Shooting Stars aim to right ship against Honey Badgers on ring night
June 21, 2024
Myles Dichter
It’s ring night in Scarborough.
The reigning champion Shooting Stars will receive their 2023 title bling ahead of a game against their rival Brampton Honey Badgers on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Live broadcast coverage is available on Game+ and Next Level Sports Entertainment, while streaming coverage can be found on Game+, TSN+ and CEBL+.
But as the Shooting Stars receive shiny new toys, it’s the return of a teammate which might be the biggest story.
Cat Barber, who averaged 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during Scarborough’s playoff run, is rejoining the team after finishing out his season in Portugal with a loss in the finals.
Barber, the 29-year-old American, finished last season as the CEBL’s all-time leading scorer, including playoffs, but was recently overtaken by Montreal’s Ahmed Hill.
He comes to a Scarborough team still searching for its championship form. At 4-4, the Shooting Stars sit second in a middling Eastern Conference, but they also recently reincorporated another starter from last year’s squad in forward Kalif Young.
The Honey Badgers, meanwhile, enter the game at 3-7 after snapping a seven-game losing streak by beating the Montreal Alliance on Wednesday.
Brampton credited an open team meeting following its seventh loss for turning things around and adding an extra dose of desperation to its play.
“It’s about us trying to get better every single day,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said after the victory over the Alliance. “So not being complacent, going back and seeing the things we could do better and also the things that we did well and trying to continue to do that.”
Now, suddenly, the Honey Badgers could get right back in the playoff mix with a victory over the Shooting Stars, who’ve dropped two straight after piling up four consecutive wins.
Key matchup
The return of Barber to the Shooting Stars adds yet another element of athleticism to the team.
It’ll be incumbent upon Honey Badgers guards Javonte Cooke and L.J. Thorpe to slow down Barber at the point of attack.
Brampton has allowed 82 or fewer points in each of its three wins and allows the fourth-fewest points per game overall. If the team can hold its defensive shell, it should put itself in good position to earn a road win.
Player spotlight
As Zane Waterman goes, so go the Honey Badgers. In the five games where Waterman has scored more than 21 points, Brampton is 3-1, while the club is 0-6 in all other contests.
Waterman, the Honey Badgers’ all-time games played leader, has battled foul trouble in some games, thus limiting his minutes. In the team’s last game against Scarborough, he picked up four fouls in just 15 minutes.
But when the North Carolina native stays on the court, Brampton is a completely different team.
Milestone watch
- Scarborough’s Barber needs 30 points to reach 1,000 for his career, regular season only
- Scarborough’s Young is one rebound away from 500 for his career, including playoffs
- Scarborough’s Kadre Gray is 11 assists away from 300 for his career, regular season only
Season series
The Shooting Stars won the first game between the clubs 81-73 in Brampton, but the provincial rivals square off three more times this season, including Friday night.
- CEBL -
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Vancouver cruised to a 106-74 victory over Winnipeg in a potential Championship Weekend preview on Sunday (Aug. 3). On Fan Appreciation Night, the sellout crowd of 5,504 at Langley Events Centre had a lot to appreciate. After setting a franchise record with 121 points on Friday, the Bandits followed that up with another offensive outburst. The duo of Mitch Creek and Tyrese Samuel paced the Vancouver attack with a combined 51 points. Creek netted a game-high 27 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists. Meanwhile, Samuel flirted with a double-double, scoring 24 points to go along with nine rebounds. Zach Copeland complemented the frontcourt with consistent outside shooting, contributing 19 points as well. Vancouver improves its record to 17-5 on the season and maintains its spot atop the Western Conference with the Calgary Surge in pursuit. “The west is not the east … we've got [17] wins and we're biting and clawing to finish this thing out on top. So the West is a beast over here, and it's serious, and I'm proud that we're at the top of it for sure,” said Kyle Julius, head coach of the Bandits. Vancouver forced 19 Winnipeg turnovers, leading to 24 points. The Bandits’ defence also sparked the transition offence, outscoring the Sea Bears 27-4 on the fastbreak. Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor said the Bandits came ready to play and “jumped all over” the Sea Bears. “People will look at the transition defence from our team or the fastbreak points from them, but I'm more concerned about our half-court offensive execution. I thought they were physical with good ball pressure. We didn't get the type of shots that we wanted,” Taylor said. Simi Shittu led the charge for Winnipeg with another double-double. The big man battled his way to 20 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. He said Winnipeg needs to tighten its transition defence moving forward. “We didn't come out the way we did in the last couple of games,” Shittu said. “[We were] fighting back most of the game.” Jalen Harris added 11 points and 7 assists while reaching a significant milestone. Harris became the ninth player in CEBL history to score 1,000 points all-time in regular-season and playoff games. “For the last several years, Jalen has been one of the top players in the league. For him as an import player to come in and have some of these accomplishments – it's a great thing,” Taylor said. Winnipeg veteran and former Bandit Alex Campbell became the fifth player in CEBL history to join the 500-rebound club on Sunday, collecting three boards just an hour after Edmonton’s Nick Hornsby hit the milestone in a separate game. Vancouver’s offence was dominant to start the game. After an early exchange of buckets, the Bandits seized control with a 16-0 run that featured triples from Creek and Copeland, along with inside finishes from Samuel. Trevon Scott and Shittu kept the Winnipeg attack afloat, but Vancouver entered the second quarter with a 33-24 lead. Efficient offence continued for Vancouver in the second, carried by Creek and Samuel. The pair combined for 18 points in the frame, including highlight reel jams from Samuel. Vancouver’s defence also stepped up, holding Winnipeg to 10 points in the second quarter to head into the locker room with a 60-34 advantage. Copeland caught fire from long-range in the third with a pair of trifectas in a back-and-forth quarter. However, the Bandits maintained a sizable 83-55 lead heading into the final frame. Vancouver built on its lead with a 10-0 run early in the fourth that featured a pair of triples from Creek. Copeland and Maurice Calloo traded buckets before Target Score Time, with Vancouver entering the final stretch ahead 31. Five points from Creek, a triple from Shamar Givance and a game-winning putback from Samuel propelled the Bandits to the win. Vancouver claims the regular season series against Winnipeg after splitting the first two games. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600665 Up next for both teams Winnipeg returns to Canada Life Centre for a meeting with the Niagara River Lions on Wednesday (Aug. 6) in another possible Championship Weekend preview. The Bandits hit the road for the final two games of the regular season with a matchup against Scarborough next Friday (Aug. 8) first on the agenda. Next CEBL action Vancouver will be keenly watching Calgary’s visit to Montréal on Monday (Aug. 4) with implications for the top spot in the Western Conference. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
