Crowd gives River Lions high marks
Niagara snaps a six-game losing streak and clinches playoff berth before nearly 4,000 fans
It was a triple win for the Niagara River Lions Friday at Meridian Centre.
Not only did they have close to 4,000 fans in attendance, they also snapped a six-game losing streak, and more importantly clinched a playoff berth with a come-from-behind 111-106 victory over the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans.
With an 11 a.m. tip-off in their second annual “School Day Game,” the River Lions roared out to a 13-point second quarter lead, only to see the Titans storm back and take their own 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.
However, the Lions persevered outscoring the visitors 34-19 over the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter.
Former NBA first-round draft pick, and Canadian, Kris Joseph, scored 13 points down the stretch and finished with a game- and season-high 29 points on the day as Niagara improved to (13-19) overall, and clinched a playoff berth for the second time in three seasons since the National Basketball League of Canada franchise arrived in St. Catharines.
“It feels amazing to get into the playoffs,” Joseph said. “This is just my third game and I know the guys have been fighting hard all year, and it's been a rough last six games, and to get this win here at home and to get this playoff spot it's amazing.”
Joseph nailed five three-point shots, including three down the stretch.
"Just getting back into the flow of things,” explained Joseph. “The two games and the two weeks of practice — we go hard every day in practice — and I think that really helped me prepare mentally and physically.”
River Lions head coach Joe Raso knew it was only a matter
time before Joseph would make his presence felt.
“Big players make big shots and when the flow was going against us Kris knocked down a couple of big shots for us,” said Raso.
"Everything has to start with one, and now we've got ourselves a streak going. We clinched a playoff spot, but it was really important for us to win our way in. Our goal that we set out today was to win our way into the playoffs."
Devonte Pollard was also crucial down the stretch Friday. The Mississippi native drained 24 points, while Guillaume Boucard recorded the double-double for the Lions – 19 points to go along with a gamehigh 13 rebounds.
Raso was particularly impressed with the composure his team displayed in the fourth quarter.
“One of our problems (this season) is how do we handle adversity when things go bad. Well things went bad there for a while, and I thought our guys handled it the right way,” Raso said.
Joseph was also quick to praise the crowd in attendance, as a season-high
3,942 fans rocked the Meridian Centre.
“The fans today really gave us an edge,” said Joseph. “We have to protect our home court, and the fans really made our job a lot easier”
The Lions continue their seven-game homestand with three games during the March break next week, including a Tuesday night showdown against the Saint John Riptide. Game time is 7 p.m.
“We just want to keep winning. It just takes one to start a streak and we just want to keep it going,” Joseph added.
“We have to stay fresh and healthy,” said Raso.
Lion Pride: Every River Lion played in Friday’s victory ... Tramar Sutherland is a former Niagara player ... Next Tuesday’s home game at Meridian Centre is the River Lions third annual “Shine the Light on Woman Abuse” game in support of Women’s Place of South Niagara.
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Big players make big shots and when the flow was going against us Kris knocked down a couple of big shots for us.
JOE RASO
River Lions head coach