Long-Range Shooting Lifts Bandits Past Rattlers

Après une première demie chaudement disputée, les Stingers d’Edmonton ont pris le contrôle du match dans les deux derniers quarts pour arracher une victoire de 87-85 face aux BlackJacks d’Ottawa, prolongeant ainsi leur série victorieuse à sept gains consécutifs. Les Stingers ont inscrit 52 points en deuxième demie, menés par le candidat MVP Sean East II, limité en début de match en raison de fautes. Il a tout de même terminé la rencontre avec 23 points et cinq passes décisives. Keon Ambrose-Hylton a lui aussi marqué 23 points, en plus de capter 10 rebonds pour enregistrer un doublé, tandis que Scottie Lindsey a ajouté 13 points, incluant trois tirs de trois points. « Il s’est présenté en deuxième demie, a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef des Stingers, Jordan Baker, à propos de sa vedette. Évidemment, il a eu des ennuis de fautes en première demie, mais il est revenu en force. Il a été excellent offensivement, mais je trouve qu’il a aussi été solide dans nos couvertures défensives. Sans lui dans notre alignement, on n’en serait pas là. On aborde chaque match comme un incontournable, a-t-il ajouté. Calgary joue du gros basket, Vancouver aussi. On est dans une situation où il est très probable qu’on affronte l’une ou l’autre de ces équipes – voire les deux – en [séries]. Notre objectif, c’est de finir premiers ou deuxièmes pour pouvoir recevoir un match éliminatoire et compter sur notre foule à Edmonton. » Comme souvent au basketball, la première demie a été marquée par des séquences de domination offensive. Edmonton a pris les devants 16-12, mais un temps d’arrêt des BlackJacks a déclenché une poussée de 15-0 qui leur a permis de terminer le quart avec une avance de dix points. Ottawa a même mené jusqu’à 36-24, profitant d’une séquence de 9 minutes 40 entre la fin du premier et le début du deuxième quart où Edmonton n’a réussi que deux tirs sur 16. Les Stingers ont ensuite répliqué avec une poussée de 11-3 pour réduire l’écart à quatre points à la mi-temps. De retour du vestiaire, Edmonton a poursuivi sur sa lancée avec une séquence de 10-1 pour amorcer le troisième quart, totalisant une domination de 21-4 sur cette période. Les BlackJacks ont riposté avec une séquence de 12-3, avant que Zane Waterman ne soit contraint de quitter le match en raison d’une blessure à un moment clé en fin de troisième quart. Déjà privés de Deng Adel, absent en raison d’un problème de santé, l’équipe locale a dû composer avec un effectif réduit, notamment à l’intérieur de la clé. Ambrose-Hylton en a pleinement profité, inscrivant 17 de ses 23 points en deuxième demie. « Dès le départ, j’aborde chaque match en voulant prendre le contrôle, en essayant de tout donner pour l’équipe, a-t-il dit après le match. Je sais que la plupart des équipes n’ont pas un gars qui va sprinter sur le terrain à 100 % du temps. J’utilise ça à mon avantage. Nos entraîneurs nous le répètent à chaque pratique : jouez avec intensité et misez sur votre vitesse. On n’a peut-être pas les joueurs les plus grands, mais on sait ce qu’on fait. On a des joueurs motivés sur le terrain, on joue vite. Pour les rebonds, on connaît nos positions. Nos arrières s’occupent des coudes de la clé, nos grands foncent dans la clé. On ne court pas dans le vide, on s’assure d’être aux bons endroits au bon moment, » a ajouté Ambrose-Hylton. Du côté des BlackJacks, Isaih Moore a terminé avec un sommet de match de 28 points et 15 rebonds, à seulement deux rebonds d’égaler le record de la franchise en saison régulière. Javonte Smart a inscrit un doublé avec 19 points et 10 passes décisives – un sommet personnel en carrière dans la LECB, à une passe du record d’équipe. Waterman a récolté 12 points et six rebonds avant sa sortie, tandis que Keevan Veinot – qui jouait pour la première fois de la saison sans sa manche à l’épaule – a livré une solide performance avec 13 points, six rebonds et six passes décisives. Les deux équipes étaient à égalité 78-78 à l’entrée dans la période du pointage cible. Plusieurs erreurs ont coûté cher aux BlackJacks en fin de match. L’incident le plus marquant est survenu lorsqu’une faute de Moore sur East a été suivie d’une faute technique à l’endroit de Smart, offrant un lancer franc supplémentaire à East, qui a ensuite attaqué la clé et inscrit le panier de la victoire sur la possession suivante. « Avant tout, je suis fier de mes gars, de la manière dont ils se sont battus, a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef des BlackJacks, Dave DeAveiro. On était privés de deux joueurs, mais on s’est battus jusqu’à la fin. Il y a beaucoup de fierté dans ce vestiaire, beaucoup de déception aussi. On a du mal à bien exécuter dans les fins de