BlackJacks stun Honey Badgers with upset quarter-final victory to advance to semis
Kadre Gray, Chad Posthumus combine for 56 points, 29 rebounds in Ottawa's win
Kadre Gray capped off a 33-point, nine-rebound effort with redemption at the free-throw line to complete the Ottawa BlackJacks' 96-94 quarter-final upset over the Hamilton Honey Badgers on Saturday in Hamilton, Ont.
Gray had an opportunity to end the game minutes prior to his winning free-throw, but missed the second of two leaving the score at 95-94.
With an opportunity to go down and score the final basket, Nino Johnson of Hamilton (9-5) coughed up the ball to Ottawa's Chad Posthumus, who played a massive role in Ottawa's (4-10) win scoring 23 points and grabbing a CEBL playoff record 20 rebounds, to get the ball back in Ottawa's hands.
That effort from the newly-acquired Posthumus, was the story of the game for the BlackJacks who had to fight for everything behind monster performances from Gray and Posthumus.
"It's just basketball, this is what we get paid to do," Posthumus said. "That's what everybody showed up for. Everybody gave it their all and that's what it is.
"I've been there before in 2019, we won it with the Rattlers. A lot of these guys talented on our team, so we're trying to bring it back there. We came into this game, there's a lot of adversity coming on before. A few new faces, including myself, haven't played in a couple of years, but at the end of the day, it's just basketball. We got one game, then we got one more."
WATCH | Ottawa upsets Hamilton to advance to CEBL semifinals:
The first quarter was even until the Honey Badgers went on an 11-2 run that gave them some separation from Ottawa at 19-11. The BlackJacks finished out the frame scoring five in a row to go into the second down 19-14.
In the second quarter, it was Ottawa's for the taking as the BlackJacks went on a 10-0 run within a 1:47 minute span, after going down eight points. After a Cody John three-pointer to answer back, Ottawa went on another run, this time a 9-0 run before Lindell Wigginton hit a three at the end of the half to close the deficit to 43-38.
After finishing the half with 10 points, Gray found another gear, scoring 13 points in the third as Ottawa was able to keep Hamilton at bay and maintaining momentum.
With a berth into the semifinals on the line, the intensity got cranked up by both sides as the fourth quarter went on.
Wigginton, who had struggled for much of the game, scored six of Hamilton's first eight points in the frame to take the lead. Ottawa answered with a 7-0 run thanks in part to Posthumus' dominance on the glass and Gray's play on both ends.
Going into the Elam Ending up 87-83, Ottawa was first to strike with an Antonio Williams layup to go up six.
The Honey Badgers rallied going on a 9-0 run, capped off by two free throws from Johnson to go up 92-89.
With the momentum on Hamilton's side, Junior Cadougan hit a ridiculous stepback fadeaway three from the corner with the shot-clock winding down to tie it for Ottawa at 92.
After a Trevon Duval miss for Hamilton, Gray scored a layup to make it 94-92, two of his 10 points in the frame.
Two Kyle Johnson free-throw makes later, and the game tied at 94, Gray got to business doing something he's been amongst the league's best in: drawing contact and getting to the line, which although it took two trips, allowed him to ice the game for Ottawa.
Hamilton was carried by a balanced effort, with six players scoring in double-figures, led by Johnson's 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Ottawa will next play the Edmonton Stingers on Friday in the semifinals in Edmonton.
