Les Bandits reprennent la première place avec une victoire marquante contre les BlackJacks

The ball was in Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Jalen Harris’ hands in the last possession of the game. In isolation, he banked a mid-range jumper to secure a thrilling comeback victory on Saturday night. He waved Scarborough fans a good night as Winnipeg stole the game 87-86. Prior to Target Time, Scarborough maintained a double-digit lead for most of the second half. At one point, Winnipeg was down by 17 points, and every time there was a flicker of hope for Winnipeg, Scarborough seemed to pour ice cold water over it. That was the case until the very end. A beautiful backcut by Harris and pass by Emmanuel Akot narrowed the lead to eight points. A three-pointer by Tevian Jones and bucket by Nathan Bilamu helped Winnipeg inch within five points ahead of Target Time. At the end, the game started to feel close like the first quarter. Scarborough hoisted a couple of three-pointers that missed the mark in the crucial moments of the game. Almost perfectly on cue, as CEBL+ colour commentator Brady Heslip, who was a three-point marksman during his playing career, suggested that three-pointers were not necessary, Donovon Willaims let one fly in an attempt to put away the game and missed. “One of our goals is to get to the hoop and play with pace, score easily at the rim. I thought we did that at times,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said while reflecting on the game. “We want to get easy baskets and we want to get threes that are good for our team. Find great shots every time down. We didn’t do that on a consistent basis and that ended up coming back and hurting us.” Before Target Time, Scarborough had only attempted 18 threes. In the first half, Scarborough led 22-19 and 26-21 in the first and second quarters, respectively. Winnipeg inched within one point with two minutes and 15 seconds left in the first half, but they went scoreless until halftime. Scarborough closed out with a 7-0 run, punctuated by Yuri Collins’ step-back mid-range jumper, which gave Scarborough an eight-point buffer. Though things started to look like they were slipping for Winnipeg in the third quarter, the series of comeback attempts made early allowed them to make one extra push at the end. In the third quarter, Jalen Harris initiated the offense with 10 seconds left on the clock, passed to the cutter, the ball got swung to the wing, and an extra pass to the corner led to a wide-open corner triple by Jones. In the subsequent offensive play, Jones made a dribble drive for a paint two. Winnipeg inched within two points, but Scarborough quickly pulled away. Scarborough guard Williams’ bucket gave his team a 57-43 boost. While Akot’s triple and Kyle Filewich’s paint two made it a single-digit game, Williams’ triple and Danilo Djuricic’s triple made it a 15-point game. In the fourth quarter, playing catch-up all game paid dividends for Winnipeg as a beautiful pass by Jaylin Williams to Jalen Harris established synergy, and in the subsequent possession, Harris got to the hoop again, but the missed shot was tipped in. Winnipeg head coach and general manager Mike Taylor was relieved to escape with a victory after losing to Brampton the previous night. “The beginning of the season has been a bit tough for us,” admitted Taylor. “We’ve upgraded with Jalen [Harris], we saw the difference he makes today with the game-winning shot. We also added Simi Shittu, he joined us here on the road trip here to the GTA, so we’re really happy about that.” Saturday night’s victory was Winnipeg’s first road victory of the season. Alex Campbell also became the first-ever player to play in 100 regular season CEBL games. Unaware of his milestone, he was shocked. “I didn’t even know. It means a lot though and it just goes to show my stick-to-itiveness and age in this league,” he said. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600584 Up next for both teams Winnipeg (2-5) will return home and host the Montreal Alliance on Wednesday, June 11 at Canada Life Centre. Scarborough (3-2) will stay home and host the Montreal Alliance at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Monday, June 9. Scarborough will have played three games in four days. Next CEBL action There was only one CEBL game tonight, but three remain on deck for tomorrow. The Brampton Honey Badgers (1-6) will be looking for their first road win against the Niagara River Lions. The Ottawa BlackJacks (2-3) will be out west to face the Calgary Surge (5-2). Last but not least, the Vancouver Bandits will be visiting SaskTel Centre to face the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-4). For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Le basketball est un sport de séquences, et les meilleures équipes savent conserver les avances prises tôt dans la rencontre. L’Alliance de Montréal a fait exactement cela vendredi, inscrivant 105 points – un sommet dans l’histoire de