in the fourth quarter when they let the Miracles out of a 23-point hole to make the score respectable.
The SkyHawks led 94-73 after three quarters but were outscored 41-32 in the fourth. Perhaps some of that was a young, expansion team still trying to find its way.
Forward Ryan Anderson came into the game with the fourth-highest points-per-game average in the league at 19.43, and he improved on those numbers by draining a teamhigh 24 points for the SkyHawks.
Six players on the SkyHawks finished in double digits with Anderson, Jermaine Johnson, Tirrell Baines and Jamal Crook all scoring at least 20.
Trayvon Lathan had a game-high 27 points in a losing cause for the Miracles.
“Let’s keep it up. It was Win Win Wednesday and I expect a few more wins here as the season goes along,” Jackson said, making reference to the team’s promotion.
The can go for another win Friday when they host the Windsor Express.