Hall’s 29 points, 21 rebounds not enough for Titans
KITCHENER — The shots aren’t falling, the losses are mounting and additional roster moves are on the horizon.
These are trying times for the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans.
The Niagara River Lions (10-12) were the latest National Basketball League of Canada squad to take advantage of the struggling Titans, receiving 25 points from Jaylon Tate and 24 from Carl Hall in a 103-96 win at the Aud.
Saturday night’s result negated an outstanding 29-point, 21-rebound performance by Derek Hall, whose Titans (3-13) occupy last place in the Central Division, but are still within striking distance of the Windsor Express (7-11) for the fourth and final playoff position.
The Titans also received a strong outing from gritty reserve Nigel Tyghter, who added 10 points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes of floor time.
“We all try to come in and do our job and do our best. But it’s been tough, with the losses and roster changes, to get chemistry and stay cohesive,” said Tyghter, a University of Windsor graduate from Brampton.
“The remedy is always to win, and once we get going we’ll all be able to breathe a little bit easier, the confidence will come back and we’ll be able to play better from there.”
The Titans hit on 40 per cent of their shots (38 of 95), and were good on 31.6 per cent (12 of 38) from beyond the arc. The River Lions were better in both departments, making 51.3 per cent (39 of 76) from the floor and 40.9 per cent (9 of 22) from three-point range.
The teams were tied 44-44 at halftime, before the River Lions pulled away in the third, outscoring the Titans by nine points to take a 75-66 lead into the final quarter. There, the Titans were unable to mount a charge of any kind and the small crowd of 760 went home disappointed.
Personal fouls played a role in the outcome, with the River Lions making 16 of 25 attempts and K-W hitting eight of 13.
Titans head coach Serge Langis, who was critical of his top players following Wednesday’s loss to the Moncton Magic, was satisfied with the effort against Niagara. He was confident he could steer the team in the right direction before it’s too late.
Langis, who said roster moves are pending, chalked up Saturday’s result to poor shooting and his team’s inability to control Niagara’ top performers.
“Everybody’s working hard over here; everybody’s trying to get there. Tonight, the intensity was there, the focus was there, the grit was there. … We didn’t shoot the ball very well and they did,” he said.
“We’ve got to get healthy, we’re a little bit nicked up right now, and we’ve got to get this roster fully loaded. … We’ve got a steep hill to climb, but we’re going to climb it.”
Newcomer Ed Horton was a nonfactor in his Titans debut this season, scoring five points in 24 minutes of playing time. The shooting guard, who played for the Titans in last year’s inaugural season, recently wrapped up a playing stint in Nicaragua.
Ahmad Starks was reinserted in the starting lineup and had 17 points.
The struggling Titans wrap up their four-game homestand Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the Cape Breton Highlanders. The visitors are the last-place team in the Atlantic Division.
The home team will honour Waterloo’s Region’s first responders prior to the game and $2.50 from every ticket will be donated to the Children’s Safety Village.