The Saskatchewan Rattlers suffered a heartbreaking defeat Friday night, as they lost to the Hamilton Honey Badgers 102-96 at home.
This loss extends Saskatchewan’s losing streak to four games and gives them their fourth loss at home on the season.
“It was a tough one, they were well-coached and so were we. They battled and out-rebounded us, got a couple of those loose balls,” said Rattlers forward Shane Osayande.
The game was tightly contested from the opening tip, with efficient shooting on both sides. Lawrence Moore had an impressive game in his second appearance for the Rattlers, scoring 18 points and hitting four threes.
“I feel like we played hard as a team, we just didn't execute everything that coach wanted us to do,” said Moore. “We gotta play four quarters of that same defensive intensity that we can bring every game, and we’ll be alright.”
Foul trouble kept Saskatchewan forward Tavrion Dawson on the bench for much of the first half. The home team turned the ball over 19 times and were outrebounded 47-42.
Hamilton’s Joe Rocca led the way for the visitors, scoring a game-high 28 points on 61% shooting. Guards Ricky Tarrant Jr. and Demetrius Denzel-Dyson combined for 36 points as well.
The Honey Badgers were also riding a three-game losing streak entering the SaskTel Centre Friday, which they snapped with their victory. They took the lead early in the game, leading by five points ten minutes into the game.
Saskatchewan remained determined to regain the lead, and a jumper from Lawrence Moore put the home team within two points late in the first half. A layup from Tarrant Jr. put the visitors back up by four, ending the quarter 48-44 in favour of Hamilton.
The third quarter began with both teams trading turnovers until Moore knocked down a shot from deep for the Rattlers. Denzel-Dyson countered with a layup, but Gentry Thomas quickly nailed a three to tie the game up at 50. Thomas then drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to give Saskatchewan their first lead since the first quarter.
That lead was short-lived, as Hamilton pieced together multiple runs to end the quarter up by 10.
Despite their team being down, the home crowd continued to root on the Rattlers, fueled by two electrifying slams from Shane Osayande late in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was just as dramatic as the previous three, with Saskatchewan attempting a comeback for the ages.
Hamilton proved to be the aggressors out of the gates, growing their lead to 12 points two minutes into the quarter. The teams exchanged buckets, but back-to-back dunks from Dawson and Osayande cut the lead to seven. Dawson continued the run with two makes from the charity stripe, making it a five-point game.
The teams once again exchanged runs. An impressive and-one from Dawson cut the lead to five with just over two minutes to go, but it was too little too late for the Rattlers. Despite their fight, they lost to the Honey Badgers by a score of 102-96.
“We always fight,” said Lawrence Moore on the positives of Friday’s game.
With an improved record of 8-6, the Honey Badgers will now travel to BC for a game against the Fraser Valley Bandits.
With their loss, Saskatchewan’s losing slide extends to four games, and they now have a losing record on the season. They’ll stay in Saskatoon for a homestand against Guelph next Thursday.
