River Lions split weekend games

Niagara topples Titans but still gets struck by Lightning

When you shoot over 50 per cent from the field, and drain 14 threepointers, usually you come out on top.

That was not the case for the Niagara River Lions, who played a good-old ‘last basket wins’ Sunday afternoon, dropping a very highscoring 143-132 decision to the London Lightning.

“It was a journey,” said head coach Joe Raso. “And coming off another game in such a short period (Saturday night) it was a concern. Their runs are going to be a little bit longer than your runs.

“I don’t want to be involved in 140-point games — certainly not my idea.”

Marvell Waithe again led Niagara in scoring, with 26 points, but London’s recently activated Mo Bolden was too much, draining a game-high 32.

The Lightning shot 60 per cent from the floor.

“Way too many defensive breakdowns, especially against a team that shoots really well,” Raso said.

Guillaume Boucard chipped in with 25 points, while Connor Wood added 24 Sunday.

But all was not lost for the River Lions as they defeated the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans 108-94 Saturday night as seven different players scored in double-digits for the Lions.

The Lions trailed this game 5242 at halftime.

Waithe and Boucard both had the same stat lines (17 points, 10 rebounds) but it was four bench players along with Boucard who impressed Raso most.

“I thought Adam Klie, Connor Wood, Dwayne Smith, Guillaume Boucard and AJ (Andravious) Smith — that group of five made us, and they got us the lead,” Raso said.

“That was the best part of the weekend — that guys from the bench came out and won a game that we were behind in. That gave me a lot of confidence, and I hope it gave them a lot of confidence, too.”

Niagara visits the Moncton Magic Wednesday night and the Halifax Hurricanes Friday evening, before the Magic pay a return visit to Meridian Centre Sunday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

Lion Pride: Omar Strong did not dress for the River Lions Sunday while the team appealed his two-game suspension. There is a chance Strong could return for the Lions’ game Wednesday in Moncton, N.B. … Six scorers hit doubledigits

for Niagara Sunday … Sam Muldrow fouled out of the after game playing only 17 minutes, scoring seven points and pulling down three rebounds.