SkyHawks release Rideau graduate Lual

The Ottawa SkyHawks cut their hometown component in half on Tuesday, releasing forward Manock Lual.

The 24-year-old graduate of Rideau High School and the University of Prince Edward Island had played in only one of the SkyHawks’ first 11 regular-season games. He scored one point and collected one rebound in five minutes against the Moncton Miracles on Nov. 27.

“Playing time is very valuable,” SkyHawks technical director Merrick Palmer said. “We didn’t want to keep guys on the team just to keep them on the bench.”

The release of Lual, a secondround pick, means the SkyHawks no longer have any of the three players they selected in the National Basketball League of Canada draft in August. Third-round choice Jerome Brown of Toronto was released during training camp, and first-overall pick Alex Johnson of Toronto was traded to the Mississauga Power for Bol Kong of Vancouver just before the regular season began.

“Manock is a hard-working man,” SkyHawks head coach Jaren Jackson said in a statement distributed by the team. “It’s always hard to see a player go, but he wasn’t playing a lot of minutes here. It’s only fair for us to provide him with an opportunity to search elsewhere to continue developing his career.”

Kong, a forward, remains with the SkyHawks as one of the three Canadians on the roster required under NBL Canada rules. Forward Eric Kibi of Ottawa and centre-forward Jamie Vanderbeken of Belleville both signed as free agents during the summer.

The SkyHawks (6-5) play host to the London Lightning at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.