The Scarborough Shooting Stars continued their hot streak on Friday night (June 20th), defeating the Ottawa BlackJacks 108-80 for their fifth straight win behind a 24-point, 10-rebound performance from Akoi Yuot.
Coming into the game, much of the focus was on the guard matchup between Ottawa’s Javonte Smart and Scarborough star Myles Powell, who entered the contest averaging 28 points per game. While Powell delivered once again, it was Akoi Yuot’s energy on the glass and ability to create second-chance opportunities that helped power the Shooting Stars to victory.
Scarborough got off to a strong start behind Powell and Charles Bediako, while Ottawa struggled to take care of the basketball. Smart kept the BlackJacks within striking distance by consistently getting to the rim and drawing contact, but the Shooting Stars controlled the pace and took a 32-25 lead into the second quarter.
The second quarter was more of the same. Scarborough continued to punish Ottawa inside, with Yuot creating multiple second-chance opportunities through his work on the offensive glass. By halftime, the Shooting Stars led 58-44 after grabbing 13 offensive rebounds and converting them into 18 second-chance points.
Any hopes of an Ottawa comeback were put to rest in the third quarter. Powell opened the half with a three-pointer, while the BlackJacks’ turnover issues continued to give Scarborough easy opportunities. Yuot remained a factor on both ends of the floor, knocking down a three, cleaning up on the glass, and helping extend the lead to 84-64 heading into the final frame.
Scarborough never let up in the fourth, stretching its lead beyond 30 points before entering Target Score Time with a 99-72 advantage and a target score of 108.
Fittingly, it was Powell who ended the game, drilling a deep three-pointer to seal the 108-80 win.
While Powell finished with 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists, Scarborough’s dominance on the offensive glass proved to be the difference. Led by Akoi Yuot, the Shooting Stars outscored Ottawa 33-6 in second-chance points and consistently generated extra possessions throughout the night.
For Ottawa, Matthew Cleveland led the way with 28 points, while Javonte Smart frequently got to the free-throw line and applied pressure on the offensive end. The BlackJacks, however, were unable to overcome their turnovers, shooting just 25 per cent from three-point range, and Scarborough’s physicality.
With the victory, Scarborough secured its fifth straight win and strengthened its position atop the Eastern Conference with a 9-1 record.
