Honey Badgers Give Back this Holiday Season in Collaboration with Regeneration Outreach Community

(Aperçu: Semaine 13) Le 22 août prochain, au Centre Canada Life de Winnipeg, quatre équipes se disputeront une place en grande finale de la LECB 2025. Avec deux semaines restantes à la saison régulière, le portrait des séries commence à se préciser. Sept des huit places en séries sont déjà assurées — mais rappelons que seulement quatre formations atteindront le week-end du Championnat. La dernière place encore disponible est celle dans l’Est, convoitée par les Honey Badgers de Brampton et l’Alliance de Montréal. Tous les signes pointent vers Montréal : leur chiffre magique est un. Une victoire de l’Alliance ou une défaite de Brampton, et les Montréalais seront officiellement en séries. Hasard ou non, les deux clubs s’affrontent justement vendredi à Montréal. L’Alliance arrive à ce match crucial en difficulté, après avoir perdu deux matchs d’affilée et neuf de ses dix derniers. Malgré une brève accalmie en mettant fin à une séquence de sept revers, l’équipe de Jermaine Small semblait avoir repris le rythme vendredi dernier, menant les River Lions de Niagara par huit points durant la période du pointage cible, à seulement deux points de la victoire. Mais les champions en titre ont répliqué avec une séquence de 10-0 pour renverser le match — et Montréal a enchaîné avec une autre défaite contre les Shooting Stars de Scarborough, incapable de convertir dans les dernières possessions. Les Honey Badgers vivent une histoire similaire : ils viennent tout juste d’échapper un match après avoir mené par 23 points… face aux mêmes River Lions. Brampton affiche une fiche de 0-9 sur la route cette saison — et devra absolument gagner à l’étranger pour garder espoir. La semaine s’ouvre mardi avec un affrontement entre Scarborough et les BlackJacks d’Ottawa — un avant-goût potentiel de la demi-finale de l’Est. Bien qu’aucune de ces deux équipes n’ait connu une constance irréprochable, elles ont été plus stables que Montréal et Brampton. Cela dit, ni Ottawa ni Scarborough n’a atteint les sommets des River Lions de Niagara. Une défaite des Shooting Stars mardi assurerait officiellement le premier rang aux champions en titre, qui surfent présentement sur une séquence record de sept victoires. Le véritable défi pour Niagara, désormais, sera de garder cette forme jusqu’à Winnipeg. Une autre victoire — ou une défaite de Scarborough — leur garantirait leur place au week-end du Championnat. Dans l’Ouest, les Bandits de Vancouver, premiers au classement, n’ont pas la vie facile avec les Stingers d’Edmonton et le Surge de Calgary à leurs trousses. Le Surge, surtout, est une vraie bête noire pour les Bandits, ayant remporté les trois duels entre les deux équipes cette saison, y compris une victoire serrée de 98-96 vendredi. Vancouver n’a pourtant que cinq défaites au total cette saison. Mais si Vancouver se faisait rattraper, ce serait tout de même une surprise. Les Bandits peuvent éteindre les minces espoirs d’Edmonton avec une victoire vendredi. Pendant ce temps, Calgary entame une série de trois matchs à l'Est contre Scarborough, Ottawa et Montréal, un véritable test pour évaluer la suprématie de l'Ouest. Un balayage du Surge maintiendrait la pression sur Vancouver, mais une défaite pourrait réduire l'enjeu de la dernière semaine. Winnipeg, quatrième dans l'Ouest, aura également une semaine importante avec des matchs contre les Rattlers de la Saskatchewan (derniers) et les Bandits (premiers de l'Ouest). Les Sea Bears espèrent se positionner comme un prétendant sérieux au titre, plus proche du niveau des Bandits que de celui des Rattlers. Le match contre Vancouver pourrait même offrir un avant-goût de la finale de la conférence de l’Ouest — une place pour la grande finale serait alors en jeu. La fin de la saison se précise, mais comme les remontées spectaculaires de la semaine dernière l'ont prouvé, rien n'est gagné d’avance dans la LECB. Et le week-end du Championnat approche à grands pas. Si les séries débutaient aujourd’hui… Niagara et Winnipeg seraient automatiquement qualifiés pour le week-end du Championnat à titre de têtes de série Vancouver accueillerait la demi-finale de l’Ouest contre le gagnant d’un duel tout albertain (Calgary c. Edmonton) Dans l’Est, Scarborough attendrait le gagnant du match éliminatoire entre Ottawa et Montréal Des records à surveiller Quelques chiffres marquants de la semaine : 2 – Après un match de 26 points dimanche, Ahmed Hill (River Lions) n’est qu’à deux points de devenir le premier joueur de l’histoire de la LECB à atteindre 1 500 points en saison régulière. 