The Nighthawks spoiled the CEBL debut of the expansion Ottawa BlackJacks with an 89-71 victory Saturday, holding the newcomers to just a .375 shooting percentage. The Honey Badgers were on the losing end of a 97-85 tilt with the Niagara River Lions that opened CEBL Summer Series play earlier in the afternoon. These two teams are familiar with each other on and off the court.

Guelph head coach Charles Kissi returns to the Nighthawks after taking over mid-way through the 2019 campaign. Ryan Schmidt is the new bench boss for Hamilton. The two have been assistant coaches on the staff of Jama Mahlalela, head coach of the Toronto Raptors NBA G League affiliate, Raptors 905, the past two seasons where they have worked side by side to develop players who have contributed to Toronto’s NBA Championship organization.

Hamilton swept the four-game inaugural season series from Guelph, boasting an average margin of victory of 10.5 points. The Honey Badgers enjoyed leads of 20 or more points in three of those contests. Hamilton’s .518 shooting percentage during the four games was fueled by dominating the boards with a 49-35 per game rebounding margin.

Monday’s game can be seen on the CBC Gem app, on cbcsports.ca, and on Twitch (CEBLeague). The livestreaming services enable games of the CEBL Summer Series to be viewed by millions around the world.

Hamilton’s Jermel Kennedy played nine games with the Guelph Nighthawks in 2019, averaging 5.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 19.0 minutes. Two of those appearances came against the Honey Badgers. The 6-foot-7 forward tallied seven points and six rebounds in 20 minutes of a 118-99 loss on August 3, and eight points, three rebounds in 20 minutes of a 131-115 setback on August 9. Kennedy’s season high 12 points came July 4 at Fraser Valley, and his highs of eight rebounds and five assists occurred two nights later at home versus Edmonton. 

The Nighthawks outscored Ottawa, 42-15, in the second half to open their CEBL Summer Series with a convincing 89-71 victory. Jonathan Arledge recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Darius McCallum added 16 points to guide the Nighthawks. Guelph started slowly, posting just 12 first-quarter points before rallying to tie the score at halftime. Guelph’s defense held the BlackJacks to a 24-of-64 (.375) shooting effort from the floor. 

Saturday’s game between the Honey Badgers and Niagara was the first professional sports game in Canada since COVID-19 shut down leagues in mid-March. Daniel Mullings posted 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the River Lions to a 97-85 victory. Hamilton showed signs of rust early on shooting just 34 percent and committing 13 turnovers that led directly to 17 Niagara points in the first half. A second-quarter run led to a 14-point halftime lead that Niagara never relinquished, despite an 11-4 Hamilton run to open the final quarter. Briante Weber led the Honey Badgers in scoring with 22 points, while Owen Klassen charted 15 points and 10 rebounds for the team that finished second in the 2019 CEBL Championship quest.

June 5 at Hamilton Hamilton 102, Guelph 96

June 22 at Guelph Hamilton 104, Guelph 103

August 3 at Hamilton Hamilton 118, Guelph 99

August 9 at Guelph Hamilton 131, Guelph 115

The Nighthawks face a tight turnaround after Monday’s game as they take on the Niagara River Lions (1-1) Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET. Niagara won its opener over Hamilton but was throttled by Saskatchewan, 96-79, Sunday afternoon. The Honey Badgers will return to action Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET against the Edmonton Stingers (0-1), who fell to Fraser Valley, 113-100, on Sunday. Edmonton and Ottawa follow Hamilton and Guelph on the court at the Meridian Centre Monday at 7 p.m. ET.