la franchise lors d’un match. Tavian Dunn-Martin, de l’Alliance de Montréal, a offert une véritable démonstration derrière l’arc en première demie. Dès le premier quart, il a littéralement fait perdre les souliers à Torin Dorn Jr., des Stingers d’Edmonton, avant de réussir un tir de trois points. Ensuite, Ben Stevens a réalisé un bloc en défense, déclenchant deux autres tirs de trois points consécutifs signés Dunn-Martin, ce qui a forcé un temps d’arrêt. Montréal menait alors 24-11. Le deuxième quart n’a offert aucun répit aux Stingers. Le co-capitaine de Montréal, Quincy Guerrier, a laissé la vedette à Dunn-Martin, le meneur de 5 pieds et 8 pouces, qui a électrisé les plus de 3300 partisans réunis à Montréal avec un style de jeu rappelant Fred VanVleet — petit, spectaculaire et efficace. Dunn-Martin a posé un écran bas, puis a coupé rapidement après un écran en flair pour réussir un tir de trois points. Il a ensuite enchaîné avec un tir en reculant (step-back) contre Hornsby, juste avant que le deuxième tir de trois points de Malcolm Duvivier ne force un temps d’arrêt. Dunn-Martin a continué de faire monter l’intensité d’un cran. Lorsque Sean East II, le troisième meilleur marqueur de la LECB, a réussi un tir de trois points pour garder l’écart sous la barre des 20, Dunn-Martin a utilisé un écran de son coéquipier pour ridiculiser Elijah Miller, des Stingers d’Edmonton, en décochant un tir de trois points presque depuis le logo central. Mais la démonstration de tirs de trois n’était pas réservée à Dunn-Martin. Malcolm Duvivier a aussi inscrit trois tirs de trois dans le deuxième quart, permettant à l’Alliance de Montréal de prendre une avance de 26 points à la mi-temps. Avec une première demie dominante, Montréal a pu compter sur ses joueurs de soutien en deuxième moitié. « On a des chiens qui sortent du banc », a lancé Dunn-Martin avec enthousiasme. « Ils arrivent et donnent 100 % à chaque présence. » Le banc de Montréal a contribué 37 points, dont 13 points chacun pour Kevin Osawe et Dontay Bassett. L’entraîneur-chef de Montréal, Jermaine Small, a d’ailleurs qualifié Osawe de meilleur joueur du match. La deuxième moitié a été plus positive pour les Stingers. Keon Ambrose-Hylton, ailier d’Edmonton, s’est réveillé au troisième quart, inscrivant tous ses points dans la clé. « Je devais retrouver mon rythme. Je savais qu’on devait réagir », a-t-il mentionné. « Edmonton aurait pu baisser les bras, mais ils nous ont poussés », a affirmé Small. « Ils ont fait les ajustements en deuxième demie. » Montréal avait limité la vedette Sean East II à cinq points au premier quart, mais ce dernier a tout de même terminé la rencontre avec 27 points, un sommet dans le match. « C’est le premier joueur dont on a parlé toute la semaine », a confié Jermaine Small à la journaliste sur les lignes de côté, Gabriela Hebert, au début du match. « Il a besoin du ballon pour marquer, donc le but, c’est de l’empêcher d’y toucher le plus possible et de lui envoyer plusieurs défenseurs. » Small a ajouté qu’il devra revoir la vidéo du match pour analyser certaines erreurs commises en deuxième demie. Bien que l’Alliance de Montréal ait déjà compté sur une avance plus confortable, l’équipe ne menait que par 18 points en amorçant la période du pointage cible, malgré une efficacité remarquable au tir : 63 % de réussite à l’intérieur de l’arc et 42 % derrière la ligne des trois points. La soirée a aussi marqué la première fois dans l’histoire de la LECB qu’on disputait cinq matchs en une seule soirée. Pour Montréal, c’était le premier vrai test après deux victoires contre les Honey Badgers de Brampton, derniers au classement, qu’ils avaient limités à 68,5 points en moyenne lors de ces affrontements. Avant le match de ce soir, Montréal menait la ligue au chapitre des passes décisives avec 27 passes par match, mais a battu son propre record avec 31 passes ce soir. Fiche du match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600605 À venir pour les deux équipes Montréal (3-0) se rendra à l’ouest au Centre sportif Pan Am de Toronto le lundi 9 juin pour affronter les Shooting Stars de Scarborough (3-1). « Je pense que cette semaine va nous mettre à l’épreuve. Je pense qu’elle va vraiment révéler qui nous sommes, » a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef de Montréal Jermaine Small après le match du 6 juin. « C’est sur la route qu’on développe sa carapace. » Edmonton (2-5) retournera à la maison et accueillera les BlackJacks d’Ottawa (2-2) le mardi 10 juin au Centre EXPO. Prochain match dans la LECB Demain sera une journée beaucoup plus tranquille avec un seul match. Les Sea Bears de Winnipeg (1-5), hôtes du week-end du Championnat cette année, tenteront d’améliorer leur fiche contre les Shooting Stars de Scarborough au Centre sportif Pan Am de Toronto. Scarborough voudra retrouver le chemin de la victoire après avoir vu sa fiche parfaite de 3-0 prendre fin contre les River Lions de Niagara vendredi soir. Pour le calendrier complet 2025 de la LECB et les résultats à jour, visitez cebl.ca/fr-ca/games . - LECB -

