Collective Effort Sparks Honey Badgers to Second Straight Win

Terry Roberts caught fire in Target Score Time to secure a statement road win for the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Friday (June 20). The Sea Bears weathered a fourth quarter run from the Bandits to win 92-85 in front of a packed house at Langley Events Centre. Winnipeg picked up its fourth straight victory and ended Vancouver’s three-game winning streak in the process. The trio of Roberts, Jalen Harris and Simi Shittu carried the offensive load for Winnipeg with a combined 74 points in the victory. Roberts netted 25 points, including the final seven points of Target Score Time, and Harris showed off his ability to score at all three levels with 22 points on 10-20 shooting from the field. “I love the fact that we've got two dynamic play-making guards,” Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor said. “There are times when Jalen Harris carried us in the first half and then they … put [their] best defenders on him. And then Terry is dynamic enough to go make plays. I think a lot of people would say shooting threes is not his forte – he's a guy that's attacking the paint – but he's just a guy that makes winning plays.” Taylor added that Shittu is a game-changer for the Sea Bears as well. The big man from Vanderbilt notched a double-double with a team-high 27 points and 14 rebounds. Shittu said the win will help build confidence for the Championship Weekend hosts. “As a team, we just came together and we saw what we’re made of down the stretch. It was good for us,” Shittu said. On the other side, Aussie Mitch Creek continued his MVP-calibre start to the season with 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists before leaving the game with an injury in Target Time. Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius voiced his frustration with losing Creek and said the team will have to evaluate its slow starts after going down by double digits in back-to-back games. “We've had some really soft starts. I thought tonight overall we were soft. The main takeaway is that we were soft overall,” Julius said. Curtis Hollis added 14 for Vancouver with recent acquisitions James Karnik and Corey Davis Jr. contributing in just their second game of the season as well. Karnik battled inside with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Davis Jr. was lethal from long range with 16 points and seven assists. Davis Jr. said the Bandits did a good job of fighting back in the third and fourth quarter, but the second quarter hurt them. “We did fight hard – we brought it back to be able to win the game – and I think that's always something you can look back on and build from. But I mean putting yourself in those types of situations is something that we have to stay away from,” Davis Jr. said. The star power for both teams was on full display in a fast-paced start to the game. Creek showed off inside touch and Davis Jr. hit from distance for Vancouver. Meanwhile, Shittu was a force on the boards and Harris cooked from mid-range for Winnipeg. The west coast squads traded leads late in the first, with a buzzer-beating corner three from Nathan Bilamu putting Winnipeg ahead 21-20 after 10 minutes. The Bandits and Sea Bears hung tight early in the second, but Winnipeg took control with a 17-4 run and led by as much as 13. The Sea Bears were active on the offensive glass during the stretch, with highlight-reel putbacks from Shittu and Harris. Vancouver started to pick up the pace late in the half, but Winnipeg caught fire from long range and carried a 54-42 lead into the locker room. The Bandits climbed back with an 11-2 run to start the second half and made it a one-possession game. Out of a timeout, however, the Sea Bears regained a double-digit lead capped by an and-one from Shittu. Creek and Shittu exchanged buckets to close the quarter with Winnipeg taking a 75-70 advantage into the fourth. Five free throws and a floater from Curtis Hollis tied the contest at 77 early in the final frame. With the shot clock winding down, Creek drove strong to the hoop to give Vancouver its first lead of the half. After trading leads, Harris buried a mid-range jumper for Winnipeg to head into the final stretch with a one-point advantage and a target of 92. Hollis kicked off Target Score Time with a triple, but a Shittu slam and four straight points from Roberts left the Sea Bears three points from victory. Roberts stayed hot and buried a contested wing trifecta to finish the game. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600612 Up next for both teams All 10 CEBL teams are back in action on Sunday (June 22), with both Vancouver and Winnipeg on the road in Alberta. The Bandits pay a visit to the Surge, while the Sea Bears face the Stingers. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

The game was over before Target Time. The addition of Ottawa’s Javonte Smart, Zane Waterman, and Keevan Veinot has put the league on notice. Ottawa is a force to be reckoned with even with Deng Adel out due to injury. Ottawa had two less turnovers than their 16.3 turnovers they averaged coming into this game. At halftime, they only had five. The BlackJacks seized control at several pivotal moments throughout the game. When Ottawa’s head coach Dave DeAveiro’s former university player David Walker made a nice crossover move and a beautiful scoop shot, it seemed like Scarborough was going to make a run. But Isaih Moore answered, and team captain Tyrrel Tate’s two triples built a 13- and 16-point buffer. “I thought his leadership was good today,” DeAveiro reflected on his team captain’s play today. “When it got kinda crazy a little bit, he settled us down with a big shot or going to the rim and getting a foul. So without his leadership, we’re not successful today.” More came in the second half. When Tate drew the foul in the third quarter, his two free throws gave Ottawa a 16-point lead. The biggest play came at the end of the third when Rudi Williams attacked the hoop, and kicked the ball out to Tate in the corner. Tate threw a pump-fake and stepbacked, but unable to find his shot, he whipped a cross-court pass to Justin Jackson whose shot was blocked. Moore got the ball, swung it to Tate who relocated to the top of the arc. His big three-point splash built the lead to 22 points. Waterman was also pivotal in building up the third quarter lead as he dropped buckets right after halftime. He made Scarborough pay for leaving him wide open by cashing in a triple. Then, he got into the Terquavion Smith-to-Cat-Barber passing lane and the ball touched Barber’s hand before going out of bounds. Ottawa regained possession, he attacked a closeout from the perimeter and made a lay-up to put Ottawa up 16. Going into the fourth, it was important for Ottawa to not get comfortable. They wanted to cement their lead after a 24-13 third quarter performance. "We’ve lost some close games and finishing out a game in the CEBL is one of the hardest things to do, especially with the Target Score ending,” said DeAveiro. “So it’s important for us to – we call it – ‘Stay Solid and Focus.’” Smith carried the bulk of Scarborough’s scoring in the third quarter. He had a game-high 32 points on 11-for-27 shooting. DeAveiro’s strategy to “keep making every shot difficult for him” seemed to work in the second half as the Shooting Stars relied heavily on iso basketball. “We didn’t have an assist in the second half, which is not really how we want to play,” lamented Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio. “We need to let the ball see multiple hands in a possession.” In the next game against the East’s best, Niagara River Lions, De Giorgio knows ball movement will be key. “We gotta move the ball. The ball’s gotta see different people, the ball’s gotta see two sides of the court,” he said. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for Scarborough, however. Towards the end of the first half, Scarborough seemed to gain momentum when Cat Barber threw a pass into Hason Ward for a bucket. Then, Joirdon Nicholas had a massive chase-down block, leading to a reverse lay-up by Barber. But Ottawa came out of halftime stronger, and Scarborough seemed to wither away, much as they did to Montreal in the previous game. Smith also had a highlight play in the first quarter that made play-by-play commentator Rod Black yell, “Nooo, he did not! Deep three from the popcorn stand!” After Smart’s deep three ball gave Ottawa a lead, Smith nailed a deep one of his own and drew the foul. Ottawa refused to cede its double-digit lead tonight and came out victorious. Three starters scored double-digits – Isaih Moore, Javonte Smart, and Zane Waterman. Tyrrel Tate led the bench with 15 points (total bench points: 34 points). Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600609 Up next for both teams The Ottawa BlackJacks (3-6) head to CAA Centre to play the Brampton Honey Badgers (3-7) on Sunday, June 22nd. The Scarborough Shooting Stars (5-5) stay home and host the Niagara River Lions (7-3) at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on the same day. Next CEBL action Tomorrow will be a break and the second quintuple-header of the season will be on Sunday. Aside from the two games mentioned above, the other three games will be Saskatchewan (2-8) versus Montrea (4-4)l at Verdun Auditorium, Vancouver (8-1) versus Calgary (7-3) at WinSport Event Centre, and Winnipeg (4-5) versus Edmonton (5-6) at Edmonton EXPO Centre. There will be two more five-game days left in the season on August 8th and 10th. - CEBL -

Les River Lions s’imposent avec autorité lors de la Journée scolaire à Niagara. Khalil Ahmad a mené les River Lions de Niagara avec 21 points dans une victoire de 93-82 contre l’Alliance de Montréal, vendredi après-midi, au Meridian Centre de St. Catharines, en Ontario. Les champions en titre renforcent leur avance au sommet de la Conférence de l’Est en portant leur fiche à sept victoires et trois défaites, tandis que l’Alliance encaisse une quatrième défaite consécutive et tombe à quatre gains contre quatre revers. Le joueur du match Eddie Ekiyor a affirmé que les cris des centaines d’élèves présents ont donné un bon coup d’énergie aux River Lions pour le match de 11h. « Je le sentais ce matin. Tout le monde pensait qu’on allait être fatigués, mais pas moi. Ça m’a donné un boost, et vous l’avez vu avec notre équipe aujourd’hui. On a joué avec intensité », a confié Ekiyor au journaliste J.J. Evason après le match. Les River Lions menaient 84-70 lorsque la période du pointage cible a été déclenchée. Mais c’est Montréal qui a attaqué fort en début de séquence finale, réduisant l’écart à seulement huit points. C’est alors que les River Lions ont remis le ballon dans les mains du « Clutch King », Khalil Ahmad. Après un temps mort demandé par l’entraîneur-chef Victor Raso, Ahmad a attaqué le panier, provoquant une faute et réussissant ses deux lancers francs. Sur la possession suivante, il s’est élevé depuis l’aile pour réussir un tir de trois points victorieux. Raso s’est dit impressionné par la prestation de ses joueurs. « C’est la première fois qu’on joue avec l’intensité requise pour remporter un championnat. C’est aussi la première fois qu’on dispute un match complet du début à la fin, surtout en défensive », a-t-il souligné. Opposé à son ancienne équipe pour la première fois, le meilleur marqueur de l’histoire de la LECB, Ahmed Hill, a connu une première demie dominante avec 14 points pour donner le ton à l’attaque de Niagara. Hill, un joueur de 29 ans originaire de Fort Valley, en Géorgie, en est à sa cinquième saison dans la LECB après deux passages avec les Nighthawks de Guelph et l’Alliance. Il connaissait un début de saison difficile selon ses standards, avec une moyenne de seulement 10,4 points à ses neuf premiers matchs comme River Lion. Mais tout a changé durant les vingt premières minutes du match de vendredi. Même s’il n’a pas marqué en deuxième demie, il a tout de même terminé la rencontre avec 14 points, quatre rebonds, deux passes décisives et un différentiel de +16, le meilleur de son équipe. « C’est juste une question d’être agressif. On m’en parlait depuis quelques matchs, alors je suis sorti avec l’intention de donner le ton », a expliqué Hill. Raso a souligné avoir vu de bons signes de la part de Hill, même si les tirs n’entraient plus en fin de match. « Ce soir, on a vu le Ahmed Hill que je m’attends à voir pour le reste de la saison. Son rythme et son agressivité étaient incroyables… Ce que j’aime chez lui, c’est que même s’il n’a pas rentré ses tirs ce soir, il a quand même été très bon », a