The Saskatchewan Rattlers defeated the Hamilton Honey Badgers 100-79 on Saturday, picking up their second win in a row.
Following their first win since early June, the visiting Rattlers kept their momentum heading into Saturday’s game. Saskatchewan dominated in every aspect imaginable en route to their victory, including outrebounding Hamilton 55-36.
Saskatchewan opened the game with five quick points, giving them early control. Three minutes into the game, the Rattlers led 7-2, thanks to Alex Cambell’s five points. Shortly after, Saskatchewan pieced together a 10-0 run to give them a 13 point lead, highlighted by two dunks from Marlon Johnson.
Two three-balls late in the quarter from Shane Osayande maintained Saskatchewan’s sizeable lead. When the first buzzer rang, the Rattlers led the Honey Badgers 30-18.
The hometown Honey Badgers lived at the charity stripe in the second quarter, scoring 10 points from the line. Despite their efforts, they were unable to hold off Saskatchewan’s electrifying barrage of dunks and threes.
Maurice Jones and Alex Campbell led the way for the Rattlers in the second quarter, each scoring six points. After 20 minutes of play, Saskatchewan led Hamilton 53-44.
Saskatchewan was unstoppable getting to the paint in the third. The Rattlers scored 14 of their 21 third-quarter points at the rim, equivalent to the total points from Hamilton in the same timeframe.
With only 10 minutes to play, Saskatchewan was up 74-58.
The Rattlers simply dominated the fourth quarter. Saskatchewan kept the pressure on the entirety of the final 10 minutes, ensuring their victory on the road. Shaq Keith, who had 27 points in Thursday’s game, scored eight points in the final quarter to boost his team over the hosting Honey Badgers 100-79.
Captain Alex Cambell scored a team-high 19 points for the Rattlers, thanks to four makes from deep. Shaq had a near triple-double, recording 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists on the night.
Maurice Jones and Shane Osayande also combined for 29 points and 18 boards off the bench.
Tonight’s win lifts Saskatchewan overtop of Hamilton in the standings and gives them sole possession of third place at 8-8. It will now be a two-headed race for the third seed between the teams, but the Rattlers now have the upper hand.
The Rattlers will now head back home to Saskatoon and await a meeting against the Fraser Valley Bandits next Friday. As for Hamilton, they’ll remain at home and face the Guelph Nighthawks on August 3.
