River Lions set to tip off preseason against Raptors 905

Photo Credit: Niagara River Lions

I think our guys are going to come and compete and ready for a challenge.

The Niagara River Lions are hours away from tipping off their preseason schedule against the Raptors 905.

For the third time in two years, the Toronto Raptors NBA Development League affiliate will be facing a National Basketball League of Canada franchise. They had played against the Windsor Express and the London Lightning in 2015.

The 905 had previously played in the NBLC as the Mississauga Power prior to being bought by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in 2015.

The Meridian Centre is expected to have more than 5,000 people in attendance for tonight’s preseason match-up.

 “We’re excited we can put our brand up against theirs,” said River Lions head coach Grâce Lokole, who is entering his second season with the team. “We are thankful for the opportunity. Our fans are excited. We have a sellout crowd, so we’re very excited.”

The Raptors 905 are coming into the game with multiple players with NBLC connections. They include recent London Lightning signee Kendall Williams and former Halifax Hurricanes forward Negus Webster-Chan.

The roster also features Canadian players Brady Heslip, a guard from Baylor University, and former Western Michigan guard Gregory Morrow.

“We are excited to bring the Raptors brand to St. Catharines,” said Jeffrey Sotiriou, Raptors 905 president and general manager, last month. “It is a great opportunity to be on the same basketball court as a D-League competitor. In doing so, our hope is that Niagara recognizes the high level of professional basketball that is offered so close to home.”

For the River Lions, this will be their first chance for both themselves and their fans to see how the team may do this year. Niagara had added multiple NBL Canada veterans this offseason, including former Windsor Express starters Chris Commons and Kirk Williams Jr. and former London Lightning guard Tyshawn Patterson.

The River Lions are starting their preseason with just three young players, according to Lokole. He explained the roster’s NBLC experience will should lead to the team playing better on both sides of the ball compared to their inaugural season.

 “I think we’re more talented than we were last year,” said Lokole. “We’ve been able to add guys who have played in this league and who have had success. We’ve been able to add a lot of firepower to our offense. We’ve also been able to add guys who are more defensive-minded, guys who take pride in defense.”

With the NBLC regular season not starting until Dec. 26, Lokole said the franchise is going to use the game to access their play schemes and to see how they perform against different competition. More importantly to him, the River Lions plan to use this game to help them from an organization standpoint.

“We’re going to use this game for first-time fans to come out and see a River Lions game to see what the product is like and the quality of basketball,” said Lokole. “We’re also excited from an organizational standpoint for the opportunity we have for local Niagara fans and those who really care about basketball to see the product for the first time and to see what the level of competition is like. They’re going to see what kind of show we put on our games.”

Lokole said he feels confident in how the team will fair against the Raptors 905 tonight. He explained they understand what the team does well and how their play could impact the River Lions on both ends of the court.

“I’m a very confident person and I’m confident in the players we’ve been able to bring in,” said Lokole. “I think they’re talented players if they were to play in almost any league. I think our guys are going to come and compete and ready for a challenge.”

The game will tip off at the Meridian Centre at 7 p.m. EST. Niagara will be broadcasting the game live at http://www.riverlions.ca/live.