mentionné Victor Raso. Ahmad, le meilleur marqueur de l’équipe cette saison, a également récolté cinq passes décisives et quatre rebonds, en plus de réussir neuf de ses onze lancers francs. Eddie Ekiyor a offert un bon coup de main en sortie de banc avec 10 points et six rebonds, tout en affichant un parfait trois-en-trois au tir et sur la ligne de lancer franc. Le meneur canadien Jahvon Blair a ajouté 18 points et quatre rebonds. « On a parfois montré qu’on pouvait être excellents offensivement, excellents défensivement, puis d’autres fois, l’inverse. Mais aujourd’hui, notre intensité défensive n’a jamais été mise en doute. On a joué avec cœur », a ajouté Raso. Du côté de l’Alliance, la pente est glissante après un départ canon de quatre victoires en autant de matchs. L’entraîneur-chef Jermaine Small a reconnu que son équipe n’était peut-être pas prête pour un match aussi tôt dans la journée. « Ils ont été plus physiques en première demie. J’ai trouvé qu’on s’était bien repris en deuxième, mais bon… c’était un match à 11 h, et on avait joué mercredi. Eux étaient en attente, pas de match cette semaine, donc ils avaient un peu plus de jus que nous », a-t-il expliqué. Le petit meneur Tavion Dunn-Martin a égalé Ahmad au sommet des pointeurs du match avec 21 points, en plus d’ajouter quatre rebonds et quatre passes décisives pour l’Alliance. Le Canadien Malcolm Duvivier a contribué avec 12 points grâce à quatre tirs de trois points, tandis que Quincy Guerrier a signé un doublé avec 11 points et 11 rebonds. Selon Small, l’Alliance commence à attirer davantage l’attention des autres équipes après son excellent début de saison. « Je pense qu’au départ, personne ne savait à quoi s’attendre de nous, et maintenant, tout le monde nous attaque avec son meilleur jeu. C’est comme ça… Je ne suis pas inquiet. Chaque match est un processus, chaque possession aussi », a-t-il souligné. L’ailier de l’Alliance Michael Diggins Jr. a quitté la rencontre pendant la période du pointage cible, semblant ressentir une douleur au bras. Les River Lions ont rapidement pris les devants 25-13 après le premier quart. Montréal est revenu à seulement trois points au deuxième quart, mais Niagara a repris le contrôle pour rentrer au vestiaire avec une avance de 51-36. Niagara a ensuite creusé l’écart à 74-55 en fin de troisième quart. Même si l’Alliance a semé un léger doute durant la période du pointage cible, les River Lions ont tout de même eu le dernier mot. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600603 Prochain match pour les deux équipes Les deux équipes seront de retour en action dimanche : les River Lions de Niagara rendront visite aux Shooting Stars de Scarborough, tandis que l’Alliance de Montréal retrouvera ses partisans en accueillant les Rattlers de la Saskatchewan. À venir dans la LECB Pour la deuxième fois dans l’histoire de la LECB, les 10 équipes seront en action le même jour, ce dimanche. L’affrontement entre les River Lions de Niagara et les Shooting Stars de Scarborough ouvrira le bal à 14 h (HE), tandis que le duel entre les Sea Bears de Winnipeg et les Stingers d’Edmonton clôturera cette journée pancanadienne à 18 h (HE). Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB et les résultats à jour, visitez le site cebl.ca/games .  - LECB –

The River Lions earned a statement win on School Day in Niagara. Khalil Ahmad led Niagara with 21 points in a 93-82 victory over the Montreal Alliance in a Friday matinee at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Defending champion Niagara padded its lead atop the Eastern Conference by moving to 7-3 on the season, while the Alliance fell to 4-4 with their fourth straight loss. Player of the Game Eddie Ekiyor said the hundreds of screaming students provided a jolt to the River Lions for the 11 a.m. ET start. “I knew it this morning. Everyone thinks they’re gonna be tired — not me. (It) turns the energy up and you saw it with our team today. We played hard,” Ekiyor told sideline reporter J.J. Evason after the game. The River Lions led 84-70 when the clock was stopped for Target Score Time. But it was Montreal who began the closing stage of the game firing on all cylinders as the Alliance cut their deficit to just eight points. That’s when the River Lions put the ball in the hands of the ‘Clutch King’ Khalil Ahmad. After a timeout from head coach Victor Raso, Ahmad drove and drew two free throws, making both. During the next time down the court, Ahmad rose up from the wing for a game-winning three-pointer. Raso said he was impressed by his team’s performance. “I thought it was the first time that we played with an intensity level that is required to win a championship. That's the first time we put a game together start to finish, especially on the defensive end,” he said. Facing his former team for the first time, CEBL all-time leading scorer Ahmed Hill enjoyed a breakout first half with 14 points to pace Niagara. Hill, the 29-year-old from Fort Valley, Ga., is competing in his fifth CEBL season after spending two years apiece with the Guelph Nighthawks and Alliance. He had struggled by his standards during his first nine games as a River Lion, averaging just 10.4 points. But that all changed during the first 20 minutes of Friday’s game. He went scoreless in the second half but finished with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and a team-high plus-16. “Just me being aggressive. They talked about it the past a couple of games, so, you know, I just come out, try and set the tone,” Hill said. Raso said he saw positive signs from Hill despite the lack of shot-making down the stretch. “We saw the Ahmed Hill tonight that I expect to see the rest (of the season). His pace and his aggressiveness were awesome. … What I love about him is that he didn't make shots tonight, but he was still really good,” Raso said. Ahmad, the team’s leading scorer for the season, also had five assists and four rebounds while making nine of 11 attempts from the free-throw line. Ekiyor provided a boost off the bench with 10 points and six rebounds on perfect three-for-three shooting from the field and from the stripe. Canadian point guard Jahvon Blair put up 18 points and four rebounds. “We've showed glimpses of being awesome offensively, awesome defensively, and then the other side of it. And today, our intensity was never questioned on the defensive side. We played really hard,” Raso said. Meanwhile, the Alliance are headed in the wrong direction after their blistering 4-0 start to the season. Head coach Jermaine Small said his team may not have been ready for the early start. “They were more physical in the first half. I thought we were better in the second half, and I just thought, 11 a.m. game and we just played Wednesday. I thought ... because they were waiting, we didn't have a game this week, they just had a bit more gas than us,” he said. Diminutive guard Tavion Dunn-Martin matched Ahmad with a game-high 21 points for the Alliance to go with four rebounds and four assists. Canadian Malcolm Duvivier contributed 12 points on the strength of four three-pointers and Quincy Guerrier posted an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Small said teams are starting to target the Alliance after their early hot streak. “I think at the beginning, no one knew what to expect from us, and now everyone's throwing their best shot at us. So it's one of those things. … I’m not worried. It's just, every game's a process, every possession is a process,” Small said. Alliance forward Michael Diggins Jr., left the game during Target Score Time, appearing to favour his arm. The River Lions raced out to a 25-13 lead after the first quarter. Montreal got within three points during the second frame, but Niagara bounced back to take an 51-36 advantage into halftime. Niagara then extended its lead to 74-55 heading into the fourth quarter. But while the Alliance provided a slight scare in Target Score Time, the River Lions emerged victorious. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600603 Up Next Both teams are back in action Sunday when Niagara visits the Scarborough Shooting Stars while Montreal returns home to host the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Next CEBL Action For the second time in CEBL history, all 10 teams will play on the same day on Sunday, with Niagara-Scarborough at 2 p.m. ET and Winnipeg-Edmonton at 6 p.m. ET bookending the coast-to-coast action. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .  - CEBL –

