CEBL Autopsy Report: Niagara River Lions
How were the Niagara River Lions finally able to secure the elusive CEBL championship?
Record: 17-6 (1st) Team MVP: Khalil Ahmad
Cause of Death: Celebratory Alcohol Poisoning
Victor Raso and the Niagara River Lions had long established themselves as one of the powerhouses of the CEBL. Coming into the 2024 campaign, they had finished with at least the second-best regular season record in 4 of 5 seasons, with the one outlier being the shortened 2020 Summer Series. However, with that string of success came high expectations and despite all their accolades, the River Lions had continuously fallen short in their quest for CEBL gold.
Looking to finally push his team over the bump, Raso retooled his roster that finished atop the CEBL standings last year. Six players returned, including former MVP Khalil Ahmad, Jahvon Blair, Kimball McKenzie and T.J Lall; joining them were the new front court pairing of Elijah Lufile and Loudon Love, as well as a couple of new wings in former Montreal Alliance member Nathan Cayo and young upstart Aaryn Rai – solidifying what was arguably their weakest position last year. Furthermore, Omari Moore was brought in fresh off a season with the Raptors 905 to offer some support in the backcourt.
The big news for the River Lions before the season started was that Ahmad would be late to join the team as he finished up his season overseas. The narrative for the team suddenly shifted from if they would be the top seed in the conference again to would they be able to hold on long enough until their best player would be able to join them. Things got even more complicated for the team early on in the year when veteran leader A.J Davis went down with an injury that would cost him the majority of the season.
Fortunately for the team, Cayo and Rai were able to step up in a big way to help fill the void left by Davis’ absence and the offense was buoyed by a red-hot start from Blair, who averaged 18.7 points per game in Ahmad’s absence. Thanks to those performances and Raso’s coaching chops, the River Lions were able to not only just stick around but lead the conference at 4-3 when Ahmad was finally able to rejoin the team.
With their star point guard leading the charge, the River Lions went on a 10-3 run to close out the season and finish as the #1 seed in the entire league. While that would normally mean an automatic bid to Championship Weekend, Montreal had already claimed that spot as hosts, forcing Niagara to play an additional playoff game at home to earn their spot. After the Ottawa BlackJacks ensured we’d have new CEBL champions with a victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars, they headed down to the Niagara Valley to take on the River Lions. For Niagara, it was their third straight game against Ottawa, as the two teams split a home-and-home series to close out the regular season.
With a perfect 11-0 home record on the line, things looked grim for the River Lions as they trailed by 10 heading into the fourth quarter. Fortunately for the home squad, they had a two-time Clutch Player of the Year winner on their side, and Khalil Ahmad was able to turn things on late and secure their ticket to Montreal, as the River Lions earned a 94-91 victory. Ahmad would keep the hot hand going against Montreal as Niagara’s inability to hit their three-pointers made things much more interesting than many anticipated, but the right team came out on top with Niagara taking the win in a 78-75 contest.
All that led to the inevitable as the two best teams in the CEBL met for the championship, with the River Lions taking on the Vancouver Bandits for all the glory. The biggest difference in the title game was Niagara’s ability to slow down MVP Taze Moore, holding him to just 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting with no assists. While Mitch Creek was able to keep things close for the Bandits, Nathan Cayo had the game of his life in his hometown in front of friends and family and Ahmad was his usual self, netting the final shot of the game to take home the win and championship trophy, 97-95.
Thanks in no small part to having a built in fanbase before the CEBL even existed, the River Lions has been a marquee team for the league since it’s inception. That they were finally able to secure a championship trophy for their fans was a fitting end to perhaps the best season in team history.
Richard Petko’s commitment to the team is obviously unquestionable thanks to his role in the very creation of the CEBL. He has built something special both locally and nationally that fans have grabbed onto and supported. He and Victor Raso will always ensure that the River Lions are one of – if not the – most prominent team in the league, and it will be up to the rest of the CEBL to catch up.