Staff Writer, Cameron Burgess - August 16, 2019
The Nighthawks closed out their season on a positive note, winning their final game of the season by a score of 125-115 against the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
Guelph opened the scoring as Michale Kyser hit a three-pointer to start the game, but Shaquille Keith quickly answered with a shot from three-point range to get the Rattlers on the board. Both teams would exchange baskets early on, but the Nighthawks pulled away in the final minutes of the opening quarter. Abednego Lufile extended the lead late for the Nighthawks, as they took a 37-28 lead into the second.
Tyrell Corbin opened the second quarter with eight straight points for the Nighthawks, extending their lead to 17. It seemed like Guelph couldn’t miss in the opening half, extending their lead to as many as 27 points late in the quarter. The Nighthawks offensive explosion in the first half gave them a 75-52 lead at halftime.
Olu Famutimi kept the offense rolling, scoring 11 of the first 13 points for the Nighthawks in the third quarter, while scoring a total of 14 in the frame. While the Rattlers offense was able to score 32 points in the third, their defense was unable to slow down the Nighthawks. Guelph seemed to have an answer every time the Rattlers scored and held a 103-84 lead heading into their final quarter of the season.
The Rattlers offense continued their impressive play in the fourth quarter while the Nighthawks went cold. Trailing by 19 heading into the final quarter, Saskatchewan was able to get within just three points of Guelph with 2:16 left to play. With the game on the line, Kimbal Mackenzie scored six points in the final 1:37 to give the Nighthawks the insurance they needed to come away with a win.
Olu Famutimi was named Player of the Game for the Nighthawks, finishing with 31 points including shooting 9 for 11 from three-point range. Kimbal Mackenzie also played a big role in the win, finishing with 27 points. In total, the Nighthawks had six players reach double-digits in scoring.
Alex Campbell lead the Rattlers in scoring with 27 points as their comeback bid fell short. Marlon Johnson also chipped in with 20 points for Saskatchewan.
With the win, the Nighthawks finish their inaugural season with a record of 6-14 to finish in fifth place.
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