match, pendant la période du pointage cible. On continue de revoir ces séquences, on va continuer de progresser. Mais quand une défaite crève-cœur comme celle-là arrive, la chose la plus importante, c’est de rester unis. Il faut continuer de croire en notre plan et aller de l’avant. On n’a pas exécuté notre plan défensif en deuxième demie, a-t-il reconnu. Est-ce que la fatigue a joué un rôle? Probablement. Javonte, Isaih… ils ont passé beaucoup de minutes sur le terrain aujourd’hui. Et quand t’es fatigué, les erreurs s’enchaînent. On a connu plusieurs bris défensifs en deuxième demie qu’on ne voit pas d’habitude. Ce n’est pas le dernier tir qui a décidé du match. On peut croire que oui, mais c’est faux. Ce sont toutes les erreurs défensives en deuxième demie qui ont mené à 52 points encaissés. C’est là que le match s’est joué. » Les Stingers d’Edmonton ne sont maintenant plus qu’à une victoire de sécuriser leur place en séries éliminatoires. Ils pourraient d’ailleurs obtenir leur laissez-passer dès demain, si les Rattlers de la Saskatchewan s’inclinent face aux Bandits de Vancouver. Sinon, ils peuvent aussi s’assurer une place en poursuivant leur séquence de victoires – leur troisième série de sept gains dans l’histoire de la franchise, et seulement la quatrième dans l’histoire de la ligue. Le record de la LECB est de neuf victoires consécutives, établi par Edmonton lors de la saison inaugurale. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600645 À venir pour les deux équipes Les Stingers d’Edmonton se rendront à Vancouver pour affronter les Bandits, meneurs de la Conférence de l’Ouest, le 20 juillet. Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa resteront à domicile pour accueillir les Honey Badgers de Brampton le 21 juillet. Prochain match dans la LECB Les Bandits de Vancouver accueilleront les Rattlers de la Saskatchewan le 18 juillet, dans un match diffusé en direct sur CEBL+ et TSN+. 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 Calgary Surge has booked its ticket to the playoffs for the third straight year with a 93-89 win over the Sea Bears in Winnipeg on Thursday night. Calgary has yet to miss the postseason since the franchise relocated from Guelph in 2022. The win moves the Surge to 12–6 on the season, making them the third team to clinch a spot in the 2025 CEBL playoffs. Meanwhile, the Sea Bears drop to 6–10. Greg Brown III led the charge with a double-double, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds. The former G-Leaguer has made an instant impact in his debut CEBL season, climbing past Vancouver’s Mitch Creek to take over second place in league scoring. Brown took over in the first half, keeping the Surge within striking distance during Winnipeg’s early offensive push. “My teammates have been helping me get to my spots and opening up the game for me,” Brown said on what has been the greatest factor in his success. “They keep talking to me, where the angles are, where the space is… they have been helping me this whole season.” “I watched Gremlins growing up, and they run when light comes,” Brown added, explaining his unconventional inspiration. “You always must show up when it matters and when the lights come on. I’ve always had that mentality from when I started playing until now.” While Brown stole the spotlight, the Surge’s success continues to come from balanced contributions across the roster. Four other players hit double figures, including 16 points off the bench from Jamorko Pickett — a testament to Calgary’s status as a multi-headed offensive monster that’s tough to slow down. Winnipeg Head Coach Mike Taylor stressed the importance of strong defensive execution to contain Calgary’s firepower, aiming to force them into transition and create opportunities on the other end. “I think we did a very good job executing our game plan,” Taylor said. “Controlling the tempo and trying to keep them out of transition for the majority of the game. But in terms of those crucial possessions, we’ve got to be better.” Simi Shittu finished the game with 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, including a valuable last-minute play in target time to set up Jalen Harris beyond the arc to bring the Sea Bears closer to the target score of 92. “I feel like we had the game,” Shittu reflected. “We made it as tough as we can for them, but at the end of the day, we can clean up things.” Although the Surge pulled away late, the Sea Bears made them earn it. Winnipeg scored 28 points off second-chance possessions and kept applying pressure throughout the game. Trevon Scott was limited to 10 points but dominated the boards with 16 rebounds — just three shy of the franchise record of 19 set by Shittu less than three weeks ago. The