Murray Wood: Lots of empty seats in the stands during Roughriders' home opener
Murray Wood says he saw plenty of empty seats at Mosaic Stadium during the Saskatchewan Roughriders' home opener against...
Saskatoon Mamba head coach Isaiah Fox has called guard Trey Townsend a finisher.
On Monday night, that title was on full display for the Mamba in a blistering comeback in target score time to defeat the visiting Ottawa BlackJacks 96-94.
Saskatoon overcame a nine-point deficit entering the target score period, as Townsend drove the lane and got a one-handed floater to drop to give the Mamba their first ever win on the University of Saskatchewan campus at Merlis Belsher Place.
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“That’s what everyone dreams of playing professional basketball, really basketball at any level,” Townsend said.
“Being able to play in front of people who are supporting you, it just makes it that much better. We want to win for them, we want to win for us.”
A crowd of 1,612 spectators were on hand for the first Canadian Elite Basketball League game played at the home of the Huskies men’s and women’s hockey teams, with Merlis Belsher Place set to host six of the team’s final nine regular season home games.
Fox said it was a much different feel compared the team’s regular home since 2019 at SaskTel Centre.
“The energy was fantastic,” Fox said. “It really is a difference. Nothing wrong with SaskTel Centre. It’s just here is way more intimate, way more compact and the energy was fantastic.”
The addition of Merlis Belsher Place as a home venue was announced in February as part of the team’s new era from the Saskatchewan Rattlers to the Mamba, with Monday’s game against Ottawa branded as ‘Rattlers Heritage Night.’
It was an especially surreal evening for forward Easton Thimm, who recorded four points and a rebound in the comeback win.
Coming off his third season of Canada West competition with the Huskies men’s basketball team, the Saskatoon product said it was a neat feeling getting to play professionally on the university campus.
“Especially coming in at 17 (years old) committing here and wondering if I’d even find my place at the university, honestly,” Thimm said.
“To come here and actually play pro basketball, it is definitely full circle.”
Ottawa started off the game on a dominant 8-2 run, before Mamba captain Tavian Dunn-Martin got the home side in the game with a four-point play after being fouled from beyond the arc.
In just his third game of the season, franchise leading scorer Devonté Bandoo knocked down a three-pointer to pull Saskatoon to within one point.
One minute later, Jaylin Williams was good with a reverse lay-up to give the Mamba their first lead of the game 11-10 before he threw down a slam dunk on a fast break to make it a 14-10 game.
Tevian Jones closed out the first quarter with back-to-back baskets including a three-pointer, which gave Saskatoon a 27-22 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play.
The Mamba struggled in the second quarter to contain Ottawa guard Matthew Cleveland who finished with a game-high 29 points, as the BlackJacks answered back in a big way to take a 58-49 lead into halftime.
Out of the break, the Mamba struggled to handle the BlackJacks rebounding as the visitors from Ottawa snagged 57 boards over the course of the night to take a commanding 76-64 lead.
With Ottawa just 10 minutes away from spoiling the party, Fox said the Mamba were able to come alive late with some clutch defending which had been missing for most of the game.
“I thought our defence was special, especially that third (quarter) leading into the fourth,” Fox said. “We definitely executed some offensive plays and we were able to move the ball, but it started with a stop.”
After Ottawa’s Alex Fudge made it an 87-78 lead to trigger target score time, Saskatoon began to string their offence together by scoring 11 of the next 13 points.
Jones sunk three straight free throws to tie the game again at 94-94, forcing a next-basket-wins situation at Merlis Belsher Place.
After back-to-back misses by Cleveland and Javonte Smart for the BlackJacks, Townsend faked a three-point shot before driving the lane and putting up the game-winner.
“The lane was open and I saw (Jaden) Bediako down there had his guy behind him,” Townsend said.
“I was like, ‘Well if I miss, he’s going top get a rebound and put it back.’ I wasn’t too contested and just trusted my game.”
Monday’s win marked Saskatoon’s fourth victory in their last five games, which has made the Mamba one of the hottest teams across the country and boosted them to third place in the Western Conference.
A far cry from a 0-4 start to their 2026 season according to Thimm.
“I don’t think any of us believed we were a 0-4 team at the time,” Thimm said.
“We just trusted our stuff, being able to close out games late. At the start of the year we were having more trouble with that, but now we caught our stride.”
Rave reviews for Merlis Belsher Place
Monday’s game was a new experience for Fox standing on the sideline, just a few metres removed from the seats dotting the bowl of Merlis Belsher Place.
“I heard people behind our bench cheering us on,” Fox said.
“Hearing the individual voices of the people is very unique, it was awesome. I noticed the intimacy of it, you can literally spot someone walking down the veranda and coming down the stairs.”
Those fans not only left the arena in a winning mood, but the vast majority of those 650 CKOM spoke with gushed about the experience in the smaller venue.
Danny Fiddler said the atmosphere has him reconsidering becoming a season ticket holder again.
“I have had season tickets before,” Fiddler said. “I’m just a casual fan at the moment, but the way it’s going I’m hoping to maybe go that way again.”
Andy Baessler and his daughter Nola are season seat holders with the Mamba, but hadn’t been to a game at Merlis Belsher Place before.
He said the production was equal or better to what he’s seen at SaskTel Centre over the years.
“The main screen is really good,” Andy said. “I never anticipated that, I’ve never been to this arena before. I’m pleasantly surprised and we’ll definitely come back to another game.”
As for Nola, she said the atmosphere saw a significant jump for the crowd who made the trek out.
“There’s more energy here, it’s louder,” Nola said.
Longtime fan Diane Adams praised the new energy around the team and a focus being put on the younger demographic in the city, highlighted by a halftime dance routine by a group of Saskatoon kids.
“It really reflects what I think the young people in Saskatchewan and what basketball fans look like,” Adams said.
“I just love what they’ve done here. I really hope that Saskatoon comes out and gives this new venue a chance, because I really think it’s a new experience and it’s what we’ve actually been hoping to see for a few seasons.”
The Mamba (4-5) head to Ontario next weekend visiting the Niagara River Lions on Friday morning and the BlackJacks in Ottawa on Sunday evening.
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