It’s spoiler season. The last-place Saskatchewan Rattlers stunned the Edmonton Stingers in a 90-88 win on Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre, putting a dagger in the Alberta squad’s hopes of hosting a playoff game. Edmonton fell to 12-9 with its second straight loss, and now sits two games back of the Calgary Surge for second place in the West. Saskatchewan, which has already been eliminated from playoff contention, improved to 6-15. “All season our guys have competed hard, game in and game out, so I know tonight was no different,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said. “In Target Time, our guys just fought and battled and got us some extra possessions down the stretch and we finally got a shot to go in and it got us the win.” The Stingers led 80-77 entering Target Score Time and extended their lead to five points at 86-81 to move within three points of the Target Score. But the Rattlers did not go away quietly, launching a 5-0 run to tie the game and put the pressure directly back on the Stingers. Sean East II then nailed a pair of free throws to put the Stingers one point away from victory, and intentionally fouled Rattlers forward Tevian Jones to ensure Saskatchewan couldn’t win the game with a three-pointer. Jones missed both, and after East II missed a layup, another intentional foul was committed against Devonte Bandoo, who split the pair. But the Stingers just couldn’t get a bucket to go — and after a frantic few possessions, Rattlers guard Jordan Bowden capped a massive night with the game-winning three-pointer. “It was a hard-fought game for both of us. Tough, physical game. Both teams wanted it. We made a couple buckets at the end, got some stops and hit a shot,” Bowden said. Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said his team’s execution could have been better on both ends. “For us it’s a learning experience. We know we’ve got the playoffs that we’ve gotta prepare for, so every bump in the road we’ve gotta try to leverage to get better,” Baker said. The hard-fought battle will have a sequel, too, when these teams line up against each other in a rematch on Wednesday in Saskatchewan. While the Rattlers won’t be competing in the playoffs, you wouldn’t have been able to tell from their compete level throughout the contest. Saskatchewan weathered a few small Edmonton runs and seemed to have answers whenever the Stingers threatened — most notably in Target Score Time. Bowden paced the Rattlers with 28 points, including 20 in the first half and the game-winner. He also contributed four rebounds and three steals while shooting an efficient seven-for-nine from inside the arc. “Obviously Jordan Bowden is a talented player and the gravity for which he pulls the defence just created open shots for other guys, but we did it as a team,” Magdanz said. Bandoo, a former Stinger, put up 23 points for the Rattlers, while Jones added 18 points to go with six rebounds. Bowden said things simply clicked offensively. "Just being aggressive, trusting my work, getting to the spots I like to get and anything in the midrange, that’s my go-to. So my coaches, my teammates put me in the right position to be successful and I took advantage of it,” he said. Nate Pierre-Louis, who leads the league with a record 143 assists, was not available for Saskatchewan after he signed a contract in Europe. Meanwhile, the Stingers must now win at least two of their final three games to have any shot of hosting the West Play-In game, which they’re locked into since they can no longer catch the Vancouver Bandits atop the conference. Edmonton does, however, hold the tiebreaker over the Surge. Still, a home contest against the basement-dwelling Rattlers could now be construed as a massive opportunity gone by the wayside. Baker said he saw room for improvement on both ends of the floor. “They were switching everything and we need to be a little bit more unselfish on that end of the floor. But then defensively we knew who their main guys were and they put the ball in the basket, so we’ve got to do a better job of containing their main dudes,” he said. East II, the league’s leading scorer, led the way for the Stingers yet again with 30 points to go with five assists and three rebounds. Stingers forward Nick Hornsby notched 10 rebounds to climb past 500 for his career, including playoffs. Hornsby is just the fourth player in league history to reach the mark, joining his head coach Baker, Scarborough Shooting Stars forward Kalif Young and the late Chad Posthumus. Hornsby accomplished the feat in double-double fashion, recording 12 points alongside his rebounding haul. Keon Ambrose-Hylton nearly matched that double-double, instead settling for 14 points and nine rebounds. Ambrose-Hylton said it was an “interesting” game. “I felt like offensively we were doing what we could, but in the first half they were hitting some big shots. They were hitting a lot of contested shots and they had things going for them today, but overall we just gotta work on being more aggressive,” he said. A contest between the league’s two worst defences lived up to its billing in the first quarter as the teams combined for 69 points, with Saskatchewan leading 30-29. But the rest of the game was proved to be more of a dogfight. In the second quarter, the pace slowed significantly as the teams combined for 30 points. Edmonton carried a 45-44 advantage into halftime. Saskatchewan punched back in the third quarter and took a 65-63 lead into the final frame. Then, it ripped the hearts out of the fans who filled the Edmonton Expo Centre with its fourth-quarter flurry. Now, it will look to protect its own home court in just a few days’ time. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600662 Up Next The Rattlers and Stingers meet again on Wednesday in Saskatchewan. Next CEBL Action Just one game is on tap for Monday as the Calgary Surge visit Montreal to face the Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
