Basketball Growlers finally achieve first victory

Newfoundland, looking to start a win streak, welcomes Fraser Valley Bandits to St. John’s

It took 11 games longer than anyone wanted, but the Newfoundland Growlers can finally say they have the first win in franchise history.

After a couple of close calls earlier in the season, they broke the goose egg by beating the Saskatchewan Rattlers 83-60.

The Growlers (1-10) are looking to turn that win into a streak as they attempt to crawl their way up the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) standings.

“This should have happened 11 games ago,” said Growlers head coach Patrick Ewing Jr. “So, it’s just really just going back into the practice gym, what I call the last lab, get back in the lab, and doing the things that we’re supposed to do every day to make sure that it continues to happen.”

Looking back at that first win on Sunday evening, July 3, it is only fitting the winning basket came the same way as the Growlers’ firstever basket.

Both came via a slam dunk by Newfoundland forward Brandon Sampson. Taking a feed from Junior Cadougan, Sampson ended the Rattlers game in Elam time with a one-handed jam.

“We played really good defence and intensity that was there,” said Ewing Jr. “Our attention to detail was higher than it had been in every other game, and it showed.”

Heading into the season, the Growlers aimed for a couple of things on the defensive end that they believed would help them be successful.

They wanted to hold their opponents to shoot above 40 per cent from the field and not give up 20 points in a quarter.

Both of those things happened against the Rattlers and it was no coincidence that the Growlers were successful.

Now, they need to continue to make sure they both happen again.

“My job as a coach is to not be satisfied and to continue to tap into what we know got us a good win yesterday, which was our defence,” said Ewing Jr.

With a pair of players — Kahlil Whitney and Jahvon Blair — taking part in the NBA summer league, the Growlers’ roster is in a bit of a state of flux.

The team on Monday announced the signing of sixfoot guard Blake Francis. A former University of Richmond Spider, the 24-year-old Francis comes to the Growlers after splitting last season in the NBA G League with the Westchester Knicks and the Capital City Go-go.

In 11 games, he averaged 7.8 points, 2.9 assists and 1.1 rebounds. Francis finished his collegiate career at Richmond averaging 16.1 points, 2.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.

The Growlers will look to make it two in a row on Tuesday when they welcome the third-place Fraser Valley Bandits (8-4) to St. John’s.

It will be the second of two season matchups with the Bandits this season. In the first, the Growlers narrowly fell 94-92 to Fraser Valley. Brooks led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds.

Tip-off between the Growlers and the Bandits is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Field House in St. John’s.