The Montréal Alliance (2-4) impressively dominated the Ottawa BlackJacks (1-4) with a convincing 104-89 victory on Tuesday night at TD Place.

Chris Smith was the standout performer with 21 points, including the decisive basket during Target Score Time. Smith wasn't the only player to shine; Ahmed Hill added 17 points, Shaquille Doorson contributed 16 with remarkable accuracy (6-for-7 shooting), and Jordan Bowden scored 20 points off the bench.

"Today was a true demonstration of what our team can achieve," said head coach Derrick Alston Sr., highlighting the collective performance of the Alliance.

The Alliance's balanced offense was backed by a staunch defense, limiting the BlackJacks to just 41.2% shooting from the field and 9-for-27 from beyond the arc. Additionally, the Alliance significantly reduced their turnovers compared to the previous game.

"We had a week of practice focusing on our defense and minimizing turnovers," Alston explained. "In our first game against them at home, we gave them too many opportunities, and they capitalized. Today, we took better care of the ball, and it showed."

Montréal's defense effectively neutralized Ottawa’s star duo, Isaih Moore and Brandon Sampson, holding them to just 26 combined points. Moore scored the majority of his points during Target Score Time, making the end of the game more interesting than it should have been.

The Alliance dominated the contest, leading by as many as 36 points. However, in Target Score Time, Ottawa started with a 17-3 run and ultimately outscored Montreal 22-9 during this period. Moore scored 10 of his 16 points in this stretch alone.

Despite the late surge from the BlackJacks, their effort was insufficient, even with a brilliant 33-point performance from Tyrrel Tate off the bench.

Defensively, Ottawa appeared disorganized, allowing Montréal too many easy opportunities to reach their spots.

"We need to cut off the highway to the rim," said BlackJacks head coach James Derouin. "They're finding various ways to penetrate our defense... We focused on this in practice, but with new lineups and players, we weren’t in sync. We’ll work on integrating everyone."

Montréal took control of the game early in the second half, leading 56-34, thanks to a decisive second quarter. After a tight opening quarter (20-18 for Ottawa), the Alliance began the second period with a 15-4 run, with Hill scoring 12 of the last 14 points of the half, extending the lead to over 20 points.

"We got stops and transitioned well," Hill commented on his team's second-quarter surge. "A lot of shots fell for me and for other guys, which really opened up the game for us."

The only downside for Montréal was Maxime Boursiquot's exit due to a left shoulder injury in the third quarter. Hill also had an injury scare after taking a charge, but he was seen smiling on the bench and started the fourth quarter.

"We'll re-evaluate his condition when we get back," said Alston about Boursiquot. "As of now, I'm not sure about his availability for the upcoming games."

Tuesday's game marked a historic first with an all-female officiating crew for a professional men's basketball game as part of the BlackJacks' Women in Sports night.

"I think they did a great job managing the emotions of the game," Alston commented on the officiating. "The game stayed under control, and they did a very good job. It's always great to see this, proving they can do the job as well as any male group."

Up Next

Following this home-and-home series, the Alliance will return home to welcome Jahvon Blair and the Niagara River Lions on Thursday, while the BlackJacks will hit the road to face the defending champions, the Scarborough Shooting Stars.