RedBlacks halt late drive by Alouettes to earn 1st win of 2017

The Ottawa RedBlacks needed every bit of clutch defence they could muster Wednesday night, but their efforts were enough to stop a late surge from the Montreal Alouettes to earn a 24-19 victory at home.

It was the RedBlacks' first win of the season, after they dropped their previous four games.

Trevor Harris was unable to out-pass Darian Durant on the night, but his 29-of-41 passing for 376 yards and a pair of touchdowns was good enough to lead his team to victory. Durant logged an impressive 452 yards passing with a pair of touchdowns, but coughed up two interceptions.

RedBlacks wide receiver Greg Ellingson had his best night of the season, hauling in six passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, including an impressive grab in the final minute to seal the game for his team.

The night wasn't a complete downer for the Alouettes, as veteran receiver Nik Lewis recorded his 1,000th career reception early in the second half, becoming just the fourth player in CFL history to accomplish that feat.

The win doesn't cure all that ails the RedBlacks, but it does improve their record to 1-3-1, leaving the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the only team without a win. Ottawa will look to keep improving Monday with a rare second game in week 5 against the Toronto Argonauts.

The Alouettes fell to 2-3 with the loss, giving the Argonauts a chance to capture the outright lead in the east division with a win. Montreal will hit the road to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 27.