River Lions report submitted by Stephen Dyell, ThoroldNews :
The River Lions made it five wins in a row and gain some breathing room atop the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) after defeating the Hamilton Honey Badgers 107-96 Saturday night in St. Catharines.
Hamilton was riding a three game win streak entering the contest but stumbled throughout the game trying to contain the River Lions quick motion offence.
Niagara hit 12 three-pointers in the contest which saw the River Lions lead 54-41 at half.
It was the first meeting between the clubs and the adjustments were evident throughout the game. Fumble passes created easy baskets for the Honey Badgers before head coach Victor Raso went to his big men.
Guillaume Payen-Boucard benefited from the change and once again was a force on both ends of the floor. Grabbing a career-high seven offensive rebounds, the Carlton University graduate led the team in almost every category, finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
Kassius Robertson finished the game with 17 points while team captain Ryan Anderson had 19. Dorian Pinson also chipped in with nine rebounds. The 6-foot-5 guard notched a triple-double in the previous win against Guelph and continues to grow on the court offensively.
Justin Edwards led the Honey Badgers in scoring with 19 while former River Lions guard Ryan Ejim had 15 points.
Niagara moves to 6-1 on the season and remains in first place for the CEBL.
They will look to keep the streak alive in another battle against Hamilton at the FirstOntario Centre Wednesday night before returning home on June 14 against the Guelph Nighthawks. Game starts at 7:00 p.m.