game stayed tight through three quarters, with both teams trading leads. Calgary led 22–21 after the first quarter, but Winnipeg struck early in the second. The Surge responded with an 11–3 run to regain control. Scott’s rebounding in the third quarter led directly to 11 of Winnipeg’s 21 points in the frame, helping the Sea Bears keep pace heading into the final period. In the fourth, Calgary’s depth and composure showed. The Surge limited Winnipeg to just 10 points before target time and built a six-point cushion before the clocks turned off. Calgary quickly rose to the occasion, extending the lead to 89–79, but Winnipeg surged back, capitalizing on missed shots and late fouls. A Jalen Harris three-pointer brought the Sea Bears within two, 91–89, just short of Harris’s 100th career point. However, Calgary slammed the door as Evan Gilyard Jr. hit a decisive field goal to seal the victory and deny Harris a final shot. “This is a tough loss,” Taylor said. “But it’s a type of loss that can turn into a positive when we use adversity to try to get better.” With the win, the Surge now look ahead to returning to the postseason this August and possibly a return to Canada Life Centre as Winnipeg prepares to host the 2025 Championship Weekend festivities. However, they remain focused on the task ahead: finishing the season strong and motivating each other until the end. “We always iterate from the start that we want to win a championship,” Brown said. “We want to take the mindset of ‘this is normal’ — this is what we’ve been talking about since day one, so don’t look up, keep your head down, and keep grinding.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600648 Up next Winnipeg hits the road for a Sunday matinee against the 6–9 Montreal Alliance. Calgary enjoys a well-earned week off before a crucial battle for the Western Conference’s top seed against the 13–4 Vancouver Bandits on Friday, July 25. Next CEBL action The only matchup over the next two days features the 4–13 Saskatchewan Rattlers squaring off against the league-leading Vancouver Bandits tomorrow night (Friday, July 18). For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .  - CEBL -

After grinding it out in the first half, the Edmonton Stingers turned it on the final two quarters to power their way to an 87-85 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks, extending their winning streak to seven straight games. The Stingers scored 52 points in the second half, powered by MVP-candidate Sean East II who was limited in the first thanks to foul trouble. He finished with 23 points and five assists, Keon Ambrose-Hylton also had 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and Scottie Lindsey added 13 points including three three-pointers. “He showed up in the second half,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said of his star. “Obviously in the first half, he was in some foul trouble. But he came back in a big way in the second half. He was great offensively, but I thought he was great defensively in our coverages and we certainly aren’t where we are without him in our lineup.” “We’re approaching every game down the stretch as a must win,” he continued. “Calgary is playing great, Vancouver is playing great. We’re in a situation where we’re going to have to see one of those teams – maybe both – in the [playoffs]. For us, our goal is to try to get into a first or second seed where we can host a playoff game and we can lean on our crowd in Edmonton.” As is often the case in basketball, the first half was a game of runs. Edmonton got off to a 16-12 lead, but an Ottawa timeout would equate to a 15-0 run that put them up by double-digits at the end of the quarter. They would extend their lead to as much as 12 being up 36-24, which featured a 9:40 stretch between the first and second quarter where the BlackJacks held the Stingers to shooting just 2-of-16 from the floor. Edmonton would answer with an 11-3 run of their own to cut the lead to four heading into the break. The road team continued their hot play coming out of the locker room, going on a 10-1 run to start the third quarter, totaling to outscore their opponents 21-4 during the entire stretch. Ottawa would answer with a 12-3 run before Zane Waterman was forced to leave the game with an injury in a pivotal moment of the game late in the third quarter. With the BlackJacks already undermanned due to Deng Adel sitting out due to illness, the home squad also found themselves undersized with the loss of their import big. Ambrose-Hylton would take full advantage, scoring 17 points in the second half. “I think from the jump, I go into every game trying to take over, trying to do what I can for the team,” he said afterwards. “I