River Lions are top dogs
Khalil Ahmad’s contested layup in target time Sunday night in Montreal gave the Niagara River Lions a 97-95 win over the Vancouver Bandits and netted the franchise its first-ever Canadian Elite Basketball League championship.
“I’ve been thinking about that moment for so long and it was just an incredible feeling,” River Lions head coach/GM Victor Raso said. “It was years of hard work and it’s validation for the organization. We have been the best organization in the CEBL but you can’t really say that out loud if you don’t win a championship. Now we are the most winningest organization in the CEBL, we have a championship and our players want to be on our team all the time. I am so happy for our president Jeffrey Sotiriou and Michelle Biskup, our VP. They have been working tirelessly with no validation and this is the coolest thing. I am so proud of the group.”
Niagara went from overcoming a poor shooting performance in a semifinal win over Montreal to playing great against a formidable Bandits squad.
“We were much better today. We shot the ball much better but we got in serious foul trouble. And we did all of this without Jahvon Blair (who was ordered by his French team to report). He is a CEBL all-star who averages 18 a game and he has been nothing but excellent for us,” Raso said. “We did it without him and I am so happy.”
Niagara was leading by 10 heading into target time and Raso was understandably nervous as both of the River Lions big men, Louden Love and Elijah Lufile, fouled out and the lead disappeared down to nothing.
“I was definitely getting worried but that’s not my job. Whatever outside stuff creeps in, I have to stay away from that. My team needs me to not worry and come up with a plan down the stretch,” he said. “When I really started to get worried when Khalil was exhausted and he’s our best matchup. He was absolutely gassed but he found a different gear, got to the rim and won the game.”
It was just another day in the office for the clutch Ahmed.
He clinched the team’s unbeaten home record with an alley oop dunk, had another alley oop dunk to end the Eastern Conference semifinal game against Ottawa and Friday night advanced the River Lions past Montreal with a long three.
“He is absolutely a special player and he did it for us in the biggest moments. He had to work his ass off over the course of the game and then he finished off the game,” Raso said. “He is an excellent, excellent basketball player. He is the best player in the league and he showed it.”
Ahmad was awarded the game ball as championship game and told TSN afterwards that it means the world to bring a CEBL championship to Niagara.
“That’s home. It is my second home, I have family there and my girlfriend is there. It’s family. It means the world and I hope you are happy.”
Ahmad’s heroics were amazing but Sunday’s victory was a truly a team effort.
“Aaryn Rai, Nathan Cayo and Omari Moore were fantastic. Louden, Elijah, TJ Lall, Kimbal Mackenzie in his minutes and Jordan Tchuente who hasn’t played in the playoffs all of a sudden is in a moment when he is playing 10 minutes and rebounding like a crazy person,” Raso said. “We had to go as deep as we have ever gone and we got it done. That team was an absolute full strength and we did it without Juggy (Blair). It was awesome.”
Afterwards in interviews with TSN, Ahmad and team captain Mackenzie emphasized the team aspect of the win.
“We are an amazing team top to bottom and everyone is capable. We got it done, we are the champions,” Ahmad said.
“From top to bottom in this organization we earned this trophy,” Mackenzie said. “Obviously it has been a couple of years, a lot of Final Fours, a lot of close calls but everybody showed up every day and put in the work so when it came time to win the game, we were all ready to go.”
Raso won two previous national championships at Carleton as a player and another as a coach.
“Those ones are really special because I always grew up wanting to win a championship at the U SPORTS level because my dad’s (Joe Raso) teams always got so close and never did. Those were incredibly special, especially my first one, but this one holds a special place in my heart because I won a national championship as a coach,” he said. “It has taken a lot of time to get to this point and to figure out the formula to be good enough as a coach to get a team to this point and win games like we won down the stretch.”
The River Lions will look to defend their title next season and Raso has no idea what his squad will look like in 2025.
“There are so many variables that go into that. These guys’ careers change so quickly as does where they sign next. I can tell you right now that they probably all want to be back but whether they can or not is something that will all work out. I am not thinking that far ahead. I am staying right here, right now.”
STATS PACK
River Lions 97 Bandits 95
BPSN Player of the Game: Niagara’s Nathan Cayo with 25 points, eight rebounds, four assist and a team-best plus-25 efficiency rating.
For the River Lions: Cayo 25; Khalil Ahmad 24; Aaryn Rai 19; Omari Moore 13; Louden Love 11.
For the Vancouver Bandits: Mitch Creek 28; Nick Ward 15; Koby McEwen 14; James Carnik 12.
Game stats: Field goal percentage: Niagara 52, Vancouver 42. Free throws: Niagara 13-21, Vancouver 15-24. Rebounds: Niagara 39, Vancouver 52. Turnovers: Niagara 15, Vancouver 14.
Up next: One heckuva party!
