After nearly blowing an 18-point lead, a pair of Aaryn Rai free throws secured a 97-95 win for the Niagara River Lions (6-3) over the Montréal Alliance (3-7) on Friday night.

Niagara was ahead for almost the entirety of the ball game, leading by as many as 18 points before taking a commanding 88-72 lead into Target Score Time. Yet all that changed when Montréal ripped off a 21-3 run to take their first lead of the ball game at 93-92.

Bearing the weight of an epic collapse on his shoulders, and likely that of every fan in a packed Meridian Centre as well, Rai stepped up and knocked down two shots from the charity stripe without a moment’s hesitation. The guard finished with 16 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Despite the shaky ending, the win extended Niagara’s lead over the Eastern Conference and marked back-to-back wins. Helping the River Lions get there was Jahvon Blair and Nathan Cayo who each scored 21 points apiece.

“It was a tight one, a close one, but we always find ways to win,” Blair said his team’s second win of the year against the Alliance. “We just thank the lord Aaryn hit those big free throws.”

On the other side, Montréal’s spirited comeback ultimately fell short as they wound up losing a second consecutive game. Still, there were plenty of inspired efforts that got them to within just two points of a win after facing seemingly insurmountable odds. The trio of Jordan Bowden, Ahmed Hill and Chris Smith carried the offensive load, scoring 24, 23 and 20 points,  respectively.

Hill, notably, scored 10 of those points during the Target Time comeback, including a pair of free throws that got them within one possession of a victory.

Entering this matchup, it was clear that if Montréal was going to change the outcome (a 14-point loss), they’d have to find a way to contain Niagara on the glass. Easier said than done, considering the River Lions lead the league in rebounds per game (46.8), but being minus-15 on the glass for a second time wasn’t going to be a winning formula for the Alliance.

The early stages of the ball game appeared to be a sign of things to come as Niagara led by as many as 12 points in the first half before a Montréal response left the River Lions up just 46-43 at the break.

“We raised our intensity,” Alston Sr. said at halftime. “On defence, our intensity, it allowed us to come back.”

The bench boss had a point considering the five turnovers Montréal forced in the second quarter alone.

Come the third quarter, however, it appeared Niagara had once again regained control thanks to an 11-point outburst by Blair. The guard’s takeover minutes spearheaded a 14-5 run that put the River Lions up 78-62 going into the fourth.

Blair has now put up back-to-back 21-point performances against the Alliance this year.

“(Coach) told us to wake up,” the Brampton, Ont. native said following his big quarter. “We were chilling, we let them get back in, we came out with more aggression and found ways to dig in.”

And although facing a 16-point gap was hardly a consolation, it was an improvement for Montréal considering the last time they played Niagara it was a 27-point deficit going into the final frame. And that mattered because if the Alliance could replicate that fourth quarter just over a week ago – , where they outscored the River Lions by 13 points – , iit would get them within striking distance.

Lo and behold, that’s exactly how things shook out. Montréal outscored Niagara 33-19 (+14) in the fourth, 22-9 in Target Score Time and came within two points of tying the CEBL record for largest Target Score comeback all-time.

“I’m glad we won the game,” coach Victor Raso said following the win. “We played really well in spurts, and we didn’t play really well in other spurts … we have some time now to practice and we can be a really good basketball team.”

Up Next

The River Lions get to rest for a bit, having nearly a week off before they hit the road for a three-game trip against the Western Conference, starting with the new-look Winnipeg Sea Bears on Thursday.

For the Alliance, they’ll wrap up a three-game trip on Sunday with a rematch against the defending champion Scarborough Shooting Stars.