know most teams don’t have a guy that’s going to be running down the floor, up and down, one hundred percent of the time. I use that to my advantage in every game.” “They tell us everyday in practice to play hard and use our speed. We got a lot of players that might not be the tallest, but we know what we’re doing. We got a lot of dogs, and we play fast. When it comes to getting rebounds, we know what spots to be on the court. We got our guards tucking the elbows, we got our bigs going to the paint. We’re not just going in there running and dashing. We’re making sure to be in the right spots at the right times,” Ambrose-Hylton added. For the BlackJacks, Isaih Moore finished with a game-high 28 points and 15 rebounds, finishing two boards shy of tying the franchise regular season record. Javonte Smart posted a double-double with 19 points and a CEBL career high 10 assists – one shy of the team record, Waterman had 12 points and six rebounds before leaving, and Keevan Veinot – playing without a sleeve on his shoulder for the first time this season – showed off his health with a 13 point, six rebound, six assist game. The game was all tied up at 78 heading into Target Time, where a number of mistakes would ultimately prove costly for the BlackJacks on their home court. Most notably, a technical foul was assessed to Smart after a Moore foul on East, giving the latter an extra shot on the line which would prove to be critical as he drove to the lane and scored in the next possession for the win. “First of all, I’m proud of my guys, the way they competed,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said. “Being two guys down, I thought we fought, competed right to the end. There’s a lot of pride in that room, a lot of disappointment right now. We seem to struggle in terms of executing down the stretch, in Target Time. We continue to review it, and we’ll continue to get better. But when a tough loss like this happens, the most important thing is to stick together. Continue to believe in what you’re doing and continue to move forward.” “We did not execute the plan in the second half defensively,” he said of his team’s ultimate downfall. “Whether that’s fatigue – and that’s part of it – guys played a lot of minutes today. Javonte, Isaih. Guys played a lot of minutes out there. You’re tired, and things happen when you’re tired. We had a lot of defensive breakdowns in the second half that we normally don’t have. The game wasn’t decided in that last shot. Everyone can think it was, but it wasn’t. It was all the breakdowns we had defensively in the second half that leads to 52 points. That’s the difference in the game.” The Edmonton Stingers now found themselves one game away from punching their post-season ticket. They can learn their fate as early as tomorrow, as a Saskatchewan Rattlers loss to the Vancouver Bandits would lock the Stingers into a playoff spot. They can also guarantee their berth by extending their seven-game winning streak – the third in franchise history and only the fourth in the history of the league – in their next game. The longest winning streak in league history is nine, held by Edmonton in the CEBL’s inaugural season. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600645 Up next for both teams The Edmonton Stingers travel to Vancouver to take on the Western Conference leading Bandits on July 20. The Ottawa BlackJacks will stay home to host the Brampton Honey Badgers on July 21. Next CEBL action The Vancouver Bandits will play host to the Saskatchewan Rattlers on July 18, streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Step 1 of the Niagara River Lions’ championship defence is complete. The River Lions clinched a playoff spot with a 97-79 win over the Brampton Honey Badgers on Wednesday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. It marked the fourth straight win for Niagara, which padded its lead atop the Eastern Conference at 11-5. The Honey Badgers have now lost six straight to fall to 4-14. Niagara has been in the playoffs every year since the CEBL’s inception. “We wanna win the East. We wanna win the championship,” head coach Victor Raso said. “Our standards are much higher. We expect to make the playoffs.” Niagara’s win was one of the comeback variety after trailing by 12 early in the second quarter. But the River Lions showed championship resolve, chipping away in the second frame before taking over in the third. Once Target Score Time rolled around, the River Lions led 87-67. Niagara forward Elijah Lufile finished the game off with a putback layup. “We didn’t start the game with the fight we needed, but we turned it around really quick and then the rest of the way we fought the way we needed to,” Raso said. With just