Staff Writer, Cameron Burgess - July 22, 2019

The Guelph Nighthawks got off to a quick start against the Edmonton Stingers on Saturday night, but a slow second quarter swung momentum in Edmonton’s favour as the Stingers went on to win 99-84.

The Nighthawks opened the scoring with a pair of free throws by Connor Wood, but Mathieu Kamba quickly answered with a three pointer for the Stingers. Both teams benefitted from their benches, with Myles Charvis bringing creating opportunities for Guelph, while Grandy Glaze used his size and strength in the paint for Edmonton. However, it was Olu Famutimi who made the biggest impact on the game early on. He scored 11 points in the opener quarter, including three shots from behind the three-point line to give the Nighthawks a 22-20 lead.

After a strong opener quarter, the Nighthawks struggled to hit their shots early in the second. It took until five-minute mark of the quarter for Guelph to score their first points, with Connor Wood finally ending the cold spell. Meanwhile, the Stingers began to pull away with 13 consecutive points early on. Newcomer Tyrell Corbin connected from behind the three-point line on back-to-back possessions to bring the score close, but Guelph still trailed 45-38 at halftime.

The Nighthawks continued to make shots from three-point range in the third quarter, but it seemed like the Stingers had an answer for it every time. Akeem Ellis and Xavier Moon kept the Stingers ahead in the third quarter, while Kimbal Mackenzie kept pushing back for the Nighthawks. Connor Wood hit a three-pointer for the Nighthawks on their final possession of the quarter, but the Stingers still lead by 11, taking a 76-65 lead into the fourth.

Edmonton led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter, a deficit that proved to be too much for the Nighthawks to overcome. The Stingers were able to prevent Guelph from going on any big scoring runs. In the end, the Stingers were able to leave the Sleeman Centre with a 99-84 win, completing the season sweep of the Nighthawks.

Kimbal Mackenzie was named Player of the Game for the Nighthawks, finishing with 21 points and five assists. Xavier Moon was the leading scoring for the Stingers, finishing with 20 points and 10 assists.

 

The Nighthawks are in action again on July 27 as they host the league-leading Niagara River Lions.

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