Streaking Surge look to clinch playoff berth against Alliance

When Calgary hosts Montreal on Friday, it’ll see a team heading in the opposite direction of itself.

The Surge take on the Alliance at WinSport Event Centre with tip set for 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET. Broadcast coverage is available on Game+, while you can live stream the game on CEBL+ and TSN+.

At 9-7, Calgary is riding a three-game winning streak which has come entirely against Western Conference opponents and can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Montreal. Suddenly, the Surge are in position to take a run at first place in the West, sitting within striking distance of Vancouver and Edmonton, the current top two seeds.

For Montreal, which is 4-13 and has lost eight of its past nine games, any urgency stems less from securing a playoff spot — it will automatically reach the Conference Finals as Championship Weekend host — and more from the need to build momentum ahead of that game.

The Surge appeared to stumble into a winning formula as soon as it lost three players to NBA Summer League, as it’s played smaller lineups with Jordy Tshimanga as the lone big man. During its current streak, Calgary held Edmonton to a franchise-low point total before rallying to beat the Bandits and rolling over the struggling Saskatchewan Rattlers late.

Calgary is seeking a second-straight trip to the CEBL Finals after dropping last year’s game to the Scarborough Shooting Stars. But head coach Tyrell Vernon says he’s taking things one game at a time.

“For us we just gotta have the identity to get stops, winning every possession and then we’ll live with the results,” Vernon said. “I don’t wanna look too far ahead on what we can do or what we will be. I think if we just focus on every individual possession as if it’s our last, I think we’re gonna set ourselves up for success.”

Montreal is employing a similar mindset following a dispiriting 20-point loss to the Shooting Stars on Tuesday.

“We’re in a big-time funk. We’re better than we’re playing — well, I think we’re better than we’re showing on the court, but we haven’t demonstrated that,” head coach Derrick Alston Sr., said following the loss.

The Alliance also lost top scorer Jordan Bowden to Summer League, dealing a further blow to an already struggling team.

In his place, forward Chris Smith stepped up against Scarborough with 20 points and 10 rebounds in over 34 minutes of action.

Friday marks the first and only meeting of the season between Calgary and Montreal.

Key matchup

Against the Shooting Stars, Montreal’s Ahmed Hill became the second player in league history to hit 200 career three-pointers across the regular season and playoffs.

While Hill has struggled with accuracy this season, connecting on just 33.9 per cent of his attempts from beyond the arc, he remains a willing shooter — one that could tilt any game in his team’s favour.

However, Calgary, which leads the league at 39.5 per cent from three-point range, employs multiple deep threats.

In just six games since returning from overseas, guard Stefan Smith has nailed 47.8 per cent of his three-pointers. Meanwhile, mainstays Mathieu Kamba, Malcolm Duvivier and Corey Davis Jr., have combined to make 107 triples for the season, while each is shooting at least 39 per cent.

Milestone watch

• Calgary’s Davis Jr., is three assists away from 100 for his career, including playoffs
• Montreal’s Alain Louis is two points away from 500 for his career, including playoffs
• Louis is also 11 assists away from 300 for his career, including playoffs

- CEBL -

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.