one-third of the season remaining, the River Lions appear to be rounding into form at just the right time after a rocky start to the year. Niagara has now held four of its last five opponents under 80 points, while offensively it is continuing to receive contributions from up and down the lineup. Raso said increased defensive identity has led to the team’s run. “We’re just finally playing well. … We talked about winning the game to infinity — play every game, every single possession like it doesn’t matter what happened before or after. Our team needs to keep doing that,” he said. Leading scorer Khalil Ahmad paced the River Lions in the victory, putting up 24 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds. Montreal native Nathan Cayo added 14 points and five rebounds, while Ron Curry pitched in with 13 points and five rebounds Big man Elijah Lufile notched a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double off the bench. Ahmad said the team isn’t simply satisfied with a playoff spot. “It’s nice, but nowhere near close to the end goal. Nice little achievement to check a box, but we still got a lot more to do,” he said. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers’ playoff chances took another hit as they continue to sit in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Head coach Sheldon Cassimy said there are positives his team can take from the loss, but he wasn’t willing to look too far ahead. “I think it’s just by focusing on each day. We focus on each day and getting better each day as a team and individual,” he said. Canadian Marcus Carr led the way for the Honey Badgers with 20 points while also adding 10 assists and two rebounds. David Muenkat got off to a hot start with three triples in the first quarter, but didn’t make another until Target Score Time and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Longtime CEBLer Koby McEwen reached the 1,000-point mark for his regular-season career with a late three-pointer from the corner. He had 14 points and six assists for the game. Carr said it’s important for Brampton to focus on the positives in order to bust its slump. “Although obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted, we did do some good things out there so we have to try and build on that for the next game and then try to put it into ending the drought,” Carr said. Former Canadian Player of the Year Kadre Gray was in the house to take in the contest. The Honey Badgers burst out to a 26-17 lead after the first quarter, sparked by a trio of triples from Muenkat. But after Brampton pushed its lead to 12 in the second frame, Niagara fought back to head into the locker rooms at halftime trailing just 39-37. The River Lions then took control in the third quarter, winning the frame 34-13 to take a commanding 71-52 lead into the final 10 minutes. Despite a brief scare early in the fourth, Niagara held on to cruise to victory. Now, it knows it’s headed back to the playoffs. And another title is directly in sight. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600643 Up Next The River Lions host the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Sunday, while the Honey Badgers visit the Ottawa BlackJacks on Monday. Next CEBL Action A pair of Thursday games include the Edmonton Stingers heading to Ottawa while the Winnipeg Sea Bears welcome the Calgary Surge. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL –

Calgary guard Evan Gilyard Jr., who joined the team after a June 26 loss to Saskatchewan, hit his stride with a second consecutive 30-point performance to lead the Surge to a 103-81 victory over the Rattlers on Tuesday (July 15) at SaskTel Centre. The team-high 30 points included four threes and the game winner, almost a week after setting a franchise record with 37 points against Montréal. “The guys have welcomed me with open arms. I’m coming in, playing aggressive, and still playing my style of game,” Gilyard Jr. said. After a tight first quarter, the Surge pulled away in the second and third to earn their second straight win and first of the season against Saskatchewan. “I feel like we came out in the second half and set the tone with our defence,” Gilyard Jr. said. Greg Brown III added 17 points and seven rebounds to the Surge attack, while Khyri Thomas scored 12 points and Sean Miller-Moore contributed 11 points. Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said his team played a complete game that was to their standard. “We knew it was going to be a tough matchup [and] tough environment against these guys but I felt we came to play today on both ends,” Canales said. The Surge spoiled a record-breaking night for Saskatchewan guard Nate Pierre-Louis and a stellar debut for Tevian Jones. Pierre-Louis set the CEBL single-season record for assists with another eight on Tuesday, surpassing the standard of 126 assists set by former Surge guard Corey Davis Jr. last season. With seven games remaining in the 2025 campaign, Pierre-Louis’ record sits at 131 assists. Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said the passing from Pierre-Louis has been a highlight of their offence all season. “Nate’s grown a ton as a point guard over the course of this season. His ability to move the ball and get into the key and draw two defenders has been a big part of what we’ve done,” Magdanz said. Meanwhile, Jones had the green light in his first game with the Rattlers. The former Sea Bear netted a game-high 31 points on 12-20 shooting in the loss, including six threes. “I think I incorporated pretty well. I was able to play off the guys out there … I feel like we could’ve played together a little bit more down the stretch. But I think, overall, for a first game it was good,” Jones said. To open the game, recent acquisitions for both teams showcased their talent. Jones was on fire in his first quarter as a Rattler, dropping 13 points to lead all scorers after 10 minutes. On the other side, Gilyard Jr. scored at the rim and free-throw line while drilling jumpers from long range on his way to nine points in the first. Calgary led for the majority of the first quarter, fueled by efforts on the offensive glass that led to a 7-1 advantage in second chance points. But the Surge squandered the extra possessions with a flurry of turnovers to close the frame. A corner three from Jones and a transition layup from Pierre-Louis provided Saskatchewan with its first lead of the game heading into the second. The Surge regained the advantage in a back-and-forth start to the second quarter. Calgary wrestled away control of the contest with a 12-3 run capped off by a coast-to-coast finish from Brown III. Saskatchewan stopped the run with a historic bucket. A Jones layup in transition came off the 127th assist of the season from Pierre-Louis – a CEBL single-season record. However, the Surge led 51-43 after 20 minutes. Calgary came out of the halftime break with energy on both ends of the floor. Brown III was scorching hot in the frame, soaring for a dunk early in the quarter and drilling a trio of corner threes. The Surge dominated the quarter 24-12 and carried a 20-point lead into the fourth. A 10-2 run early in the final quarter extended Calgary’s advantage to 28 points. However, Saskatchewan carved the deficit back to 18 heading into Target Score Time, highlighted by a massive putback slam from Jones. Miller-Moore got things started in Target Score Time for Calgary before Jamorko Pickett pulled the visitors even closer with an and-one baseline jam. Gilyard Jr. put an exclamation point on the win with a scoop layup and game-winning pull-up three. The Rattlers and Surge meet once more this season on Aug. 8 in Calgary. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600642 Up next for both teams Calgary visits Winnipeg on Thursday (July 17) in another Western Conference clash, while Saskatchewan heads to Langley Events Centre to face the top-seeded Vancouver on Friday (July 18). Next CEBL action Brampton visits Niagara on Wednesday (July 16) in the lone game of the night. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

(Aperçu: Semaine 11) Depuis maintenant dix semaines, une seule équipe connaît son sort en vue des séries : Winnipeg. Les Sea Bears de Winnipeg ont assuré leur place au week-end du Championnat, eux qui accueilleront le carré d’as de la LECB au Canada Life Centre, où les trois matchs seront disputés et un champion couronné. Pendant ce temps, le reste de la ligue s’est battu pour sa place, jonglant avec des effectifs instables et des adversaires coriaces, chaque victoire arrachée avec acharnement. Il reste maintenant entre sept et dix matchs à disputer pour chaque formation dans le nouveau calendrier de 24 rencontres — et l’urgence est sur le point de grimper d’un cran. Dimanche, les Bandits de Vancouver sont devenus la première équipe, autre que Winnipeg, à sécuriser une place en séries après une victoire de 94-87 contre l’Alliance de Montréal, concluant ainsi un voyage de trois matchs dans l’Est avec une fiche de deux victoires et une défaite. Avec une fiche de 13-4, les Bandits mènent l’Ouest et se trouvent en excellente position pour décrocher une qualification automatique pour les demi-finales de conférence, où un billet pour Winnipeg sera en jeu. Mais Calgary et Edmonton sont tout juste derrière. Le Surge de Calgary — qui figure parmi les meilleures équipes de la ligue depuis le début de la saison et qui a infligé deux des quatre défaites de Vancouver — pourrait améliorer sa situation avec une victoire contre la Saskatchewan mardi. Si Calgary (fiche de 10-5) l’emporte face aux Rattlers (4-12), Saskatchewan ne pourra plus faire mieux qu’une égalité au classement avec le Surge, laissant ainsi un éventuel accès aux séries se jouer au bris d’égalité. Cela dit, rien n’est gagné pour Calgary, qui a déjà subi deux revers contre les Rattlers, derniers de la ligue, et qui devra se passer de son meneur vedette Jameer Nelson Jr., actuellement en action à la ligue d’été de la NBA. Le capitaine des Rattlers, Nate Pierre-Louis, a causé bien des maux de tête au Surge, avec un total de 51 points, 16 rebonds et 11 passes décisives lors des deux victoires. Il n’est d’ailleurs qu’à quatre passes décisives du record de la LECB pour une saison, établi par Corey Davis Jr. (126), et pourrait le dépasser dès mardi soir. Une victoire de Calgary serait à la fois bénéfique et néfaste pour son rival d’Edmonton. Les Stingers, qui ont remporté leurs six derniers matchs pour porter leur fiche à 10-6, affronteront Ottawa et Vancouver sur la route cette semaine. Un gain du Surge les rapprocherait d’une place en séries, mais rendrait encore plus difficile l’obtention d’un match à domicile en séries éliminatoires. Si Vancouver continue de creuser l’écart en tête de l’Ouest et que Saskatchewan demeure au dernier rang, un affrontement de qualification 100 % albertain entre Edmonton et Calgary pourrait bien être au programme. Pendant ce temps, un scénario similaire se dessine dans l’Est. Les champions en titre, les River Lions de Niagara, semblent avoir trouvé leur rythme de croisière, avec trois victoires de suite et une occasion de porter cette séquence à cinq cette semaine. Niagara accueille Brampton mercredi, formation qui occupe le dernier rang. Les Honey Badgers n’ont toujours pas gagné à l’extérieur cette saison, mais ils avaient tout de même infligé une défaite de 35 points aux River Lions lors de leur dernier affrontement en juin. Une victoire de Niagara permettrait d’assurer que Brampton ne pourra plus les dépasser au classement. Puis, samedi, Niagara recevra les Shooting Stars de Scarborough, à égalité au deuxième rang de l’Est avec une fiche de 8-8, tout comme les BlackJacks d’Ottawa à 7-7. Contrairement à l’Ouest, où Winnipeg a déjà son laissez-passer pour les demi-finales, la qualification automatique est toujours à portée de main dans l’Est. Niagara sait mieux que quiconque à quel point cet avantage peut faire la différence, après avoir échappé de justesse à une élimination en demi-finale de conférence contre Ottawa l’an dernier. Jouer deux matchs au lieu de trois rend la défense du titre nettement plus accessible. Les Shooting Stars, champions de 2023, ne se laisseront pas faire. Après trois revers de suite, Scarborough s’est repris avec une victoire convaincante de 15 points contre Brampton dimanche, alors que Terquavion Smith a explosé pour 33 points en l’absence de Donovan Williams, le deuxième meilleur marqueur de l’équipe, aussi à la Ligue d’été. Les BlackJacks demeurent aussi dans la course, eux qui ont remporté cinq de leurs six derniers affrontements. La séquence victorieuse d’Ottawa coïncide avec l’arrivée du grand Zane Waterman, ancien des Honey Badgers, qui affiche une moyenne de 14,3 points et 5,1 rebonds par match à sa première saison avec les BlackJacks. Beaucoup reste à jouer alors que la saison de la LECB s’accélère — et on peut s’attendre à de nombreux rebondissements et des fins de match palpitantes lors de la période du pointage cible. Calendrier hebdomadaire (neuf matchs) Match #80 – Mardi 15 juillet – CGY à SSK – 19 h 30 HC / HR / 21 h 30 HE – SaskTel Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #81 – Mercredi 16 juillet – BHB à NRL – 19 h HE – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #82 – Jeudi 17 juillet – EDM à OTT – 19 h 30 HE / 17 h 30 HR – Aréna de la Place TD (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #83 – Jeudi 17 juillet – CGY à WPG – 19 h HAC / 18 h HR / 20 h HE – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #84 – Vendredi 18 juillet – SSK à VAN – 19 h HP / 20 h HC / 22 h HE – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #85 – Dimanche 20 juillet – SSS à NRL – 15 h HE – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #86 – Dimanche 20 juillet – WPG à MTL – 16 h HE / 15 h HAC – Auditorium de Verdun (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #87 – Dimanche 20 juillet – EDM à VAN – 17 h HP / 18 h HR / 20 h HE – Langley Events Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #88 – Lundi 21 juillet – BHB à OTT – 19 h 30 HE – Aréna de la Place TD (CEBL+, TSN+) Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB, veuillez visiter cebl.ca/games .

