River Lions ride 23-0 run to quarter-final win over Nighthawks

The Niagara River Lions rode a strong second quarter performance that included a 23-0 run to grab a 99-78 victory over the visiting Guelph Nighthawks on Saturday and advance to the Canadian Elite Basketball League semifinals.

EJ Onu put on a dominant performance with 28 points, three blocks and six rebounds as Niagara set the CEBL record for the most points in a post-season quarter with 36 in the second frame.

The River Lions (13-7) would have been the home team in the quarter-final as the higher seed, but were unable to host the game at the Meridian Centre due to 2022 Canada Summer Games that kicked off in Niagara on Saturday.

Guelph rode the home crowd early, jumping out to a 22-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Star guard Ahmed Hill, who was instrumental in the Nighthawks' upset over the Fraser Valley Bandits in Thursday's play-in game with 27 points, potted nine points.

The River Lions then turned the game on its head in the second frame, going on a 23-0 run in the first five minutes of the quarter.

Record Alert <br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/RiverLions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RiverLions</a> have broken the record of most points scored in a post season quarter with 36 in the second. <a href="https://twitter.com/RiverLions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RiverLions</a>