7 – Niagara a établi un record de franchise avec sept victoires consécutives. 14 – Scottie Lindsey (Edmonton) a besoin de 14 tirs de trois points en cinq matchs pour battre le record de saison, présentement partagé par Teddy Allen (Winnipeg) et Justin Wright-Foreman (Saskatchewan) depuis 2023. 20 – Jaden Bediako (Saskatchewan) a capté 20 rebonds samedi, égalant le record de la LECB pour un seul match, établi l’an dernier par Treveon Graham (Montréal). 46 – Jameer Nelson Jr. (Calgary) a établi un nouveau record de la ligue avec son 46e vol de la saison. Horaire hebdomadaire (11 matchs) Match #98 – Mardi 29 juillet – SSS à OTT – 19 h 30 (HE) – Aréna de la Place TD (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #99 – Jeudi 31 juillet – OTT à NRL – 19 h (HE) – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #100 – Jeudi 31 juillet – CGY à SSS – 19 h 30 (HE) / 17 h 30 (HR) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #101 – Vendredi 1er août – BHB à MTL – 19 h 30 (HE) – Auditorium de Verdun (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #102 – Vendredi 1er août – SSK à WPG – 19 h 30 (HAC) / 18 h 30 (HNC) / 20 h 30 (HE) – Canada Life Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #103 – Vendredi 1er août – VAN à EDM – 19 h (HR) / 18 h (HP) / 21 h (HE) – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #104 – Samedi 2 août – CGY à OTT – 14 h (HE) / midi (HR) – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #105 – Dimanche 3 août – NRL à SSS – 14 h (HE) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #106 – Dimanche 3 août – SSK à EDM – 16 h (HR/HNC) / 18 h (HE) – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #107 – Dimanche 3 août – WPG à VAN – 17 h (HP) / 19 h (HAC) / 20 h (HE) – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #108 – Lundi 4 août – CGY à MTL – 19 h 30 (HE) / 17 h 30 (HR) – Auditorium de Verdun (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Pour l’horaire complet de la LECB 2025, visitez: cebl.ca/fr-ca/games .

(Preview: Week 13) On Aug. 22 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, four teams will compete for the chance to play in the 2025 CEBL Finals. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, those teams’ identities are starting to come into focus. Seven of eight playoff positions have been locked up — though, of course, only half of those teams will make it all the way to Championship Weekend. Only the East’s final spot is still up for grabs to either the Brampton Honey Badgers or Montreal Alliance. It’s looking like it’ll be the latter — Montreal’s magic number is one, meaning any victory or Brampton loss sends it to the post-season. As it happens, the Alliance’s and Honey Badgers’ next games are against each other on Friday in Montreal. The Alliance enters the matchup reeling, having lost two straight and nine of their last 10. After snapping a seven-game skid, Jermaine Small’s squad looked like it was rounding into form when it led the Niagara River Lions by eight in Target Score Time with just two points left for the win on Friday. Instead, the defending champions stormed back to win on a 10-0 run — and Montreal proceeded to drop its ensuing game against the Scarborough Shooting Stars when it was yet again unable to find a late basket. Brampton’s vibes are similar – the Honey Badgers are coming off a 23-point blown-lead loss to those same River Lions. They have also yet to win on the road, where they are 0-9, and now must do so to keep their hopes alive. The week begins with a Scarborough-Ottawa BlackJacks showdown on Tuesday — a potential preview of the East semifinal. While neither team has managed to