After a heartbreaking loss at home, the Montreal Alliance (1-4) heads to Ottawa to complete this home-and-home series against the BlackJacks (1-3), aiming to regain their strength and make a mark in the Eastern Conference race.

The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Place, with live coverage available on CEBL+, TSN+, RDS.ca, the RDS app, Courtside 1891 (outside of North America), and the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. The game will also be televised on TSN, RDS, and NLSE in the United States.

Additionally, this game will feature a historic first with an all-female Canadian officiating crew for a professional men's basketball game.



In last week’s matchup, the Alliance unfortunately lost on a dramatic sequence during Target Score Time, where a turnover under their own basket allowed Isaih Moore of the BlackJacks to score the game-winning basket, 87-86.

To bounce back, the Alliance will first need to limit their turnovers. Last week, Montreal committed 20 turnovers, which proved fatal despite their dominance in the paint and on the boards.

Chris Smith, who has emerged as a star for the Alliance this season, particularly struggled with nine turnovers. The 6-foot-9 player boasts impressive averages of 16.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, shooting 58.5% from the field.

“We need to take better care of the ball,” said Alliance head coach Derrick Alston Sr. “We’re playing for something this year, and every game counts. We can’t afford to repeat the same mistakes.”

To stop Ottawa, the Alliance will also need to find a way to control Isaih Moore and Brandon Sampson. Moore, who leads the BlackJacks with an average of 21 points and 10 rebounds per game, has been particularly dangerous in the pick-and-roll with Sampson, who scored 21 points in the last game.

“Brandon is a good player, so I really enjoy running the pick-and-roll with him,” said Moore after last week’s win.

The Alliance will rely on their own talents to counter this threat, including Freddy Ibrahim and Jordan Bowden, who showed promising performances in the last game. If the Alliance can fix their turnover issues, they will have a strong chance to leave Ottawa with a victory.

Key Matchup

The battle between Chris Smith and Isaih Moore will be crucial, but the game might be decided by the guards Freddy Ibrahim and Jordan Bowden from Montreal, and Brandon Sampson and Lloyd Pandi from Ottawa. These four players were decisive at different moments in last week’s game, and they could be at the center of the action again.

Milestones to Watch

• Montreal’s Guillaume Payen-Boucard, from Montreal, Que., needs 12 points to reach 500 for his career (regular season only).
• Montreal’s Ahmed Hill needs seven rebounds to reach 250 for his career (regular season and playoffs combined).
• Ottawa’s Jermel Kennedy, from Malton, Ont., needs eight rebounds to reach 250 for his career (regular season and playoffs combined).
• Montreal’s Guillaume Payen-Boucard, from Montreal, Que., needs two assists to reach 100 for his career (regular season only).
• Ottawa’s Tyrrel Tate needs seven assists to reach 100 for his career (regular season and playoffs combined).
• Ottawa’s Lloyd Pandi, from Ottawa, Ont., needs nine assists to reach 100 for his career (regular season only).
• Montreal’s Ahmed Hill needs three steals to reach 50 for his career (regular season only).

2024 Season Series

In their last encounter, the BlackJacks secured a thrilling victory during Target Score Time, giving Ottawa its first win of the season. The Alliance will be looking for revenge and to turn their season around with a positive result in Ottawa.