Victor Laso has had enough.
Following a 105-83 loss to the Vancouver Bandits on Canada Day, the Niagara River Lions head coach and general manager expressed his frustration with the Canadian Elite Basketball League team.
“They (Vancouver) were incredibly good shooters and we made some tough shots and we had some calls that went against us, but every time that happens it affects the next play and that determines how the game goes,” he said. “We weren’t mentally tough.”
Laso watched his team blow a 10-point lead in the first quarter, close the gap to 71-67 in the third quarter, then go on to lose 34-16 the rest of the way.
“In the end, we lost by 22 points. Every time something goes wrong, we’re not persistent and we try to blame someone else. You have to change things quickly. That’s not how you win championships. That’s how you lose in the end.”
The match against Vancouver continues a continuing trend for Niagara.
“I said we’re not playing good basketball, but stuff like this is happening and it’s not good,” he said.
Laso and his team are tackling this issue head-on.
“We did that today (Monday) and I’ll address it with the players individually.”
With the league set to play a 20-game schedule, Laso can no longer be patient.
“Changes, whether they’re skill-related, mentality-related, roster-related, whatever, have to be made quickly,” he said. “My transfer deadline is 15 games and I only have three games left to decide whether to keep my current roster or move forward, so I don’t have a lot of time.”
Niagara is currently atop the CEBL Eastern Conference with a 7-5 record, but Raso feels the team is trending in the wrong direction.
“First of all, we need to make some internal reforms and address these issues. If we can’t do that, I’ll have to take on the dual role of coach and general manager and make sure we’re in top form for the final game.”
The team and Laso have three games left to assess the situation.
“We’re going to play better than we did today (Monday), but it’s the approach that counts. I don’t care if we’re in first place or how many games we’ve played on the road. If we play really well, it’s an excuse or a badge of honor, but it’s the mentality and type of basketball that’s needed to win at the end that counts,” he said. “The last few games, we haven’t played with a mentality and approach to win at the end.”
Niagara’s best performances against Vancouver came from Khalil Ahmad with 18 points and six assists, TJ Lal with 18 points, Nathan Cayo with 15 points, Louden Love with 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, and Javon Blair and Aarin Lai with seven points each.
Vancouver’s leading scorers were Koby McEuen (22), Taize Moore (21, 10 rebounds, 14 assists), Nick Ward (18) and Zach Copeland (18).
Niagara plays Calgary on Thursday at 7 p.m.
For more information, visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets
