Fraser Valley Bandits had a chance in the dying minute to even the game at 85-85 as they had a clear opportunity for a lay-up but instead their player decided to halt and set up the play which never materialized with any points and Guelph Nighthawks finished them of with a three-pointer the other way. The Nighthawks advanced with a 90-85 road win over the Bandits at a packed Langley Events Centre in Thursday’s single elimination play-off game.
By R. Paul Dhillon – Editor DESIBUZZCanada
LANGLEY – Fraser Valley Bandits had a chance in the dying minute to even the game at 85-85 as they had a clear opportunity for a lay-up but instead their player decided to halt and set up the play which never materialized with any points and Guelph Nighthawks finished them of with a three-pointer the other way.
The Nighthawks advanced with a 90-85 road win over the Bandits at a packed Langley Events Centre in Thursday’s single elimination play-off game.
“We’ve learned to win this year,” said Guelph head coach Charles Kissi. “You gotta lose sometimes in order to learn how to win.”
The Nighthawks advance to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) quarterfinals in a matchup with the second place Niagara River Lions at the Meridian Centre at 7:00 p.m ET on Saturday.
The second quarter final will be a matchup between the Scarborough Shooting Stars and Saskatchewan Rattlers on Sunday at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
The Nighthawks held on to the lead throughout the second quarter and took a 50-36 lead into the locker room.
The Bandits shot just two free throws in the first half and shot just 37 per cent from the field. Meanwhile, the Nighthawks were on fire from three in the opening 20 minutes and never looked back.
The Bandits did make a game of it in the fourth quarter and made a run towards the end of the game but it fell just short in what was a very entertaining basketball game.