A full schedule of CEBL play wrapped up on the West Coast as the Vancouver Bandits hosted the Ottawa BlackJacks in a high-stakes cross-conference clash. The Bandits returned to the win column with a 95-81 victory over the BlackJacks at the Langley Events Centre, improving to 6-1 and reclaiming the top spot in the West after suffering their first loss of the season last weekend. Led by Mitch Creek, who finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, the Australian import maintained his consistent level of play despite a tight back-and-forth with the Eastern Conference visitors. “We understand that teams might be able to stay with us for three quarters,” Creek commented on playing a complete game as a team. “When we got to the fourth quarter, we really turned it up. We had each other’s backs, and we had that groove, confidence and swagger to come back… That’s the basketball we know we play and we’re excited to carry that momentum forward.” While it didn’t show on the score sheet, Kyle Mangas offered a steadying force throughout the night. He created opportunities from the back court with two steals, one block and a team-leading seven defensive rebounds. “Kyle didn’t have a great game offensively, but he’s so calm and confident,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius on the American import. “He’s so resilient and he makes a few plays in the end that going in the fourth quarter, his steadiness and maturity makes a big difference.” Despite the loss, Ottawa (2-3) did not go down without a fight as their bench contributed 42 points in the game. Quarterbacked by Christian Rohlehr, who neared a double-double of 11 points and nine rebounds. “They made that push for us,” said Rohlehr about the BlackJacks’ bench contributions. “They give the guys confidence and make us fight. We believe that we can get away with a win but we just couldn’t execute all the way.” Justin Jackson also made a key impact off the bench, scoring 12 points off the bench, shooting 4-for-6 and a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. “Our bench has been really good for us,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro commented on the full roster involvement. “They come in and they pick up defensively. They run their offense. They don’t try to do too much and just try to be solid.” The first half saw both teams trade momentum. The Bandits pulled ahead early with a 21-12 lead in the first quarter, but the BlackJacks stormed back in the second, outscoring the home team 23-17 to cut Vancouver’s lead to just 38-35 going into halftime. Ottawa’s second half comeback was heavily backed by their bench scoring with a combined 18 points before halftime and strong defense with 11 rebounds while generating a plus-6 to close the first 20 minutes of the game. The second half remained tight. Jackson’s hot streak—including three consecutive threes—kept the BlackJacks within one point entering the final frame, trailing just 65-64. But the final momentum shift went in the way of Vancouver. The Bandits immediately responded to their first sight of losing their lead they managed to maintain throughout the game. Opening the final frame with a 10-2 run in preparation for Target Score Time, they outpaced the BlackJacks. With less than three minutes left on the clock before time was stopped, the Bandits threw down the final gauntlet, bringing the score up to 86-74, setting Target Score to 95 points. From there, Tyrese Samuel and Curtis Hollis took over, dropping four and five points, respectively to secure the win and send the BlackJacks back on the road. For Julius and his roster, Friday night was an opportunity to put their training and preparation to the test. Starting the 2025 season with dominant wins over their opponents, they found themselves needing to shift and remind themselves that no win will come easily. Their 95-80 loss to the Calgary Surge was a reality check. “In Calgary, we found ourselves a step slow. We were lethargic, didn’t have a scout, didn’t have a shootaround—we were put in the trenches,” Creek reflected on their loss and how the Bandits returned to form for tonight, “We found ourselves going back and reteaching the basics, fundamentals, floor spacing—things that people overlook seven games into a season.” These resets, even throughout the game with so called “anger time-outs” (according to Julius) were reminders for the Bandits to regain their fight and play harder. As for Ottawa, the road ahead is tough as they try to return to a .500 record. “We’re going through rough patches,” DeAveiro admitted. “We haven’t responded the way we wanted to so we’ll go back and watch the tape to figure out ways we can manage those situations better… The big thing is staying together and probably keep relying on our bench to get us through tough situations like that.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600611 Up next Vancouver has a short turnaround as they immediately head back out on the road, visiting the 2-4 Saskatchewan Rattlers for a Sunday afternoon matinee. Ottawa takes their Western Conference road trip to Calgary with a quick stop visiting the 5-2 Surge. Next CEBL action The 1-5 Winnipeg Sea Bears and 3-1 Scarborough Shooting Stars continue the weekend of CEBL action on Saturday after both teams played Friday night. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