sustain momentum, they have been less prone to the valleys of Montreal and Brampton. Then again, their peaks haven’t met those of Niagara either. A Shooting Stars loss in this game would sew up the No. 1 seed for the defending champions, who have won a franchise-record seven straight games. More than anything, the River Lions’ challenge now is to ensure they maintain this form by the time they arrive in Winnipeg — a trip that can be booked with their next win or Scarborough’s next loss. Out west, the top-seeded Vancouver Bandits don’t have it as easy, with the Edmonton Stingers and Calgary Surge each hot on their heels. The Surge, in particular, have been a thorn in the Bandits’ side, sweeping the season series 3-0 after a 98-96 win on Friday. Vancouver has lost just five times all season. Still, it would continue to count as a minor surprise if the Bandits are caught by either Alberta team. The Bandits can stick a dagger in the Stingers’ hopes of a miracle late-season run when they meet on Friday. Meanwhile, Calgary heads east for a three-game road trip against Scarborough, Ottawa and Montreal in what could be a true test of the West’s supremacy. A Surge sweep would keep the pressure on Vancouver, but a stumble could lower the stakes for the final week of the season. Winnipeg, the fourth West playoff team, faces an interesting measuring-stick week itself with games against the last-place Saskatchewan Rattlers and first-place Bandits. The Sea Bears are hoping to emerge feeling closer to the class of the latter than the former. At worst, the Bandits game could provide a sneak peek at a possible West final opponent. If they were to meet again, a trip to the Finals would be on the line. The end game is starting to clarify itself — but, as we saw in multiple wild comebacks over the past week, nothing is guaranteed in the CEBL. And Championship Weekend is drawing ever closer. If the playoffs started today… Niagara would join Winnipeg at Championship Weekend as the top seeds Vancouver would host the West semifinal, facing the winner of a Battle of Alberta play-in game The East’s path to Winnipeg would go through Scarborough after an Ottawa-Montreal play-in game Record breakers Some numbers you should know… 2 – after a 26-point outing Sunday, River Lions guard Ahmed Hill needs just two more to become the first player ever to reach 1,500 for his regular-season career 7 – the River Lions have set a franchise record with their current win streak 14 – Edmonton’s Scottie Lindsey needs two touchdowns’ worth of three-pointers over his final five games to break the single-season record shared by Winnipeg’s Teddy Allen and Saskatchewan’s Justin Wright-Foreman in 2023 20 – Saskatchewan’s Jaden Bediako hauled down 20 rebounds on Saturday to match the CEBL’s single-game record, originally set in 2023 by Montreal’s Treveon Graham 46 – Surge guard Jameer Nelson Jr.’s 46th swipe last week broke the league’s single-season record Weekly schedule (11 games) Game #98 – Tuesday, July 29 – SSS at OTT – 7:30 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #99 – Thursday, July 31 – OTT at NRL – 7 p.m. ET – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #100 – Thursday, July 31 – CGY at SSS – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #101 – Friday, Aug. 1 – BHB at MTL – 7:30 p.m. ET – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #102 – Friday, Aug. 1 – SSK at WPG – 7:30 p.m. CDT / 6:30 p.m. CST / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #103 – Friday, Aug. 1 – VAN at EDM – 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #104 – Saturday, Aug. 2 – CGY at OTT – 2 p.m. ET / noon MT – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #105 – Sunday, Aug. 3 – NRL at SSS – 2 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #106 – Sunday, Aug. 3 – SSK at EDM – 4 p.m. MT/CST / 6 p.m. ET – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #107 – Sunday, Aug. 3 – WPG at VAN – 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CDT / 8 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #108 – Monday, Aug. 4 – CGY at MTL – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .

The former Vancouver and Montreal guard has averaged 12.2 points and 4.3 rebounds over 20 career CEBL games

Donovan Williams s’est enflammé en période du pointage cible pour mener les Shooting Stars de Scarborough à une victoire de 94-89 contre l’Alliance de Montréal, dimanche après-midi. L’Alliance a failli réussir une remontée spectaculaire devant ses partisans à l’Auditorium de Verdun, mais Williams avait gardé ses tirs de trois points pour la fin, réussissant deux tirs consécutifs du centre-ville pour clore la rencontre, dont un tir victorieux en réponse au puissant dunk à deux mains du capitaine montréalais Quincy Guerrier. Guerrier l’a défendu de près, mais le tir confiant de Williams derrière l’arc a permis aux Shooting Stars de l’emporter 94-89, faisant taire la foule montréalaise. Williams a terminé la rencontre avec un sommet d’équipe de 24 points, avec une efficacité de huit en quinze. Ce tir décisif a eu d’autant plus d’impact qu’il permet à Scarborough de dépasser les BlackJacks d’Ottawa au deuxième rang dans l’Est. Plus tôt dans la journée, une défaite de Brampton a officiellement confirmé la place en séries de Scarborough et Ottawa. Les Shooting Stars ont maintenant une fiche de deux victoires et une défaite face à Montréal cette saison. Fait intéressant : Anthony Walker de Scarborough jouait pour Montréal lors de leur dernier affrontement. Scarborough a récemment ajouté Aaron Best et Michael Foster à son effectif. Foster, à son premier match, a inscrit douze points et capté huit rebonds, tout en imposant sa présence dans la clé. « Il est débarqué de l’avion, nous a donné une énergie incroyable… il a été un vrai pilier pour nous en fin de match, a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef Mike De Giorgio. Il a fait tout ce qu’on lui a demandé aujourd’hui. » Le match a tenu les champions NBA Bennedict Mathurin et Lu Dort, présents dans les gradins, au bout de leur siège. Montréal a frappé en premier en prenant une avance de quinze points dès le premier quart. Scarborough a rapidement inversé la tendance, mais l’Alliance a retrouvé son rythme avant la mi-temps. Les choses se sont compliquées pour Montréal au troisième quart, qu’ils ont perdu 28 à 13. Scarborough a alors commencé à attaquer le panier sans relâche, obtenant de nombreuses fautes et séjours sur la ligne des lancers francs. Montréal a réussi quelques arrêts consécutifs et a continué à se battre, mais une pénétration de Walker sur la ligne de fond, suivie d'une passe à Foster qui a coupé vers le panier, a permis au Surge de prendre une avance de neuf points. Terquavion Smith a été un élément clé de cette victoire, terminant le match avec 21 points, huit rebonds et neuf passes décisives. Il a souvent répondu aux efforts de Tavian Dunn-Martin, anéantissant les espoirs de remontée de Montréal. L’entraîneur-chef de l’Alliance, Jermaine Small, a souligné que la dépendance excessive aux tirs de trois points dans le troisième quart leur a coûté cher. « Il ne faut pas se contenter de tirs de trois points. Je pense qu’on en a tenté huit d’affilée, ce n’est clairement pas dans notre plan de match, a-t-il dit. Pour sortir de cette mauvaise séquence, il fallait miser davantage sur notre défense que sur notre attaque. » Même après un tir de trois points de Jaden Campbell et un lay-up de Best qui ont porté l’avance de Scarborough à douze au quatrième quart, Montréal n’a jamais cessé d’y croire. Dans une dernière poussée, Guerrier a réussi un hook shot, un tir de trois points, puis a suivi son propre tir raté de loin pour marquer près du panier. Guerrier et Dunn-Martin ont combiné pour 54 des 89 points de Montréal. TDM (28 points et huit passes décisives) a sauvé son équipe à maintes reprises, mais un tir de trois points tardif de Michael Diggins a permis à l’Alliance de revenir à quatre points avant la période du pointage cible. Scarborough a poussé un soupir de soulagement aujourd’hui, alors qu’ils avaient raté leur chance de se qualifier en séries lors de leur dernier revers contre les Honey Badgers de Brampton. Cette victoire met fin à une séquence de deux défaites consécutives. Montréal, de son côté, présente une fiche d’une victoire et cinq défaites à ses six derniers matchs. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600657 À venir pour les deux équipes Les Shooting Stars de Scarborough (9-10) prendront la route vers l’est pour affronter les BlackJacks d’Ottawa (8-10) à la Place TD dans l’unique match de la LECB présenté mardi, le 29 juillet. L’Alliance de Montréal (7-12) accueillera les Honey Badgers de Brampton (5-15) à l’Auditorium de Verdun le vendredi 1er août. Prochain match dans la LECB Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa (8-10) recevront les Shooting Stars de Scarborough (9-10) à la Place TD dans l’unique match de la LECB présenté mardi, le 29 juillet. Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB ainsi que les résultats à jour, visitez le cebl.ca/games . - LECB -