The Scarborough Shooting Stars bolstered their position for the Eastern Conference’s second seed Sunday, dismantling the first-place Niagara River Lions, 81-64. Led by Michael Foster Jr.’s franchise-record 16 rebounds and a commanding defensive effort, Scarborough showcased the kind of physicality and urgency that could make them dangerous contenders heading into Championship Weekend. Foster, playing just his fourth game with the team, added 15 points to his monster rebounding performance and anchored a second-quarter surge that left Niagara scrambling. “I’m a little upset that I didn’t get 20 [rebounds], but hey, it’s a franchise record and I’m happy with that,” Foster said. The River Lions have already secured their place in Championship Weekend as the top seed in the East. Perhaps that security contributed to their performance, but the Shooting Stars would not be denied this afternoon in front of their home crowd. Scarborough has now split its regular season match-up with Niagara, 2-2. Foster was not a part of the team the last time the two played each other. Niagara added Meshack Lufile, brother of current River Lions’ big man Elijah Lufile, since then. Scarborough had a dominant second quarter, winning 21-9, and cemented their lead in the third quarter even as Terquavion Smith and Donovan Williams spent more time resting than playing. Scarborough’s size confounded Niagara in the second quarter. Foster set solid screens and not only was he scoring, his huge block on a nearly unguardable hook shot had reverberated through his team. His presence along with Kalif Young’s made it hard for Niagara to score down low – they only had four paint points by the second half. Young had a block of his own and Khalil Miller followed suit, blocking Kimbal Mackenzie. Towards the end of the quarter, Foster threw down a two-handed alley-oop to give Scarborough a 40-27 lead, and Kobe Elvis made a huge defensive play, mugging Ron Curry as the latter tried to post Elvis up, and this fueled an easy transition bucket for Aaron Best. Foster said that these defensive plays were just a mental disposition. “[It’s] really just having heart. That’s really it,” he said. “I felt like everybody came out here, really wanted to win. It’s a really good team out here, so we just wanna show our impact.” Scarborough continued to press the gas in the third quarter. Aaron Best answered with three triples, the third one giving Scarborough a 20-point lead. He then attacked the hoop and missed, but had Young to tap the ball back in. Things were clicking so well for Scarborough that even Miller stopped on a dime in transition, and with two Scarborough guards around him, he hoisted a three and nailed it, causing CEBL+ commentator Rod Black to scream, “You did not do that! Miller Time!” Scarborough also got lucky on some empty Niagara offensive possessions. After stopping Mackenzie from getting a three-point look, the ball was swung out to Khalil Ahmad on the weakside, but he missed the wide-open triple. On the other end, Miller attempted another three, but Foster grabbed the board and dished it out to Anthony Walker who splashed the corner three. Foster kept putting his stamp on the third frame as well, scoring off his own miss and kissing the ball off the glass after taking Elijah Lufile off the dribble. At the start of the fourth, Scarborough wasted some possessions – Best turned the ball over, Curry got a bucket, then Williams turned the ball over after getting called for a charge on Mackenzie. Young had a live-ball turnover, but Nathan Cayo could not convert it into a three. Smith came back into the game with a 68-51 lead, and it didn’t take much for Scarborough to close out the lopsided affair. “It helps us immensely in the standings. We’re one up against Ottawa now,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said. “The guys came out and they responded. They were physically there. We hit first and that’s something that can carry over into the playoffs.” Niagara head coach and general manager Vic Raso was honest about the challenge he faced today. “We can’t fake the fact that every team we’re playing is fighting for something and we’ve already clinched,” he said. “But at the same time, we need to earn it back and we’ve got a good opportunity here to go away as a team for three games out west and really find that.” Nathan Cayo reached his 1000th point milestone (regular season and playoffs) today. “It’s a blessing just to be able to get that many points … To be able to be healthy and get the opportunity to play in this league,” he said. He finished the game with seven points on one-for-five three-point shooting, struggling from the field like most of his teammates. Niagara finished 26% from the field and 20% from downtown. Curry was the exception who had a team-high 21 points on eight-for-19 (42%) shooting. Ahmad struggled shooting two-for-eight from the field, but Raso dusted the loss off and remained optimistic about the future. “We’ve got some growing to do still,” he said matter-of-factly and looked forward to continuing the road trip ahead. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600658 Up next for both teams Scarborough (11-11) stays home to host the best team in the league, Vancouver Bandits (16-5), at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Friday, August 8. Niagara (14-7) head west and face the Winnipeg Sea Bears (9-11) at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday, August 6. Next CEBL action The Montreal Alliance (8-12) recently secured a playoff berth and will host the Calgary Surge (14-7) at Verdun Auditorium tomorrow. This will be CEBL’s lone Monday, August 4 Civic Holiday game. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
Le Surge de Calgary est sorti affamé samedi après-midi et a imposé son rythme dès les premières minutes en dominant les rebonds, ce qui l ui a permis de décrocher une victoire importante de 112-101 contre les BlackJacks d’Ottawa. Les visiteurs ont saisi 25 rebonds offensifs, guidés par leur duo vedette formé de Jameer Nelson Jr. et Greg Brown III. Nelson Jr. a mené son équipe avec 29 points, six passes décisives et quatre vols, portant son total de vols à 53 cette saison – un record de la LECB. Brown a complété un doublé avec 26 points et 12 rebonds. Sean Miller-Moore a ajouté 20 points, cinq rebonds et cinq passes décisives, alors qu’Evan Gilyard II a récolté 13 points et huit passes décisives, et Olumide Adelodun a marqué 11 points en sortie de banc. « Ça fait partie de notre identité, c’est une question d’effort. Les rebonds offensifs, c’est souvent une question d’énergie, et je pense qu’on était vraiment concentrés là-dessus aujourd’hui, a expliqué l’entraîneur-chef du Surge, Kaleb Canales. On savait que ça allait être un match difficile sur la route, dans un bon environnement, contre une équipe bien dirigée. On a eu besoin de tout le monde ce soir. Sur papier, ce n’est pas notre force, les rebonds offensifs. Mais on a déjà connu des matchs comme ça, et je pense que celui-ci est notre sommet cette saison. On venait de perdre deux matchs de suite pour la première fois cette année. On ne voulait pas que ça se répète. Ce groupe est sérieux, les gars aiment le basketball, et ils voulaient aller chercher cette victoire difficile sur la route. » Les BlackJacks ont bien amorcé le match, prenant les devants 24-12 tôt au premier quart, principalement grâce à Isaih Moore, ayant marqué 17 points dans ce quart. Calgary a appelé un temps d’arrêt, puis est revenu en force pour réduire l’écart à quatre points à la fin du quart. Le pointage est resté serré jusqu’à ce qu’une séquence de 20-2 du Surge change complètement la dynamique du match