On a night where they didn’t have their best shooting performance, the Saskatchewan Rattlers showed they had enough grit and determination to pull out the victory. Nate Pierre-Louis led the way with 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the Rattlers came back after trailing by six at the start of Target Time to take the 87-84 win and snap the Calgary Surge’s four-game winning streak. The win was also Saskatchewan’s first over Calgary since the franchise relocated from Guelph in 2023. “I was just trying my best to rebound, start the pace,” the star import said. “I feel like when I rebound, it’s a lot less thinking, more reaction. I pride myself on that. Just trying to rebound, start the break, and make really easy decisions.” “I think that we’re learning each other even more, practice has been good,” he said of his team’s growth early into the season. “We’ve been gelling really well and I think we’re about to play our best basketball. These past two wins show what kind of guys we have; we have high-character guys. We’re some dogs, and we pride ourselves on that.” Jamir Chaplin added 19 points, Cody John chipped in with 16 points, and Jordan Bowden scored five of his 11 points in Target Time to seal the dramatic comeback. It was the second straight win for the Rattlers, who have bounced back from an 0-4 start to their season. “This team is resilient,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said after the game. “It’s an amazing group of guys that just dig in when things get harder. For me, it’s just trying to make sure I’m trying to put them in the right spots at the right time and they just keep battling through. We’ve been building throughout the entire season. Outside of our first game, every game has been close for us. I think we’ve used that as a learning opportunity. You can see that in Target Time now. We don’t get stressed in the moment and we’ve been able to pull out a couple of wins here.” Things started out well enough for Saskatchewan as they got off to a 15-7 lead at the 4:57 mark before Calgary called a time out. As a quick pep talk from head coach Kaleb Canales, the Surge got off to a run befitting their name and cut the lead to one by the end of the first quarter. They continued their strong play through the entirety of the game, leading from the 3:21 mark of the second quarter until the end of Target Time. “It’s a long game,” Surge head coach Kaleb Canales said of his team’s rough start. “We talked about pushing the ball in transition. I thought they did a good job of getting offensive rebounds, so we cleaned up some things, but we just have to tip our hats to them. They made some shots down the stretch.” Greg Brown III put up a team-high 22 points in the loss to go with eight rebounds, while Jameer Nelson Jr. and Sean Miller-Moore had 18 and 17 points, respectively. Osayi Osifo had 10 of his team’s 13 points off the bench and also finished with seven rebounds. The Surge were without a pair of key contributors in Khyri Thomas and Stefan Jankovic due to injury. As a result, the team was shorthanded and only seven players played at least five minutes in the game. “They’re two really big pieces to our team, so they really could’ve helped us, but it’s next man up,” Brown said of his fallen teammates. “Next man has the opportunity to go seize it. But with them out of the lineup, we really needed to go get it.” The game played as a battle of opposing strategies, as Magdanz’s Rattlers team took over 40 three-pointers throughout the contest, while Canales’ Surge squad tried to use their size and athleticism to run the floor and score most of their points in the paint. For the majority of the contest, it looked like things would turn out in the home team’s favour as the Surge racked up a total of 52 points-in-the-paint while the road squad shot just 5-of-36 from the three-point line as they headed into Target Time. But the Rattlers come up big when it mattered most. “I feel like they didn’t do anything different; it was on us,” Brown lamented. “We have to come with the same fire that we normally do coming into games. My being on the boards a bit, me being a rim protector, I could have done a better job tonight. They have some really good guards – I know Nate Pierre-Louis personally – but we just have to be better.” The loss dropped the Surge to 1-1 during their five-game homestand, while the Rattlers won back-to-back road games for the first time since July 11 & 13 of the 2023 season. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600608 Up next for both teams The Calgary Surge continue their five-game homestand as they welcome the Ottawa BlackJacks for the first time this season on June 8. On the same day, the Saskatchewan Rattlers will play hosts to the Vancouver Bandits in a rematch of both teams’ season openers. Next CEBL action The Winnipeg Sea Bears head to Scarborough to take on the Shooting Stars, streaming live on Game+, CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Basketball is a game of runs, and the best teams maintain leads established early. Montreal did just that on Friday, scoring 105 points – the most the franchise has ever scored in a single game. Montreal’s Tavian Dunn-Martin put on a three-point clinic in the first half. In the first quarter, he crossed Edmonton’s Torin Dorn Jr. out of his shoes and nailed a triple. Montreal’s Ben Stevens then got a block on the defensive end, fueling back-to-back triples for Dunn-Martin. His transition pull-up three-pointer triggered a timeout and Montreal was up 24-11. The second quarter didn’t get any easier for Edmonton. Montreal’s co-captain Quincy Guerrier took a backseat as the 5-foot-8 Dunn-Martin continued to give the 3,300-plus Montreal fans a taste of Fred VanVleet-esque undersized, dazzling guard play. Dunn-Martin set a screen down low, then flew off a flair screen, and cashed a triple. He hit a step-back three on Hornsby before Montreal guard Malcolm Duvivier’s second three-pointer forced a timeout. Dunn-Martin continued to turn the excitement dial up. When the league’s third-leading scorer Sean East II hit a triple to keep the lead within 20 points, Dunn-Martin used his teammate’s screen and embarrassed Edmonton’s Elijah Miller, hitting a near-logo three-pointer. The three-point clinic was not Martin’s alone as Duvivier splashed three triples in the second, helping Montreal to a 26-point lead at halftime. Establishing a dominant first half meant Montreal’s role players moved to the driver’s seat in the second half. “We got some dogs coming off the bench,” Dunn-Martin said with enthusiasm. “They come in and give 100% effort every time.” Montreal’s bench had 37 points, and Kevin Osawe and Dontay Bassett both had 13 points. Montreal head coach Jermaine Small referred to Osawe as the team’s best player tonight. The second half went better for Edmonton. Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton came alive in the third quarter and scored all his points inside. “It was just finding my rhythm. I knew our team needed to make a run,” he said. “Edmonton could have folded and gave up, but they pushed us,” Small said. “They adjusted in the second half.” Montreal limited Edmonton’s star East to five points in the first quarter, but he still finished the game with a game-high 27 points. “He’s the first person we talked about all week,” Small said to sideline reporter Gabriela Hebert at the start of the game. “He needs the ball in his hands to score, so take the ball out of his hands as much as possible and just throw a lot of bodies at him.” Small said that he will need to review film to see some of the mistakes made in the second half. Montreal was only up 18 points going into Target Time despite establishing a bigger lead before, though they shot an amazing 63 per cent from inside the arc and 42 per cent outside of it. CEBL had its first five-game night in its history. Montreal faced its first real test after defeating the league-worst Brampton Honey Badgers twice, and held them to 68.5 points through two games. Prior to tonight’s game, Montreal led the league in assists per game (27), but topped its own record with 31 tonight. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600605 Up next for both teams Montreal (3-0) will head west to Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Monday, June 9 to play against the Scarborough Shooting Stars (3-1). “I think this week will test us. I think it will really test who we are,” said Montreal head coach Jermaine Small after the June 6 game. “The road is where you build your skin.” Edmonton (2-5) will return home and host the Ottawa BlackJacks (2-2) on Tuesday, June 10th at EXPO Centre. Next CEBL action Tomorrow will be a much quieter day with only one game. This year’s Championship Weekend host Winnipeg Sea Bears (1-5) will be looking to improve their record against the Scarborough Shooting Stars at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Scarborough will be hungry to get back in the win column after conceding its perfect 3-0 record to the Niagara River Lions on Friday night. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Both squads entered Brampton amid skids, but only the Honey Badgers (1-6) left with a much-needed notch in the win column. They made sure of it by picking up an 81-74 comeback victory over the Winnipeg Sea Bears (1-5) at the CAA Centre on Friday. It was an entire team effort for Brampton in order to get its first win and put its franchise-worst 0- 6 start to bed. Four different players finished in double digits for points, led by Koby McEwen’s game-high 23. Behind him was Quinndary Weatherspoon, who finished with 17 points in 21 minutes on 50 per cent shooting from the field and three-point line. Meanwhile, Amari Kelly chipped in 11 points and nine rebounds while David Muenkat scored 10, including the game-winner in Target Score Time. “We’ve been talking about playing together the entire time,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said after the win. “I thought we did a way better job sticking together through adversity, ups and downs of the game. We got through that … I definitely feel like we’re in the right direction.” An impressive victory in and of itself was accentuated by the absence of Weatherspoon, who didn’t play the entire fourth quarter after he was disqualified following a second technical foul. Yet despite missing the league’s eight-best scorer (20.4 points per game) and trailing the entire fourth until Target Time, the Honey Badgers showed a resolve not previously seen until Friday. “Maybe in the past, we might have crumbled,” Cassimy said on Brampton’s comeback without its leading scorer. “(But) we’re more together as a group now, we’ve talked some things out and we’re building our chemistry together, so we were able to rally and get through adversity." On the other side, the Sea Bears have now lost five straight and remain winless on the road. That was even with the addition of Jalen Harris, who finished with a team-high 17 points to go with four rebounds and six assists in his Sea Bears debut. And despite the loss, it didn’t take long for the two-time All-CEBL guard to reach another milestone just one game into his fourth season. With his first helper of the night, Harris became just the 50th player in league history to reach 100 total assists (regular season only). A majority of Winnipeg’s production beyond that came from its second unit. The trio of Emmanuel Akot, Terry Roberts and Nathan Bilamu put up 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively, as the Sea Bears won the bench-scoring battle 39-16. “Had the lead going into Target Score Time, but we did not finish our plays. Give credit to Brampton,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said post-game. “It was a hard-fought game, both teams really wanted to get the win … We got great bench production for our team, put ourselves where we needed to be, but we got to do a better job finishing the game.” While all eyes were on Harris early — fair, considering he set the CEBL’s single-game scoring record of 45 points just last year and scored five of Winnipeg’s first nine points on Friday, including a deep-triple on his very first attempt — it was Brampton that carved out an early advantage. “Played with such poise and helped us organize the game,” Taylor said of Harris’ Sea Bears debut. “There’s lots of potential there … really excited to have him.” The Honey Badgers took their first lead of the ball game on a Muenkat three midway through the first and held on to a 22-21 edge to end the opening frame. Leading that effort was McEwen, who scored eight of his 16 first-half points in the quarter, including a 2-of-3 start from downtown. Brampton built on that margin throughout the second, largely thanks to its rim pressure, finishing the first half with 18 paint points (plus-eight). Part of that effort was their dominance on the glass, earning a 24-11 first-half rebounding edge. Seven of those boards came on the offensive end (plus-six) for 11 unanswered second-chance points. “We did a good job controlling the glass,” McEwen said post-game. “We got out and ran a little bit more, and there was just more flow and pace to our offence … there was no choice but to get that win.” It was an inspired effort in stark contrast to their usual rebounding woes — the Honey Badgers entered Friday ranked last for total (34.7) and offensive (8.5) boards. They would go on to finish the game a plus-18 on the glass and plus-14 for second-chance points thanks to a 14-8 edge for offensive rebounds. “Definitely an emphasis,” Cassimy said on the Honey Badgers’ rebounding effort on Friday. “We’re continuing to get better … hopefully that’s something we see every game from now on. Being relentless on the offensive glass and finding other opportunities to score.” All of which should have been enough for Brampton to hold onto a seven-point lead it carved out in the opening half, had it not been for Winnipeg’s lights-out shooting. The Sea Bears shot 8-of-15 (53 per cent) from beyond the arc through the first 20 minutes and it allowed them to end the second quarter on a 7-2 run and knot the score at 45-45 going into the break. Winnipeg’s hot start was a bucking of a trend as well, entering the evening ranked last in three-point percentage (25.7) despite averaging the second-most attempts (35.8) from distance. And although that well did run dry for much of the third quarter — the Sea Bears missed their first eight shots from deep in the frame — the one that