The Brampton, ON guard has played 49 career CEBL games between Saskatchewan, Montreal, and Edmonton since 2021

Les BlackJacks d'Ottawa de la Ligue élite canadienne de basketball (LECB), la plus grande ligue sportive professionnelle du Canada, ont annoncé aujourd'hui que l'équipe a signé l'arrière Javonte Smart pour un contrat le reste de la saison 2025. Il est prévu qu’il fasse ses débuts ce soir alors qu’Ottawa affronte les Shooting Stars de Scarborough à 19 h 30. Originaire de Baton Rouge, en Louisiane, il se joint à l’équipe après avoir passé toute la saison 2024-2025 avec le Magic d’Osceola de la NBA G League, où il a maintenu une moyenne de 14,1 points par match. Il s’est classé troisième de son équipe au chapitre des passes décisives (3,8) en 44 matchs de saison régulière et de séries éliminatoires, aidant le club à atteindre la finale de la G League en 2025. « Nous sommes très heureux d’accueillir Javonte au sein des BlackJacks d’Ottawa, a déclaré le directeur général James Derouin. Sa capacité éprouvée à marquer des points à un niveau élite, combinée à sa précieuse expérience dans la NBA et la G League, fait de lui un atout majeur pour notre formation. Son talent pour livrer la marchandise dans les moments décisifs sera un véritable atout pour nous dans la suite de la saison. » L’Américain de 6 pi 4 po a également représenté son pays lors de quatre matchs de qualification pour l’AmeriCup cette année, où il a maintenu une moyenne de 18,3 points par match lors de la deuxième fenêtre du tournoi, menant ainsi son équipe à l’attaque. Cette performance a été soulignée par une prestation de 21 points — un sommet du match — le 25 novembre dans une victoire de 97-74 contre les Bahamas. Ce tournoi constitue la plus récente expérience internationale de sa carrière, lui qui avait déjà remporté une médaille d’or avec les États-Unis lors du Championnat FIBA Amériques U16 en 2015 à Bahia Blanca, en Argentine. Âgé de 26 ans, il rejoint Deng Adel parmi les joueurs actuels des BlackJacks ayant une expérience dans la NBA, ayant disputé un total de 18 matchs au cours des saisons 2021-2022 et 2023-2024 avec les 76ers de Philadelphie, le Heat de Miami et les Bucks de Milwaukee. En plus de son passage à Osceola, sa carrière l’a également mené à évoluer avec Sioux Falls, Birmingham et Delaware dans la NBA G League, où il a maintenu une moyenne de 16,3 points par match, menant Sioux Falls au chapitre des points marqués durant la saison 2021-2022. Il a disputé un total de 25 matchs dans la NBA Summer League, prenant part au tournoi chaque année depuis 2021, à la suite d’une brillante carrière universitaire de trois saisons à Louisiana State. Celle-ci s’est conclue par une sélection au sein de la deuxième équipe d’étoiles de la SEC (choix des entraîneurs) en 2021. Cette même saison, il a mené les Tigers au chapitre des minutes jouées, des passes décisives et des interceptions par match, tout en se classant troisième meilleur marqueur de l’équipe derrière ses coéquipiers actuels des Nets de Brooklyn, Cam Thomas et Trendon Watford. Diplômé de l’école secondaire Scotlandville à Baton Rouge, il a été nommé à trois reprises Joueur de l’année Gatorade de la Louisiane ainsi que Joueur par excellence de la classe 5A à trois occasions, terminant sa carrière au secondaire avec un total impressionnant de 3 306 points. Il est actuellement possible d'acheter des forfaits de billets flexibles en visitant le site theblackjacks.ca/fr-ca/tickets . ###  À propos des BlackJacks d'Ottawa Première franchise d'expansion de la Ligue élite canadienne de basketball (LECB), les BlackJacks d'Ottawa présentent le meilleur du basket-ball et du divertissement dans la capitale nationale. Le bureau de direction d'Ottawa apporte à la franchise son expérience de la NBA, de la NBA G League, de l'équipe nationale, de la NCAA et des grandes ligues professionnelles internationales. Dirigée par le directeur général James Derouin et l'entraîneur-chef Dave DeAveiro, l'équipe d'Ottawa joue ses matchs à domicile dans l'aréna de classe mondiale de la Place TD, dans le parc Lansdowne. Pour plus d'informations, visitez le site theblackjacks.ca .

