River Lions take two from Honey Badgers
No one needed to convince Kimbal Mackenzie to sign with the Niagara River Lions.
“I had practised with Niagara before I had ever played a professional game and just as I was turning pro so I know Vic (Raso) well and I know he runs a really good organization top to bottom,” the 26-year-old Oakville native said Friday, after helping the River Lions record an 87-79 victory over the visiting Brampton Honey Badgers in Canadian Elite Basketball League action. “It is solid here and it is an opportunity to play basketball at a high level in the summer and play with a great group.”
His first stint as a River Lion was as a practice player only.
“As I was transitioning into being a professional I was looking for somewhere to stay sharp. I have bounced around a little bit in this league and I am really happy to be in Niagara now,” the former Bucknell University scholarship player said.
Niagara also had some friendly faces waiting for Mackenzie. He played the past two seasons with Patrick Whelan with the Leicester Riders of the British BBL and he grew up with Jake Babic, who is also part of the team.
“It is great to have some familiar faces around obviously.”
Mackenzie, who averaged 12.7 points and 3.6 assists in 22.9 minutes per game this past season with Leicester, is content to serve as a backup point guard for the River Lions.
“I have said it time and time again that the culture here is solid. I am just happy to come in and fill holes where they need me to and just do my job,” the former Guelph Nighthawk said. “I am a guy who can do multiple things out there, make plays and just try to fit into the system the best I can and be a team guy.”
Mackenzie needed some time off before joining Niagara.
“I gave my body a little bit of rest. I spent some time with my family and my daughter and I stayed sharp. I stayed in the gym and in the weight room and tried to give the body a little bit of time off,” he said. “Those overseas seasons can be a little bit long and I am happy to be back and running again.”
The River Lions and Mackenzie had mutual interest in each other.
“I was doing a little bit of searching, I was available for a job and I went from there.”
He has now played two games for Niagara and likes what he sees.
“I think there are times when people think that summer ball can get a little casual but not here. We practise hard, we have a good culture here and it has been great in terms of watching film and being a together group.”
Raso is pleased to have Mackenzie on the roster.
“He is awesome. He is a guy who shouldn’t be coming off the bench in this league but it is great that he took that role for us. He’s a leader, he is tough, he can defend, he can shoot and he knows exactly what is going on,” he said. “He is exactly what you want on your team and he is a European, high-level point guard and teammate. He fits in the locker room seamlessly and we have him backing up Khalil (Ahmad). That is a luxury that most teams don’t have.”
Niagara won its third straight game and second in a row over Brampton but it wasn’t easy. After dominating the game for the first two and half quarters, the River Lions saw a 26-point lead shrivel to a mere four points in the fourth quarter before they hung on for the victory.
“I have been telling them all year how important it is to be locked in and fundamental for a whole game but it is hard to do and that team is talented,” Raso said. “We let them get hot for a bit but I was really happy with how we played for most of two and a half quarters and then I was also really happy with the response. We were able to close out the game.”
STATS PACK
River Lions 87 Honey Badgers 79
BPSN Player of the Game: Niagara’s Lloyd Pandi with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and several key plays late in the game.
For the Niagara River Lions: Edward Ekiyor 18; Khalil Ahmad and Pandi 14; Jahvon Henry-Blair 12; Patrick Whelan 10.
For the Brampton Honey Badgers: Christian Vital 26; Prince Oduro 13.
Game stats: Shooting percentage: Niagara 39, Brampton 39. Free throws: Niagara 28-34, Brampton 24-30. Rebounds: Niagara 36, Brampton 43. Turnovers: Niagara 9, Brampton 18.
Up next: Niagara (8-6) hosts the Scarborough Shooting Stars Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Meridian Centre.
NIAGARA 101 BRAMPTON 84
Niagara outscored Brampton 60-37 in the second and third quarters to record a 101-84 road win Wednesday.
Scoring for Niagara were Khalid Ahmad (23), Javon Henry-Blair (15) and E.J. Onu (15) and Antonio Davis Jr. (14)
Brampton’s top scorers were Christian Vital (23). Ashley Hamilton (17) and Koby Mcewen (12).