avant la mi-temps. « J’ai trouvé qu’ils ont haussé leur intensité défensive, a reconnu l’entraîneur-chef d’Ottawa, Dave DeAveiro. Défensivement, c’est probablement l’équipe la plus difficile à affr onter : leur athlétisme, leur capacité à couper les lignes de passe, à faire dévier les ballons… c’est une équipe qui veut vous presser et vous pousser à jouer trop vite. Je pense qu’on est tombés dans leur jeu. On a forcé des actions, on a commis des pertes de ballon, et ils ont marqué des paniers faciles. » Moore a mené tous les marqueurs avec 32 points – son sommet personnel dans la LECB – en plus de 14 rebonds. Javonte Smart a inscrit 25 points, dont 23 en deuxième demie, en plus de six rebonds et cinq passes décisives. Tyrrel Tate a ajouté 16 points, tandis que Zane Waterman a inscrit neuf points avant de commettre sa sixième faute, malgré seulemen t 12 minutes de jeu. Même si Ottawa a tiré de l’arrière par une dizaine de points pendant une bonne partie de la deuxième demie, les locaux ont tout de même maintenu la pression et tenté de rester dans le coup. Mais chaque tentative de remontée a été rapidement freinée par une réponse encore plus percutante du Surge. Brown a joué un rôle déterminant à ce chapitre, son énergie contagieuse semblant porter ses coéquipiers à chaque panier réussi. « La passion, c’est probablement ce qu’il y a de plus important dans ma vie, a confié Brown au sujet de son style de jeu. Chaque fois que je mets les pieds sur un terrain, c’est 100 %, avec de l’agressivité, de la passion et un amour pur pour ce sport. Ça prend probablement 70 % de ma vie. » « On a plein de bons éléments dans notre équipe, a-t-il ajouté. (Miller-Moore), Jameer, Evan, Gabe (Osabuohien)… des gars qui sortent du banc. On a énormément de talent. Notre objectif, c’est de mettre tout ça ensemble et de jouer comme un seul groupe. La confiance vient avec la cohésion et le respect entre coéquipiers. Comme je disais, on a beaucoup de bons morceaux. Il faut apprendre à les assembler. Une fois qu’on y arrive, la confiance suit. » Cette victoire met fin à la première séquence de deux défaites du Surge cette saison et permet à Calgary de rester en course pour la première place dans l’Ouest et un laissez-passer vers les demi-finales de conférence. Pour Ottawa, cette défaite met fin à une série de deux victoires alors que l’équipe tente elle aussi de décrocher une place directe en séries. « Depuis le premier jour, notre objectif est de remporter un championnat, a rappelé Canales. C’est ce qui guide chacune de nos actions. On sait que c’est une ligue compétitive et que chaque match ressemble à un match de séries, mais notre but est resté le même : gagner un championnat. » Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600656 À venir pour les deux équipes Le Surge de Calgary conclura son voyage de trois matchs à l’extérieur face à l’Alliance de Montréal, le 4 août. De leur côté, les BlackJacks d’Ottawa amorceront un programme aller-retour contre l’Alliance avec une première rencontre au Québec le 6 août. Prochain match dans la LECB Les Shooting Stars de Scarborough poursuivent leur lutte pour la deuxième place dans l’Est alors qu’ils accueilleront les meneurs de la conférence, les River Lions de Niagara, le 3 août. Le match sera diffusé en direct sur CEBL+ et TSN+. Pour consulter l’horaire complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB et les résultats à jour, visitez le cebl.ca/games . - LECB -
The Calgary Surge came out hungry and crashed the boards early to guide them to a key win against the Ottawa BlackJacks on Saturday afternoon. The Surge, who grabbed 25 offensive rebounds, were led by their star duo of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Greg Brown III to a 112-101 victory over the BlackJacks. Nelson Jr. had a team high 29 points to go with six assists and four steals, which extended his CEBL single-season record to 53. Brown had 26 points and 12 rebounds in the win. Sean Miller-Moore added 20 points with five rebounds and five assists for Calgary, while Evan Gilyard II had 13 points and eight assists, and Olumide Adelodun had 11 points off the bench. “It’s part of our identity – it’s the effort. Offensive rebounds are usually about the effort, and I think we came in with the tunnel vision mindset today,” Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said of his team. “We knew it was going to be a tough game on the road in a great environment, a well coached team, and we needed everything we got from everyone who played today.” “I know on paper, analytically we’re not one of the top offensive rebounding teams,” he continued. “We’ve had nights like this, but I think this is a season high. I think our mindset was that we had dropped two in a row for the first time all year. We hadn’t done that and that was a goal of ours. We got a serious group that cares about basketball, and they wanted to get this tough win on the road today.” The BlackJacks started the game hot, building up a 24-12 lead early thanks largely to Isaih Moore, who had 17 points in the opening period. Calgary would call a timeout which allowed them to get back into the game and cut the lead down to four by the end of the quarter. The teams would remain close throughout the second quarter, until a 20-2 Calgary run separated them for the rest of the game. “I thought they turned their defense up a little bit,” Ottawa head coach Dave DeAveiro said of the adjustments his opposition made. “They’re a tough defensive team. That’s probably the best defensive team we’re going to see in terms of athleticism and denying the ball and jumping the gaps. It’s a really tough team to play against and they’re trying to speed you up. I think we played into their game a little bit where they sped us up and we turned it over and they got easy buckets because of it.” Moore led the way with a game and CEBL-career high 32 points, as well as 14 rebounds. Javonte Smart had 25 points – including 23 in the second half – to go with six rebounds and five assists. Tyrell Tate added 16 points, while Zane Waterman added nine points before fouling out despite only having played 12 minutes. Despite facing double-digit deficits for the majority of the second half, Ottawa never made things easy for the road team and looked to stay in the game. Unfortunately for the home squad, every attempt they tried at a comeback was met by an even stronger answer by the Surge. Brown played a large role on that end, with his infectious energy seemingly propelling his team mates every basket he made. “Passion is probably the biggest thing in my life,” Brown said of his playstyle. “Every time I step on the court, it’s just 100-percent full aggression, passionate, just genuine love for the game. It takes up probably 70-percent of my life.” “We have a lot of great pieces on our team,” he added. “(Miller-Moore), Jameer, Evan, Gabe (Osabuohien)… people coming off the bench. We have a lot of really good players, so we’re just focusing on how we can take that talent and bring it together, make it one.” “Our confidence level goes into our trust, our comradery for our teammates. Like I said, we have so many good pieces. We have to figure out how we can mesh that all together. Once we start to figure that out, our confidence goes along with that.” The win snapped Calgary’s first losing streak of the season at two and keeps them in contention for the top spot in the West and a bye into the Conference Semifinals. Conversely, the loss snapped Ottawa’s win streak at two while they try to make a push of their own for a playoff bye. “Our goal from day one has been to win a championship,” Canales said. “That’s our goal; that’s our tunnel vision. We know it’s a great, competitive league and every night feels like a playoff game, but our goal has never wavered and never changed – it’s to win a championship.