dropped proved the difference maker. With six seconds left in the period, Akot nailed his third of five triples on the night and gave Winnipeg a three-point lead (63-60) headed into the fourth. The Sea Bears held onto the lead into Target Score Time, up 71-67, before the Honey Badgers' relentless pressure returned and paid major dividends. Brampton’s effort to get to the rim not only led to back-to-back layups to start Target Time, but it quickly got the team into the bonus. The Honey Badgers ended up shooting 32 free throws (plus-17) on the night, none more important than the final five they hit while outscoring the Sea Bears 14-2 to end the game. McEwen grabbed a loose ball and nailed an acrobatic putback before finishing off the and-one play at the charity stripe, and then Muenkat nailed two freebies of his own prior to his game-winning triple. “Basketball is a next-man-up sport,” Muenkat said during his on-court post-game interview. “This is a step in the right direction for us, this is the brand of basketball we want to play for the rest of the season … hopefully we can continue on this kind of momentum.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600601 Up next The Sea Bears will get no time to dwell on the loss, as they visit Scarborough on Saturday to take on the 3-1 Shooting Stars following their first loss. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers return Sunday, facing the defending champion River Lions (4-2) in Niagara for the first of four regular-season meetings. Next CEBL action The CEBL’s first-ever five-game slate continues on Friday, with three more games to wrap up the action. The 2-0 Montreal Alliance host the 2-4 Edmonton Stingers at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the 5-1 Calgary Surge welcoming the 1-4 Saskatchewan Rattlers for their first matchup this year at 9:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local). Wrapping up the festivities will be the 5-1 Vancouver Bandits and the 2-2 Ottawa BlackJacks at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local). For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

On a night when Niagara’s Khalil Ahmad achieved a rare individual feat, it took a team effort to eke out a victory. Ahmad scored 17 points to cross the 1,000-point barrier for his career, five other River Lions scored in double digits and Niagara beat the Scarborough Shooting Stars 98-94 on Friday at the Meridian Centre. Niagara improved to 4-2 with the win, while Scarborough suffered its first loss of the season to fall to 3-1. River Lions head coach Victor Raso said his team “gutted out” the victory. “We got tough down the stretch. We got stops when we need it. We made big plays. We're finding ways to win. And, you know, we've won four really close games. So we got work to do regardless, but I like our team's toughness and grit,” Raso said. The River Lions led 89-84 when the clock stopped for Target Score Time. And while the Shooting Stars got within one, the River Lions mostly controlled the closing stretch. In the end, it was Nathan Cayo — the Canadian who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds — who established post position for a turnaround game-winner off the glass. Shooting Stars head coach Michael De Giorgio said he was “proud” of his team’s fight. “We had a couple good looks that we just missed, and sometimes in this league, you've got to be able to take advantage of those looks when you get them. And they made plays. That's a good team on the other side, but that was a good physical war from both teams,” he said. Niagara’s previous game was a nail-biting loss one week ago against the Saskatchewan Rattlers which snapped a 15-game regular-season home winning streak. The game also marked Ahmad’s first of the season, and he exploded for 36 points. Yet Niagara still suffered the defeat, and to make matters even worse, both Guillaume Boucard and Ron Curry sustained injuries that prevented them from playing against the Shooting Stars. But Niagara’s depth stepped up in their absence. Bench big Gatluak James nearly achieved his first professional double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Fellow centre Elijah Lufile had 14 points and five rebounds. Ahmed Hill showed flashes of a breakout with 14 points and six boards. And captain Kimbal Mackenzie, one game after being out with injury, scored 10 of his 13 points in the first quarter to spark Niagara to an early lead, then turned into a distributor with a career-high nine assists. “Kimbal has been our best player since the year started. He's just a really good basketball player. Like, he's just good. He's tough. He can shoot it, he makes plays, he gets us into things, he's competitive, he's leader, he's a coach on the floor. He's playing the best basketball he's ever played,” Raso said. Mackenzie said he was just happy for his team to pull out the win — and that he simply tries to stay ready no matter the situation. “I'm always ready to play whatever that