Louisiana guard has played 18 career NBA games with Miami, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia

Despite a new location, the Battle of Alberta maintained the same intensity on Thursday (June 19). Edmonton weathered a late comeback from Calgary at Westerner Park Centrium in Red Deer to secure a 98-95 victory in the second matchup between the provincial rivals this season. The Stingers led by 13 heading into Target Score Time, 16 in the fourth and as much as 17 in the game, but the Surge climbed back to tie the game at 95 with a target of 97. Both teams had game-winning looks in a wild finish that featured turnovers, jump balls and back-and-forth basketball. A transition slam from Edmonton’s Chris Smith ended the contest and made up for a missed free throw to win the game earlier in Target Time. Edmonton head coach Jordan Baker said the win showed resilience. “Obviously, credit to Calgary – they came out of the gates hot and they finished the game on a run,” Baker said. “For us to be able to hold them off at the end there is a testament to the guys we got in our locker room.” The Stingers evened the season series with Calgary and did so without star player Sean East II for the majority of the contest. East II was ejected early in the second quarter with 11 points after picking up his second unsportsmanlike foul. However, Scottie Lindsey and the Edmonton offence stepped up in his absence. “I think guys played the rest of the way with a little chip on their shoulder,” Baker said. “They wanted to prove that we're more than just Sean East and his supporting cast.” Lindsey dropped a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds and three blocks to pace the Edmonton attack. “The team needs me to be aggressive all the time. Obviously with Sean going out, that's over 20 points a game that we're missing. But I think the team needs me to be aggressive either way,” Lindsey said. The Stingers’ unselfishness was a good match for the stellar Surge defence, with 25 assists on the team’s 37 field goals. Nick Hornsby contributed an all-around effort and flirted with a triple-double for Edmonton, tallying 17 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Smith and Keon Ambrose-Hylton reached double figures as well, chipping in 11 points apiece. Meanwhile, Jameer Nelson Jr. netted a team-high 23 points for Calgary, including some clutch shooting in Target Score Time. He was effective defensively as well with four steals and seven rebounds. Nelson Jr. said the presence of new acquisition, the NBA-experienced Jamorko Pickett, helped spur the Target Score Time run. Sean Miller-Moore added 21 points, six rebounds and six assists for Calgary, while Greg Brown III scored 19 before he fouled out. Overall, the Surge struggled offensively for much of the game. Calgary finished at 37 per cent from the field and 25 per cent from three. Surge head coach Kaleb Canales said the team didn’t make enough plays down the stretch. “We had an opportunity – about five to seven opportunities – to finish the game, and we just came up short tonight,” Canales said. To open the game, Nelson Jr. scored seven of Calgary’s first nine points before Brown III got in on the action with seven straight points as well. The Surge went on an 11-0 run but East II led the Stingers on a run of their own to reclaim a lead. The provincial rivals exchanged blows for the remainder of the quarter and were knotted at 24 to start the second. After a scorching 11-point first quarter, East II picked up his second unsportsmanlike foul of the game to end his day. The game remained close for the bulk of the second quarter, with the Surge and Stingers trading leads. Back-to-back inside finishes from Kevin Bercy towards the end of the frame extended Edmonton’s lead to 50-46 at halftime. The Stingers built on their advantage in the early stages of the third by getting to the rim, free throw line, and connecting from long range. Catch-and-shoot threes from Lindsey and Hornsby helped Edmonton to lead by as much as 17. Brown III got the shooter’s bounce on the three in the closing seconds of the quarter to cut the deficit to 12, but Hornsby beat the buzzer with a floater to take a 77-63 lead into the fourth. Miller-Moore helped trim the Stingers’ lead to 10, but Ambrose-Hylton went to work inside for Edmonton. The big man from Toronto had three consecutive finishes in the paint, including two and-ones and a poster dunk. After an Olumide Adelodun three for Calgary, Edmonton led 88-75 entering the final stretch. Calgary scored the opening five points of Target Score Time and continued on a 20-7 run to tie the game, highlighted by back-to-back mid-range jumpers from Nelson Jr. With both teams one bucket away from victory, chaos ensued. A wild scramble saw turnovers and game-winning looks for both squads before Smith was fouled in transition. He made one of two at the free throw line before another sequence with a combined six attempts at victory, two turnovers and two jump balls. Smith finally iced the game with a transition dunk coming on an assist from former Calgary Surge guard Mason Bourcier. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600600 Up next for both teams Calgary and Edmonton are both back in action on Sunday (June 22) with the Surge hosting the Bandits and the Stingers hosting the Sea Bears. Next CEBL action The other eight CEBL teams are all in action on Friday (June 20), with the Alliance facing the River Lions, the BlackJacks visiting the Shooting Stars, the Rattlers heading to Brampton, and the Sea Bears on the road in Vancouver. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

The American forward averaged 16.8 points and 9.7 rebounds in six games with Saskatchewan last summer