Tydran Beaty goes up for a reverse layup

After a week- long break, the Cape Breton Highlanders professional basketball team were ready to play at home against the Niagara River Lions.

The Highlanders jumped out to a great start with a 5-point run and would build on their lead for the entire first half of the game. The second quarter was dominated by the Highlanders, at one point holding an 18-point lead. But, the River Lions inched back to trail by 10 at half time, 60 to 50.

The River Lions would continue to fight back, closing the gap to 7 points, in a third quarter where luck was not on the Highlanders side, but they still held a lead of 74 to 67.  The final frame saw lots of great back-and-forth action. In the final minutes of the game, three-point shooting by Haakim Johnson and Duke Mondy kept the Highlanders in play, while Omar Strong answered back for the River Lions. Niagara had a last shot chance to win but fell short and the game ended tied at 95, forcing overtime. In overtime, there were points available with lots of free throws for both teams, but it was Jaylon Tate of the River Lions who nailed a 3-point jump shot late and Omar Strong hit two free throws to seal the deal, 113 - 109.

Tydran Beaty, Shane Osayande and Haakim Johnson lead the way for the Highlanders, all amassing 18 points each. Osayande added 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 dunks for a strong all-round game. Duke Mondy contributed 17 points with 8 assists, while the newest member of the team, Bruce Massey, had solid offensive and defensive plays while netting 15 points.

For Niagara, Jaylon Tate finished with 25 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds. Omar Strong had 23 points, hitting big shots to keep his team in it near the end. Guillaume Boucard added 22 points and 9 rebounds.

The Cape Breton Highlanders play again on Tuesday, December 19 at home against the Moncton Magic. Tip off is 7 PM.  This game was previously scheduled for December 31 and ticket holders can use their December 31 tickets for the December 19 game.

Learn more about tickets here: highlandersbasketball.ca/tickets

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