may be, starting, coming off the bench, not playing. I'll be ready to go,” he said. Ahmad became the fourth player in league history to surpass 1,000 regular-season points, joining teammate Hill, Scarborough’s Cat Barber and Winnipeg’s Alex Campbell. He also added eight assists and four rebounds in the victory. “Special, special, special talent, even better guy,” Mackenzie said. “I've had the pleasure of getting to know him over the past couple of years, and just a pleasure to be around, plays the game in such a free-flowing way.” Scarborough was led by Donovan Williams, the league’s second-leading scorer behind Ahmad, who had 29 points and seven assists but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. “He's doing a really good job being efficient. I hold him accountable to the things that he's doing. We watch film, we do all that kind of stuff, so just we're trying to make him better at the same time as having team success. So there'll be some good teaching clips from tonight that we can use going into that game tomorrow,” De Giorgio said. Williams poured in 17 of his points during a third quarter in which he was near-unstoppable. He credited Steph Curry for teaching him the mindset to stay focused during those types of runs. “He talked to me a lot about flow state. So when you work so tirelessly on shots, whether you're making it, whether you miss … you're just playing. You're not worried about the refs, you're not worried about fouls, defence, whatever it is, you’re just out there doing what you love,” Williams said. Jayden Coke, of Richmond Hill, Ont., was a force off the bench for the Shooting Stars, contributing 18 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. David Walker (12 points) and Jaden Campbell (11 points) also reached double digits. “We needed a little bit more energy to start the game, but other than that, that's a good team on the other side. And we came in here, we held our own, and took them down to the wire,” De Giorgio said. Scarborough’s Barber (reconditioning) and Hason Ward (NBA tryout) were both absent. Led by Mackenzie’s early surge, the River Lions raced to a 17-5 lead and held a 26-18 advantage after the first quarter. The Shooting Stars fought back in the second frame, using an 18-8 run to gain their first lead of the game. But Niagara responded with an 11-1 run of its own and led 55-47 at halftime. In the third quarter, Williams caught fire, helping stake the Shooting Stars to a 75-71 lead entering the final frame. The fourth quarter then went back and forth before Niagara sent the crowd home happy. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600599 Up Next The Shooting Stars are right back at it on Saturday when they host the Winnipeg Sea Bears, while the River Lions stay home to face the Honey Badgers on Sunday. Next CEBL Action The Shooting Stars-Sea Bears game is the lone contest scheduled for Saturday. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

The Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday that they have re-signed Calvin Epistola. The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 3.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 12.0 minutes through 11 games with the Scarborough Shooting Stars in 2022. Since then he has been playing for KCC Egis in the Korean Basketball League where he averaged 3.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 14.5 minutes per game through 52 games this past season. Epistola won the KBL Championship in 2023-24 with the team. The Ottawa Gee-Gee alum averaged 10.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 22.5 minutes per game through 106 games over a five-year collegiate career at the University of Ottawa. During his senior year he averaged 19.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals in 28.5 minutes per game through 22 games. Started every game of the season and was named U Sports First-Team All-Canadian, becoming the first Filipino to receive that honour. He was also named OUA First Team All-Star that year. Epistola will reunite with Scarborough Shooting Stars teammate Danilo Djuricic ahead of the 2025 season. The Scarborough Shooting Stars kicked off their 2025 season on Sunday May 25 at CAA Centre against the Brampton Honey Badgers. The Shooting Stars hosted two day time games against the Ottawa BlackJacks and Saskatchewan Rattlers at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre for their first home games last week and will be heading to St. Catherines to take on the Niagara River Lions tonight. Head to scarboroughshootingstars.ca for additional information on the team, tickets and schedule. ### 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 12 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. More than 20 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+ , TSN, TSN+, RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

The 2024 All-CEBL Second Team guard has averaged 21.2 points in 33 career games with Scarborough and Saskatchewan