A dominant performance from Simi Shittu against his former team pushed the Winnipeg Sea Bears past the Calgary Surge 79-78 at WinSport Event Centre on Sunday (July 27). The Winnipeg big man notched 28 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in the defensive battle, including the game-winner and a clutch rejection in Target Score Time. “It was personal,” Shittu said. “They kind of shouted us out in the media … but at the end of the day, we're a whole new team, a whole different vibe, so we wanted to come in and show everybody that we’re here in the CEBL and ready to play.” The final regular-season meeting between the Western Conference rivals yielded a back-and-forth showdown with a playoff atmosphere. Trailing by as much as eight in Target Score Time after entering the final stretch with the lead, Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor credited defensive stops and rebounding with the comeback. “In the beginning [of Target Score Time], we weren't very efficient, and we dug a hole for ourselves. And then it was just no quit,” Taylor said. Calgary had a dozen chances to win the game in Target Score Time, including a pair of free throws, but came away empty-handed and had its four-game winning streak snapped. Head coach Kaleb Canales said it was a “grind-it-out” game that the Surge were in a position to win, but failed to get the job done. “[It’s a] hard lesson, but we got to learn from it, and we got to move on. All these games are important,” Canales said. While Shittu was an interior force for the Sea Bears, Surge big man Greg Brown III battled throughout the game with a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double of his own. Calgary guard Evan Gilyard Jr. was a handful with 26 points as well, while Jameer Nelson Jr. added 14 points and made league history with a pair of steals. In his second game back from NBA Summer League, Nelson Jr. set a CEBL single-season steals record with 46, surpassing Lloyd Pandi’s 44 with Ottawa from last season. Canales said Nelson Jr.’s anticipation and feel for the game have allowed him to reach the milestone. “He cares about playing defence, which is rare … it just speaks to his approach and his professionalism,” Canales said. Calgary struggled offensively on Sunday, finishing at just 35 per cent from the floor and 19 per cent from long range. Winnipeg came away better at 41 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from three, but shot 50 per cent from the free-throw line. The Sea Bears also took advantage of 19 Surge turnovers, outscoring their opponents 22-11 in the points-from-turnovers category. Gilyard Jr. said the energy was off for the Surge on Sunday. “We just got to stay together, stay even keel and … weather the storm to win the game. I don't feel like we did that today,” he said. The Surge and Sea Bears both started the game hot behind the arc. The Western Conference rivals traded trifectas early, with Gilyard and Scott each hitting a pair in the opening 10 minutes. As the first quarter progressed, defence emerged as the focal point and Nelson Jr. snagged his record-breaking steal. Winnipeg took a 22-18 lead into the second quarter, and the game stayed close throughout the frame. Shittu was a force inside for Winnipeg, as well as showcasing his range with a three. The Surge seized the lead and forced Taylor into a timeout after a massive dunk from Brown III, set up by Nelson Jr., who just lost a shoe. In the final minutes of the half, Winnipeg and Calgary traded leads multiple times. A Jalen Harris layup carried the Sea Bears into the locker room with a 42-41 advantage. After Nelson Jr. regained the lead for Calgary with the first bucket of the second half, Winnipeg took control for the bulk of the quarter. Timely threes from the Sea Bears extended their advantage, with a Shittu triple providing Winnipeg its largest lead at nine. However, Gilyard and Brown III willed the Surge back into the game. Gilyard scored six consecutive points for Calgary, highlighted by an ankle-breaking take that resulted in a pair of free throws. Brown III then sparked the Surge defence with a rejection before closing the third with five straight points to tie the game. Shittu and Brown III duelled in the early stages of the fourth, leaving their teams two points apart heading into Target Score Time. Winnipeg had the 70-68 advantage in a race to 79. Calgary looked poised for its fifth straight win early in the final stretch. Gilyard and Brown III led the Surge on a 10-1 run to start Target Score Time, putting the home team one point away from victory. However, the Sea Bears locked in on defence and mounted a comeback. Shittu delivered clutch plays on both ends, rejecting a Sean Miller-Moore dunk attempt to win the game and finishing the game-winning layup on the other end. Winnipeg avoided a regular-season series sweep after losing the first three meetings with Calgary. No more matchups are scheduled between the two teams this season, but Winnipeg hosts Championship Weekend and Calgary is locked into a playoff spot. “We know there’s some great teams in the league. Calgary is one of them – they could very well be at Championship Weekend – they've played like a championship-level team all year,” Taylor said. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600660 Up next for both teams Calgary hits the road for a visit to Scarborough on Thursday (July 31) while Winnipeg returns home for a matchup with Saskatchewan on Friday (Aug. 1). Next CEBL action Scarborough visits Ottawa on Tuesday (July 29) as the two squads jostle for playoff position in the Eastern Conference. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Donovan Williams heated up in Target Time to lead the Scarborough Shooting Stars to a 94-89 win over the Montreal Alliance on Sunday. The Alliance nearly pulled off a comeback in front of their hometown fans at Verdun Auditorium. Williams, however, saved his three-point shooting for the end, hitting back-to-back triples to close out the game, including a game-winning answer to Montreal captain Quincy Guerrier’s emphatic two-handed dunk. Guerrier stuck on him like glue, but Williams’ confident downtown stroke gave Scarborough a 94-89 victory and silenced the Montreal crowd. Williams finished with a team-high 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Williams’ game-winning three had an even bigger impact today as it helped Scarborough pull ahead of the Ottawa BlackJacks for second place in the East. A Brampton loss earlier in the day sealed a playoff berth for both Scarborough and Ottawa. Scarborough is 2-1 in their meetings with Montreal this season, and Scarborough’s Anthony Walker played on the opposing team when the two teams last met. Scarborough recently added Aaron Best and Michael Foster. Foster had 12 points and eight rebounds in his debut game and provided inside presence. “He came off the plane, gave us great energy … was a real rock for us down the stretch,” head coach Mike De Giorgio said. “He did everything we asked him to do today.” The exciting Sunday afternoon game kept NBA champions Bennedict Mathurin and Lu Dort - in attendance - on the edge of their seats. Montreal punched first in the game, getting up to an early 15-point lead in the first quarter. Scarborough quickly turned the tide in their favour, but Montreal regained their momentum by halftime. Montreal, however, fell into a hole in the third quarter, losing 28-13. Scarborough started to relentlessly attack the rim, which gave them frequent trips to the free throw line. Montreal got some consecutive stops and kept fighting back, but a baseline drive by Walker and his ensuing pass out to a cutting Foster gave Scarborough a nine-point lead. Terquavion Smith was pivotal, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. He was often an answer to Tavian Dunn-Martin and dashed Montreal’s hopes of a comeback. Montreal head coach Jermaine Small said that overreliance on three-point shooting in the third contributed to them being in a hole. “Not settling for three-pointers. I think we took eight straight, that’s definitely not in the game plan,” he said. He added that the most important part of getting out of that rut was “relying more on our defence than our offense.” Even after a Jaden Campbell three and Best’s layup pushed Scarborough’s lead up to 12 in the fourth, Montreal kept fighting back. In a last-ditch effort, Guerrier made a hook shot, hit a three, followed his own missed three-pointer and scored at the basket. Guerrier and Dunn-Martin combined for 54 of Montreal’s 89 points. TDM (28 points and eight assists) bailed his team out countless times, but Michael Diggins’ three late in the game helped Montreal inch within four points heading into Target Time. Scarborough was relieved today after failing to punch their ticket to the playoffs earlier in a loss against the Brampton Honey Badgers. Their win today ended a two-game losing streak. Montreal is now 1-5 in the last six games. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600657 Up next for both teams The Scarborough Shooting Stars (9-10) head east to face the Ottawa BlackJacks (8-10) at TD Place in CEBL’s lone Tuesday game on July 29. The Montreal Alliance (7-12) host the Brampton Honey Badgers (5-15) at Verdun Auditorium on Friday, August 1. Next CEBL action The Ottawa BlackJacks (8-10) host the Scarborough Shooting Stars (9-10) at TD Place in CEBL’s lone Tuesday game on July 29. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

A game between the two teams on opposite ends of the conference standings came down to the last shot, but it was the East-leading Niagara River Lions that were able to emerge victorious in their seventh straight game. Trailing by as many as 23 points in the second quarter, Niagara leaned on the CEBL’s all-time leading scorer in Ahmed Hill to get them back into the game and lead them to the 86-84 win over the Brampton Honey Badgers. Hill posted a team-high 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting for the River Lions, while Khalil Ahmad had 22 points. Eddie Ekiyor had 10 points and eight rebounds, and Nathan Cayo scored nine points to go with eight rebounds and five assists in the win. “Once he started going, we made sure we were getting him the looks,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said of his star player. “That’s Ahmed Hill. That’s the all-time leading scorer in the CEBL and we have him coming off our bench. He’s a phenomenal teammate and we knew there was a Med game coming, because there hasn’t been a Med game yet, and that was it today.” Niagara became just the fourth team to string together seven consecutive wins, the third longest streak in the history of the CEBL. Today’s victory also secured the River Lions a top-2 seed in the conference, ensuring – at worst – they’ll play host in the semifinal as they continue to vie for the conference’s automatic spot at Championship Weekend. “You have to approach every game the same, whether we clinch it in our next win or it gets clinched in the next loss before that, it doesn’t matter,” Raso added. “There’s a long time before championship weekend, and our task is a very difficult one: becoming the most improved team