Staff Writer, Cameron Burgess - June 9th

Game Summary – Guelph Nighthawks vs. Saskatchewan Rattlers (June 8th)

The Guelph Nighthawks were unable to overcome their slow start on Saturday night, losing by a final score of 98-86 to the Saskatchewan Rattlers. The result marked the fourth consecutive loss for the Nighthawks, who now have a record of 2-5 this season.

Bruce Massey opened the scoring for the Rattlers, a lead that Saskatchewan would maintain for the entire game. They opened the game on a 7-0 run before Myck Kabongo sunk a free throw to get the Nighthawks on the board. The scoring woes for Guelph continued throughout the quarter, allowing the Rattlers to pull ahead 24-17 by the end of the first quarter. The Nighthawks were able to get within two points early in the second quarter thanks to quick points from Aaron Redpath and Zeke Marshall, but the rest of the quarter was dominated by the Rattlers. Saskatchewan held a 15-point lead at halftime after scoring 33 points in the second quarter.

Guelph looked revitalized after the break, and Marshall looked to set the tone early on with a strong dunk to get the Nighthawks on the board in the second half. The Nighthawks controlled play through most of the quarter, but the Rattlers managed to weather the storm and bounce back with a solid run of their own to end the quarter. With the Rattlers up by 81-64 after the third, the Nighthawks had their work cut out for them in the final quarter. Jamal Reynolds gave his best effort in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his team-high 14 points in the final frame. Despite that, the Nighthawks were unable to go on a run to get back into the game. Guelph outscored the Rattlers 22-17 in the final frame, but that 17-point deficit at the end of the third quarter was too much to overcome.

A positive from the Nighthawks was their ability to get to the free throw line, earning 25 shots from the line on Saturday night while converting on 76 percent of them. The loss overshadowed the debut of Joel Kindred, who recorded 13 points, seven rebounds and one assist. 

Meanwhile, Myck Kabongo was named Player of the Game for the Nighthawks for his balanced effort of 10 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. 

Marlon Johnson led the Rattlers with 21 points, also adding seven rebounds and three steals, while Bruce Massey had a strong all-around game with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. 

The Nighthawks return to action on June 14 as they travel to take on the Niagara River Lions before returning home to host the Fraser Valley Bandits on June 15.