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600656 Up next for both teams The Calgary Surge wrap up their three-game road trip against the Montreal Alliance on August 4. The Ottawa BlackJacks take a trip of their own to Quebec for the first game of a home-and-home series against the Montreal Alliance on August 6. Next CEBL action The Scarborough Shooting Stars continue to fight for the second seed in the East when they host the conference leading Niagara River Lions on August 3, streaming live CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
Le puissant dunk de Kevin Osawe a électrisé l’Auditorium de Verdun samedi soir. Ce moment fort a non seulement aidé l’Alliance de Montréal à s’imposer 103-83 contre les Honey Badgers de Brampton, mais a également confirmé leur place en séries éliminatoires dans l’Est, tout en éliminant Brampton de la course. Montréal menait par sept points à la mi-temps, mais est ressorti du vestiaire en feu. L’équipe a complètement dominé le troisième quart 34 à 15 et n’ont jamais laissé Brampton revenir dans le match. « On savait que c’était un match important, a déclaré Osawe après la rencontre. Tout le monde était engagé, du début à la fin. » Tout a cliqué pour Montréal au troisième quart. « Le plus beau pour moi, c’est qu’on voyait qu’ils avaient du plaisir ensemble ce soir », a souligné l’entraîneur-chef Jermaine Small. L’Alliance a pleinement tiré avantage de la petite taille de Koby McEwen. Quincy Guerrier (17 points) et Michael Diggins l’ont attaqué dans la clé à répétition. Tous les paniers de Montréal au troisième quart ont été inscrits dans la clé, à l’exception d’un tir de mi-distance et d’un tir de trois points. Osawe, qui a mené tous les marqueurs avec 26 points en réussissant 10 de ses 14 tirs, a obtenu des paniers cruciaux pendant cette période charnière. Il a donné à Montréal une avance de 14 points, puis après un temps mort provoqué, il a feinté Bryson Williams depuis l’arc, a sauté avec McEwen, absorbé le contact et marqué dans la zone restreinte. « Il jouait dans une classe à part. C’est une question de confiance et de conviction. Je pense que ça vient beaucoup de ses coéquipiers qui lui font vraiment confiance dans des moments clés pour marquer. Quand il est actif et qu’il joue bien, c’est difficile de perdre. Je suis content qu’il ait eu un gros match ce soir, c’était le moment parfait », a ajouté Small. Tavian Dunn-Martin (22 points) a diminué son nombre de lancers de trois points lors du troisième quart pour se concentrer sur des tirs dans la clé et offrir des passes décisives à ses coéquipiers. En défense, Montréal a continué de frustrer Quinndary Weatherspoon et a provoqué une faute offensive contre lui. Guerrier a incité McEwen à commettre sa quatrième faute, ce qui l’a forcé à aller sur le banc, obligeant Brampton à se reposer davantage sur Weatherspoon. L’Alliance a même provoqué une violation de l’horloge des tirs tout juste après un temps mort de Brampton. Montréal menait par jusqu’à 31 points en début de quatrième quart. La fin de match a donc été gérée sans difficulté par l’équipe locale. La soirée a aussi été spéciale pour Malcolm Duvivier, qui a atteint les séries lors de son 100e match dans la LECB. À ce jour, seul Alex Campbell des Sea Bears de Winnipeg a aussi franchi le cap des 100 matchs dans la ligue. Brampton avait misé sur ses vedettes en première demie, mais a tout de même reçu l’aide d’Ali Sow (11 points), Wheza Panzo (14 points, quatre tirs de trois points sur neuf tentés) et Bryson Williams (10 points) en deuxième demie. Weatherspoon a inscrit 19 de ses 25 points en première demie, dominant physiquement des joueurs plus petits, et déposant un superbe flotteur au-dessus de Nathan Tshimanga. Tous ses points sont venus dans la clé ou sur la ligne des lancers francs. Koby McEwen (19 points) a gardé Brampton dans le match au deuxième quart, marquant à trois niveaux — un tir de trois points, un tir au coude et trois paniers près du cercle. Il a terminé le match avec un rendement de sept sur 13 au tir. C’était aussi une première pour Thomas Cory, entraîneur adjoint des Honey Badgers, qui agissait comme entraîneur-chef par intérim en l’absence de Sheldon Cassimy. Réfléchissant à ce que signifiait cette soirée pour lui, Cory a déclaré : « Je suis reconnaissant. J’apprécie les gars, l’équipe. Ils ont été de vrais pros avec moi toute la semaine. Ils ont bien répondu à mes consignes à l’entraînement et m’ont respecté comme entraîneur-chef. » Il a ensuite exprimé son admiration pour la ligue : « J’adore la LECB, de A à Z. C’est une superbe opportunité pour les entraîneurs et joueurs U SPORTS, les marqueurs, les gérants, les photographes. Il y a une place pour tous ceux qui aiment le basketball au pays. Je suis simplement reconnaissant. » Il reste deux matchs à domicile et deux à l’extérieur pour l’Alliance de Montréal avant les séries éliminatoires, l’occasion idéale pour peaufiner les derniers ajustements. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600647 À venir pour les deux équipes L’Alliance de Montréal (8-12) recevra le Surge de Calgary (13-7) à l’Auditorium de verdun, ce lundi 4 août. Les Honey Badgers de Brampton (5-17) disputeront leur avant-dernier match face aux Sea Bears de Winnipeg (8-11) au Canada Life Centre, le vendredi 8 août. Prochains matchs dans la LECB Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa (10-10) accueilleront le Surge de Calgary (13-7) à la Place TD demain, lors du seul match à l’horaire de la LECB ce samedi 2 août. Pour l’horaire complet de la saison 2025 et les résultats à jour, visitez cebl.ca/games . - LECB -
