Help is on the way for struggling Titans
Hall hits 29 points, but River Lions maul K-W, 108-94
KITCHENER — First it was the wacky schedule that worked against them.
Now it’s a shortage of healthy bodies that is making life difficult for the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans.
The understaffed Titans ran out of gas Saturday night at the Aud in a 108-94 loss to the Niagara River Lions. It was the Titans’ third consecutive setback in National Basketball League of Canada play, with a three-game road trip immediately in front of them.
Seven-foot centre Derek Hall had a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds for the Titans, who had just nine players dressed for the second straight night.
The Titans (2-8) led 53-42 at halftime, but were outperformed badly in the third quarter, as the River Lions (8-8) led 81-73 going into the final frame.
One day earlier in London, the Titans failed to make the most of a 17-point third-quarter lead, dropping a 115-106 overtime decision to the Lightning.
“We’re battling, we’re there in the first half, doing some really good things. Fatigue sets in, the legs gets heavy, the brain gets heavy and then we’re just that fraction of a second late in everything we do,” said Serge Langis, the Titans’ head coach and general manager of basketball operations.
“We need reinforcements and they’re on the way. … And once they arrive, and Kevin (Rogers) gets a bit healthier, we should be just fine.”
Langis said two “impact players” are set to join the team, with one of them expected to be available this week and another the following week. Rogers is sidelined with a knee injury and is listed as day-to-day.
The Titans are in the midst of a hectic stretch of 13 games in 31 days, after starting the season with eight games in 47 days.
The River Lions snapped a four-game losing streak with their victory, but the Titans made them earn it.
Hall hit a basket with 8:40 to play in the final quarter to knot the game 83-83, but the River Lions responded by scoring 17 straight points to put the game on ice.
Marvell Waithe and Guillaume Boucard paced the winners with 17 points and both players added 10 rebounds. Guelph native Connor Wood chipped in with 14.
Wood is in his first season of professional basketball after a five-year run at Carleton University, which ended with him being named U Sports’ basketball player of the year. He represented Canada in August at the FISU Summer Universiade, playing alongside Kitchener’s Javon Masters of the University of New Brunswick, and hopes to pursue a career in Europe next year.
“Playing in this league, it’s a good situation for me to become a better player,” he said.
Ahmad Starks, one night after scoring 26 points against London, chipped in with 15 points for the Titans, and Greg Morrow came off the bench to add 14. Russell Byrd collected 10 points and nine rebounds.
The players, much like their coach, are stressing unity as they wait for help to arrive.
“We’re just going to stick together,” said Hall. “I definitely believe in every single one of the guys on this team. And I still think we can do big, big things. There’s a lot of basketball to be played.”
The Titans hit the road for a three-game trip that starts Wednesday night in London. From there, it’s back-to-back clashes Friday and Saturday in Newfoundland against the St. John’s Edge.
The next home game is Tuesday, Jan. 16 when St. John’s comes west. That game is an 11 a.m. start.