BlackJacks and Stingers Look to get on Track in Second Summer Tilt
A System Administrator • Jul 27, 2020
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The Ottawa BlackJacks and the Edmonton Stingers did not start their respective CEBL Summer Series campaigns the way they had hoped. The BlackJacks struggled to keep up with Guelph’s athleticism in their opening game Saturday, while Edmonton didn’t find its stride until the Elam Ending came into effect against the Fraser Valley Bandits, but by then it was too late. Both clubs lost by double digits and will look to get back on track with five games left of round robin action for each team.
Monday’s game between the Stingers and BlackJacks is available to watch on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and Twitch. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Start and End Quarters Strong
A recurring narrative that has emerged early at the Summer Series is consistency and playing a full four quarters. The Ottawa BlackJacks were ahead of Guelph 16-12 after the first quarter on Saturday. Edmonton outscored Fraser Valley 33-28 in the fourth quarter of play Sunday. Both teams were outscored in the other three quarters. Their coaches conveyed that a diligent and organized approach on offence, as well as a buy-in approach on defence would go a long way toward improving their respective teams’ performance.
Edmonton received 34 combined points off the bench from Adika Peter-McNeilly and Brody Clarke and was able to shoot a solid 12-of-33 (36 per cent) from three-point distance. If Peter-McNeilly and Clarke can continue their production and if reigning CEBL Player of the Year Xavier Moon can get on track after shooting just 6-of-16 from the field yesterday, then the Stingers will be primed for a potential bounce back performance.
The Development of Brody Clarke
Coming off a nod as CEBL U SPORTS Player of the Year, Clarke continued his impressive play yesterday. His development has become a template for U SPORTS players hoping to make the move to Canada’s domestic professional league. After an impressive rookie campaign in 2019 as Edmonton’s U SPORTS designated player, Clarke has stepped into his full-time professional role with the team in an increased capacity in 2020. In Sunday afternoon’s game, Clarke scored 16 points and picked up five rebounds in over 20 minutes of play.
Balanced Scoring
Ottawa started Saturday’s contest strong - jumping out to a 16-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. They will need their dynamic trio of Tommy Scrubb, Phillip Scrubb and Olivier Hanlan to score more efficiently if they hope to pick up their first-ever CEBL win. The trio scored a combined 36 points on 32 per cent shooting from the field. The three carried the lion's share of the scoring load for the BlackJacks but will need to step up if the BlackJacks are to earn the victory. The BlackJacks struggled to find their groove against Guelph, shooting just 38 per cent (24-of-64) from the field. Shaquille Keith contributed 17 points and was a spark plug for the BlackJacks off the bench. Look for the BlackJacks to take higher percentage shots in Monday evening’s game.
Next Up
Following Monday’s game, Edmonton takes on Hamilton (0-1) on Wednesday. The Honey Badgers fell 97-85 to Niagara in the opening game of the CEBL Summer Series on Saturday. They take on Guelph in the first half of today’s doubleheader. Ottawa’s next action comes Thursday against Fraser Valley (1-0) who torched the Stingers, 113-100, Sunday.