from now until championship weekend.” Brampton got off to a hot start, scoring the game’s first five points as part of a 20-9 run to start the game. Weatherspoon made his mark early, scoring nine points in the opening frame. But the biggest difference was made on the defensive end, with the home squad holding the opposition to 33-percent shooting and owning a 16-6 rebounding edge in the quarter. An 18-7 run to start the second quarter made it look like the game would soon be completely out of hand, but a timeout by the River Lions sparked a 16-5 run of their own, with Ahmad and Cayo combining to score 12 of those points and evening things up in the quarter to cut the lead back down to 12. With Brampton up 61-48 late in the third quarter, it was an 11-4 Niagara run – with every River Lion point being scored by Hill – that brought them back into the game. “I just wanted to be aggressive, my teammates wanted me to be aggressive, so I just wanted to find my shot. I hit two in a row, so I shot another one to get a good look,” Hill said of the stretch. “We love each other, we have fun playing with each other, but we also got on each other,” he said of his team’s recent success. “When you’re playing like ---, we tell each other and when we’re playing great, we tell each other – it’s the accountability.” The Honey Badgers led 77-76 heading into Target Time, but unfortunately for the home crowd, Hill saw it as an opportunity to take over again. He scored eight of his team’s 10 points in the decisive period, including the game-winning three-point shot. One of the determining factors in the game was Quinndary Weatherspoon’s foul trouble. The team’s leading scorer coming into the game, he had 19 points in the first half before being limited to the bench for the majority of the second half. He ended up with a game-high 28 points, while Ali Sow filled in admirably in his role to contribute 12 points off the bench. Bryson Williams had eight points and 11 rebounds, and Prince Oduro had six points and 12 boards. “I thought we had that one and we let it slip,” Oduro said. “There were some unfortunate events: (Weatherspoon)’s foul troubles, me getting hurt. Stuff like that is really out of our control, but we can do a better job of focusing on what we can control.” The loss was Brampton’s eighth in their last nine games after they snapped a seven-game losing streak last time out. With their positioning in the standings, they have to win out their remaining three games and hope for some help from the teams above them in order to make the playoffs. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600655 Up next for both teams The Brampton Honey Badgers start a three-game road trip to finish out their season against the Montreal Alliance on August 1. The Niagara River Lions will play their final home game of the season against the Ottawa BlackJacks on July 31. Next CEBL action The Scarborough Shooting Stars take on the Ottawa BlackJacks on July 29 in a game pivotal to both teams playoffs hopes, streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Wisconsin native joins the Shooting Stars with NBA Summer League and G League experience

The Niagara River Lions announced today the signing of 6-foot-9 Canadian forward Meshack Lufile, whose deal was finalized ahead of the team’s July 26 transaction deadline. The 32-year-old Burlington, Ontario native started the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season with the Ottawa Blackjacks where he averaged 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 7 games. “Meshack is a veteran Canadian 5 man, who will bring a veteran presence and depth to our team for our playoff run”, said Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. “He’s a quality basketball player who is familiar with our team and organization, and we are glad to have him for the rest of the season.” Lufile is no stranger to the CEBL having suited up for the Guelph Nighthawks (now Calgary Surge ), Newfoundland Growlers, Edmonton Stingers , Scarborough Shooting Stars , and Ottawa Blackjacks . Lufile’s eight-year professional career has taken him overseas playing in The Netherlands, Romania and most recently KTP Basket of the Finnish Korisliiga League where he finished first in blocks (26), second in rebounds (154), third in points (335) and fifth in assists (42). Prior to his professional career, Lufile played for Cape Breton University from 2011 to 2016 where he was named to the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) First All-Star Team in 2014–15 and earned AUS Defensive Player of the Year honours in 2015–16. Lufile is part of a basketball family, with three of his brothers having CEBL experience. Meshack joins his brother Elijah currently on the River Lions,, while Abednego and Chadrack previously suited up for the Guelph franchise during the 2019 season. “I’m excited to be part of an organization that has championship pedigree, and learning from a great group of guys. I’m hoping to bring a veteran presence, hard work ethic and a low post threat to add to what they have already established”, said Lufiile, “I’m also excited to share the court with my brother, in what feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity.” The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL and the league's reigning champions. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information. ###