The road through the Western Conference will go through Vancouver. The Bandits smashed their franchise single-game scoring record in a 121-105 victory over the Edmonton Stingers on Friday at the Edmonton Expo Centre. Vancouver’s win assured it would finish no worse than second in the Western Conference, while being guaranteed a home playoff game. The Bandits can now fall no further than second in the West. They lead the conference at 16-5 on the season. “We trust ourselves down the stretch because we are fierce, we are strong, we are trained mentally, physically, spiritually at a very high level. That’s what the Bandits do,” said captain Mitch Creek. Edmonton fell to 12-8 and can no longer catch the Bandits with four games left to play. The Stingers’ loss was just their second in the past 10 games — both at the hands of Vancouver. And the Bandits’ latest win came in classic fashion for this team. After a tightly contested first half, the Bandits trailed by one point early in the third quarter. Then, head coach Kyle Julius called a timeout. And in the blink of an eye, Vancouver and its quick-strike offence had built a 15-point lead. “Just challenged them. We’ve been doing it all year,” Julius said of his message during the timeout. “You don’t have to say too much to this group. We have great leadership. Our leaders really did a lot of talking in that timeout, especially Mitch, but yeah, it sparked our guys.” The Stingers fought back to get within six, but when the clocks stopped for Target Score Time, the Bandits led 112-101. Vancouver ended the proceedings quickly, capped by a game-winning three-pointer from Duane Notice. “We couldn’t stop them enough to win a basketball game. That’s about it. Can’t give up 121,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. Vancouver entered Friday’s game leading the league with 95 points per game — then ensured that number would rise with its franchise-record performance. The Bandits’ previous single-game scoring record was 113, set in July 2020. And they were also one point away from matching the CEBL’s Target Time Era scoring record, set at 122 by the Ottawa BlackJacks last season. Meanwhile, the combined total of 227 points set a league record for the Target Time Era, which began in 2020. It was just the second time ever that both teams have reached the century mark in scoring. Vancouver’s offence came in all fashions – it made 10 three-pointers, 21 free throws and connected on 66 per cent of its two-point attempts. Creek led the way with a whopping 35 points to go with nine rebounds. He credited the coaching staff for juicing the offence. “I thought some of the plays that we had put in got us some really easy, cheap buckets and that’s what basketball’s about. It’s trying to play chess a few moves ahead, 10 moves ahead, and the other coaches try to do the same thing. I just thought that we were a few moves ahead tonight,” Creek said. Including Creek, all five Bandits starters scored in double figures during a game in which the team depth was tested amid injuries and overseas exits. Guard Zach Copeland contributed 27 points and seven rebounds, Tyrese Samuel had 17 points and nine rebounds in just 20 minutes before he was ejected for a second technical, Kyle Mangas scored 16 points and Shamar Givance pitched in with 12. “I just think there was high-level buy-in. Everybody really bought in. And when everybody buys in and nobody cares who shoots it or who scores, those kinds of nights occur,” Julius said. The Stingers, meanwhile, are now playing for second place and the right to host the West play-in game. Despite a mid-season turnaround, and even while enjoying a strong offensive night themselves, the Bandits are still proving to be a thorn in their side. “Our urgency and our mental transition wasn’t where it needed to be and they started to get comfortable and get hot and they didn’t have to execute a whole lot. It was basically come down and get layup,” Baker said. Keon Ambrose-Hylton and Sean East II led the way with 19 points apiece, while Nick Hornsby neared a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds to go with seven assists. Guard Scottie Lindsey also had 18 points in the losing effort, while Chris Smith added 13 off the bench. Lindsey called the loss a missed opportunity. “We did it to ourselves. They’re obviously a good team, but I think this game was more us beating ourselves, turning the ball over, not being where we’re supposed to be,” he said. Vancouver ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 31-25 after 10 minutes. A high-scoring first half ended with the Bandits leading 60-57. Then, the Bandits went on that riveting third-quarter run, and led 97-81 before the final frame had even begun. The Stingers threatened in the fourth, but the Bandits shut them down yet again. It was yet another reminder, with playoffs just a couple weeks away, that Vancouver rules the West. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600652 Up Next Both teams are back in action on Sunday when Edmonton hosts the Saskatchewan Rattlers while Vancouver welcomes the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Next CEBL Action Just one game is on tap for Saturday as the Calgary Surge pay a visit to the nation’s capital to take on the Ottawa BlackJacks. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL –
A timely 13-0 run in the fourth quarter helped lift the Winnipeg Sea Bears to a 98-89 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers at Canada Life Centre on Friday (Aug. 1). Winnipeg built a 17-point cushion in the first half, but the Rattlers rallied back in the third to seize an eight-point lead of their own. The home team regained its rhythm in the fourth on the way to a second straight victory. Sea Bears’ head coach Mike Taylor said Saskatchewan created opportunities in the third by attacking on the pick-and-roll, but an adjustment in the fourth changed the game. “We changed the matchups and that's where we were able to really [hit] our stride. But the effort, the heart, and the teamwork, to me, were the keys today. And that's what we want to keep building on,” Taylor said. Jalen Harris put on a mid-range clinic late in the fourth for Winnipeg and buried the game-winning free throws against his former team in Target Score Time. Harris said it's a big win with Championship Weekend in Winnipeg approaching. “When you're playing the championship here – I mean every game here is big. Every game here is experience under your belt,” he said. Harris finished the game with 28 points and six assists while shooting 12-22 from the field. His pair of triples also vaulted him past the 100-three milestone for his regular season career. Simi Shittu added another monster performance for Winnipeg, tallying 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Trevon Scott and Jarron Cumberland rounded out the Sea Bears’ offensive effort with 14 points and 12 points respectively. Cumberland grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out six assists as well. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan was led by a balanced attack with all five starters scoring in double figures. The three-headed snake of Jordan Bowden, Tevian Jones and Devonté Bandoo led the charge with a combined 61 points in the loss. Bowden netted a team-high 24, while Jones dropped 20 points to go along with five rebounds and four steals against his former squad. Bandoo contributed 17, while Grant Anticevich notched 11 and Jaden Bediako 10. Jones, who passed 500 regular-season points in his CEBL career on Friday, said it felt good to see familiar faces and compete against old teammates. “I think we did a good job competing [but] we just didn't get the win tonight,” he said. The Sea Bears controlled the contest inside, outscoring the Rattlers 48-30 in the paint and snagging 10 more rebounds than their opponents. Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said some timely offensive rebounds for Winnipeg and missteps down the stretch made the difference. “We got a little bit tired. We put a lot of energy into coming back and so I think that affected us. And to their credit, they picked up the defence, they rebounded the ball, and they played with a tremendous pace for a couple of minutes there to really push in transition,” Magdanz said. Winnipeg took control of the game from the jump, going on an 11-0 run to start the contest. Jones stopped the bleeding against his former team with a triple to get Saskatchewan on the board, but Harris immediately answered with a three of his own. The Sea Bears continued to control the tempo, but a strong stretch from Bandoo and Jones helped the Rattlers crawl back to within single digits. Harris attacked the rim for the final bucket of the first quarter, providing Winnipeg with a 29-16 lead after 10 minutes. Harris and Shittu kept the good times rolling into the second with back-to-back triples for Winnipeg. Shittu then showed off his skills as a facilitator, dishing a no-look pass to Nathan Bilamu to put the Sea Bears ahead by 17 – their largest lead of the game. Bowden almost single-handedly kept the game close and received some help from Anticevich to head into halftime down nine. Saskatchewan’s fight paid off in the third quarter. The Rattlers’ defence locked down the Sea Bears' attack, limiting the home team to just 16 points in the frame. Five trifectas propelled the Rattlers to a massive 19-4 run, including a pull-up from Bandoo to give Saskatchewan its first lead of the game. Trailing by six to start the fourth quarter, the Sea Bears showed resilience and stormed back with a 13-0 run of their own. The Western Conference rivals traded blows before Target Score Time with Harris heating up from mid-range. Winnipeg held an 89-85 advantage heading into the final stretch with a target of 98. Shittu kicked off Target Score Time with a putback before Saskatchewan replied with four consecutive points. Then, the bank was open for Scott on a mid-range jumper, and Cumberland connected on a timely three from way beyond the arc to put Winnipeg two points away. Harris capped his strong second half with a pair of free throws to earn the Sea Bears’ fourth win on home court this season. Winnipeg has now swept the season series with Saskatchewan, emerging victorious in all three meetings. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600649 Up next for both teams Both teams head west for matchups against playoff teams on Sunday (Aug. 3), with Saskatchewan visiting Edmonton and Winnipeg hitting the court against Vancouver. Next CEBL action Calgary visits the nation’s capital on Saturday as both the Surge and BlackJacks continue their battle to secure a home playoff game. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
Montreal Alliance forward Kevin Osawe’s thunderous dunk brought down Verdun Auditorium. Not only did the jam help Montreal secure its convincing 103-83 victory over the Brampton Honey Badgers, it also secured the final playoff berth in the East for the Alliance and eliminated Brampton from playoff contention. Montreal had built a seven-point lead at halftime, but came out of the locker room swinging. They dominated the third quarter, 34-15, and never looked back. “We knew it was an important game,” said Osawe after the game. “Everybody was locked in from top to bottom.” Everything clicked for Montreal in the third quarter. “The biggest thing for me was that they looked like they were having fun tonight, and doing it together,” said Montreal head coach Jermaine Small. They took full advantage of Koby McEwen’s diminutiveness. Quincy Guerrier (17 points) and Michael Diggins attacked him in the post. All of Montreal’s third quarter field goals were inside the paint minus one mid-range jumper and one three-pointer. Osawe, who had a game-high 26 points on an incredible 10-for-14 shooting, got crucial baskets during this turning point. He built a 14-point lead and after forcing a timeout, he pumpfaked Bryson Williams from the top of the arc, met McEwen in the air, absorbed contact and scored in the restricted area. He was playing on a different stratospheric level. “I think it’s confidence and belief. I think it’s coming a lot from his teammates [who] are really trusting him in situations to score the ball. When he’s active and when he’s good, it’s hard for us to lose, so I’m glad he had a big game tonight and it was perfect timing,” said Small. Tavian Dunn-Martin (22 points) scaled back from three-point shooting in the third frame, and focused on paint twos and dishing out assists for his teammates. Defensively, they kept frustrating Quinndary Weatherspoon, and drew an offensive foul from him. Guerrier baited McEwen into his fourth foul and sent him to the bench, forcing Brampton to rely on Weatherspoon. Montreal even forced a shot-clock violation right after a Brampton timeout. Montreal led by as much as 31 points at the start of the fourth quarter, so closing out the game was easy for the hometown team. It was an extra special night for Malcolm Duvivier, who clinched a playoff spot in his 100th CEBL game. Winnipeg’s Alex Campbell is the only other CEBL player to cross the century mark in games played for their career. Brampton relied on its stars in the first half, but there were contributions from Ali Sow (11 points), Wheza Panzo (14 points on four-for-nine three-point shooting) and Bryson Williams (10 points) in the second half. Weatherspoon scored 19 of his total 25 points in the first half. He bullied smaller and thinner players, and dropped a beautiful floater over Nathan Tshimanga. All his baskets were either in the paint or at the free throw line. Koby McEwen (19 points) kept his team in the game in the second quarter, scoring at all three levels – hitting a three, an elbow jumper, and making three shots at the rim. He finished the game on seven-for-13 shooting. It was also Brampton assistant coach Thomas Cory’s first time serving as a head coach in the CEBL, as he filled in for Sheldon Cassimy, who missed the game due to a prior commitment. He paused to think about what the night meant to him. “Thankful,” he said. “I appreciate the guys. The team. They were all professional with me all week. I thought they responded well to me in practice and they respected me as the head coach.” He continued to pour out his admiration for the CEBL. “I love the league, top to bottom. I think it’s a great experience for U SPORTS coaches, U SPORTS players, scorekeepers, managers, photographers. I think there’s just an amazing opportunity for anyone who loves basketball in the country. Just thankful is the biggest thing I can say.” Montreal still has two games at home and two on the road to work out their kinks before playoffs. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600647 Up next for both teams The Montreal Alliance (8-12) host the Calgary Surge (13-7) at Verdun Auditorium on Monday, August 4. The Brampton Honey Badgers (5-17) play their second last game against the Winnipeg Sea Bears (8-11) at Canada Life Centre on Friday, August 8. Next CEBL action The Ottawa BlackJacks (10-10) host the Calgary Surge (13-7) at TD Place tomorrow in CEBL’s lone Saturday, August 2 game. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa abordaient leur affrontement de jeudi contre les River Lions de Niagara avec un urgent besoin de victoire. Javonte Smart a pris ça en charge. Smart a inscrit 44 points – un sommet personnel et un record de la franchise – incluant un tir miraculeux pour la victoire, propulsant les BlackJacks vers un gain de 96-93 jeudi soir au Meridian Centre, à St. Catharines. Avec cette victoire, Ottawa présente maintenant une fiche de 10-10, et continue de viser la deuxième place dans l’Est et un laissez-passer vers les demi-finales de conférence. « Je suis vraiment fier de mes gars, a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef des BlackJacks, Dave DeAveiro. Avec un effectif réduit et tout ce qu’on traverse en ce moment… sortir avec une grosse victoire sur la route contre une très bonne équipe comme celle-là, je suis fier de notre groupe. » Du côté de Niagara, la défaite met fin à une série de sept victoires consécutives, un record d’équipe. Leur fiche est maintenant de 14-6. Dès le départ, Ottawa a démontré qu’ils avaient plus à gagner, prenant une avance de 17 points à mi-chemin du premier quart. Mais les River Lions ont terminé le quart avec une séquence de 10-0, grugeant lentement l’écart. Après avoir pris une avance de neuf points au quatrième quart, Niagara a vu Ottawa amorcer sa remontée. Les BlackJacks menaient 87-86 à au début de l a période du pointage cible, ap rès que Kimbal Mackenzie, des River Lions, ait obtenu trois lancers francs sur une faute alors qu’Ottawa tentait de provoquer un coup de sifflet pour amorcer cette dernière phase du match. Avec le chronomètre arrêté, les deux équipes ont échangé des paniers, jusqu’à ce que le pointage atteigne 93-93. Ottawa a ensuite demandé un temps d’arrêt, probablement pour organiser une stratégie. Mais Smart avait autre chose en tête. « J’ai dit au coach non, je veux le ballon. C’est le moment de gagner, j’en ai envie, a-t-il raconté au journaliste Dhanung Bulsara après le match. Alors c’est ce que j’ai fait. » Smart a reçu le ballon à la suite d'une remise en jeu bien au-delà de l'arc de cercle sur l'aile gauche. Il a effectué un dribble vers le défenseur des River Lions Ron Curry, a fait un pas en arrière et a lancé un tir à trois points de la hanche gauche. Et dans le 100e match de l’histoire de l’équipe, les BlackJacks ont peut-être signé leur victoire la plus excitante. « Smart a joué un match incroyable et a réussi un tir incroyable, » a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef des River Lions, Victor Raso. DeAveiro a ajouté que cette victoire donnait un bon regain de confiance à ses joueurs. « Chaque fois qu’on peut gagner à Niagara, c’est tout un accomplissement. Ça nous montre qu’on est capables d’aller chercher des victoires sur la route. Et on devra le faire en séries, alors on doit être prêts, » a-t-il souligné. Smart, qui était déjà le meilleur marqueur de la ligue avec une moyenne de 27 points par match à sa première saison dans la LECB, détient maintenant le record de points en un match pour Ottawa – record précédemment établi à 37 par Deng Adel en 2022, puis égalé par Smart lui-même le 1er juillet. Il est maintenant seul au sommet. Un choix évident pour le titre de meilleure recrue de la ligue, Smart – un joueur de 26 ans originaire de Baton Rouge, en Louisiane – a disputé 18 matchs dans la NBA avec Milwaukee, Miami et Philadelphie avant de rejoindre Ottawa cette saison. L’ancien de LSU n’est arrivé que le 20 juin, mais il s’est rapidement imposé avec une moyenne de 6,2 passes décisives et 3,9 rebonds par match, en plus de son impressionnante production offensive. Jeudi, Smart a ajouté huit passes décisives à ses 44 points, avec un rendement de 13-en-19 au tir, dont six tirs de trois points sur neuf tentatives. « Je me sentais bien. J’avais l’impression que tout ce que je lançais allait rentrer. C’est le fruit du travail que j’ai mis ici, » a-t-il dit. Le grand Zane Waterman a aussi contribué avec 20 points et cinq rebonds, alors que Tyrrel Tate a inscrit 12 points en sortie de banc. Le match est devenu de plus en plus intense, les deux équipes semblant insatisfaites de l’arbitrage. DeAveiro a été expulsé tard au troisième quart après avoir contesté l’absence de faute sur Waterman, qui a lui aussi reçu une faute technique sur la séquence. L’adjoint Matt MacLean a pris la relève sur le banc. « Il y avait beaucoup de fautes qui n’étaient pas appelées. Je devais protéger mes gars. J’étais frustré. Je dois être un peu plus mature dans ce genre de situation, mais j’étais frustré, » a reconnu DeAveiro. Pour Niagara, il s’agissait du premier match depuis qu’ils ont confirmé leur place au sommet de l’Est et leur participation au week-end du Championnat, grâce à la victoire d’Ottawa mardi contre les Shooting Stars de Scarborough. Même après un départ difficile, les River Lions ont riposté. « Est-ce qu’on a joué avec une mentalité de calibre de championnat? Non. On était un peu nonchalants. Et c’est ça le défi devant nous, a admis Raso. Il faut aborder ces matchs comme s’ils étaient aussi importants que n’importe quels autres. » Ron Curry a mené les River Lions avec 23 points, dont cinq tirs de trois points, en plus de quatre passes décisives. Le meilleur marqueur de l’équipe, Khalil Ahmad, a été limité par la défense intense d’Ottawa. Il n’a marqué que trois points en première demie et a terminé avec 12, ratant ses huit tentatives du périmètre. Il s’est donc transformé en meneur de jeu, distribuant sept passes décisives. Kimbal Mackenzie a ajouté 14 points et six rebonds, alors que Nathan Cayo a frôlé un doublé avec 13 points et neuf rebonds. Ahmed Hill est devenu le premier joueur de l’histoire de la ligue à atteindre les 1 500 points en saison régulière grâce à un tir de trois points dans le coin à la fin du premier quart. Il a conclu le match avec neuf points, quatre passes décisives et trois reb onds. Curry a déclaré que son équipe doit rester concentrée pour ses quatre derniers matchs. « On doit rester affamés. Ils la voulaient un peu plus que nous aujourd’hui. On ne peut pas se contenter de ce qu’on a. Il faut rester affamés, » a-t-il lancé. Les BlackJacks menaient 26-19 après un quart, mais l’écart s’est réduit à 44-42 à la mi-temps. Niagara a pris les commandes au troisième quart et menait 72-64 avant les 10 dernières minutes. Mais Ottawa a lancé sa remontée au milieu du dernier quart, alors que Smart refusait de se laisser arrêter. Il a ensuite mis un point d’exclamation sur la victoire dans la période du pointage cible. Les BlackJacks se retrouvent maintenant en bonne posture pour accompagner Niagara à Winnipeg. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600667 À venir Ottawa sera de retour à la maison samedi pour accueillir le Surge de Calgary, tandis que les River Lions de Niagara amorceront un voyage de quatre matchs sur la route pour conclure leur saison, en rendant visite aux Shooting Stars de Scarborough dimanche. Prochains matchs dans la LECB La journée de trois matchs de vendredi s’amorcera avec un duel de la Conférence de l’Est entre Brampton et l’Alliance de Montréal, suivi de deux affrontements dans l’Ouest : les Rattlers de la Saskatchewan visiteront les Sea Bears de Winnipeg, puis les Bandits de Vancouver seront en action à Edmonton. Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB et les résultats à jour, visitez le cebl.ca/games . - LECB -