(Preview: Week 11) For the past 10 weeks, only one team has known its playoff fate: Winnipeg. The Sea Bears, of course, clinched a spot at Championship Weekend for the CEBL’s Final Four as hosts, with all three games to be played and a champion set to be crowned at Canada Life Centre. Meanwhile, the rest of the league has jockeyed for position, battling roster churn and opponents alike, scratching and clawing for every win. Now, seven to 10 games remain for each team on the brand new 24-game schedule — and urgency is about to be kicked up a notch. On Sunday, the Vancouver Bandits became the first non-Winnipeg team to secure a playoff spot after beating the Montreal Alliance 94-87 to wrap a three-game Eastern road trip at 2-1. The Bandits now lead the West at 13-4 and sit in pole position for an automatic berth into the conference semifinals, where a trip to Winnipeg will be on the line. But Calgary and Edmonton are hot on Vancouver’s heels. The Surge — who have been among the league’s best from the very start of the season, while handing the Bandits half of their losses — could help their cause with a win over Saskatchewan on Tuesday. If Calgary (10-5) indeed beats Saskatchewan (4-12), it would guarantee the Rattlers could finish no better than tied with the Surge, leaving a potential playoff spot up to a tiebreaker. However, it will be no easy task for Calgary, who have lost twice to basement-dwelling Saskatchewan already this season and will be without star guard Jameer Nelson Jr., who is playing at NBA Summer League. Rattlers captain Nate Pierre-Louis has proved problematic for the Surge, racking up 51 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in the two wins. He is also just four assists away from breaking Corey Davis Jr.’s CEBL single-season record of 126 assists and could eclipse that mark on Tuesday night. A Calgary win would both help and hurt rival Edmonton, who have won six straight to improve to 10-6 and face road games against Ottawa and Vancouver this week. The Stingers would move closer to a playoff spot with a Surge victory, but also face an even tougher climb for a home game in the post-season. If the Bandits keep creating space atop the conference, and the Rattlers keep their spot at the bottom, a Battle of Alberta play-in game could be in store. Meanwhile, a similar story is playing out in the East. The reigning champion Niagara River Lions appear to have found their groove, winning three straight with an opportunity to stretch their run to five this week. Niagara hosts last-place Brampton on Wednesday. The Honey Badgers have yet to win a road game on the season, though they did crush the River Lions by 35 points in their last meeting in June. A win for the River Lions in the rematch would assure the Honey Badgers cannot catch them in the standings. Then, on Saturday, the River Lions welcome the Scarborough Shooting Stars, who sit tied for second in the East at 8-8 alongside 7-7 Ottawa. Unlike in the West, where Winnipeg has the semifinal bye, the automatic berth is still up for grabs in the East. Niagara should know firsthand how important that free pass is after barely surviving a conference semifinal scare against the BlackJacks last season. It would make the championship defence a whole lot easier to play two games instead of three. But the Shooting Stars, the 2023 champions, will not go down easily. After three straight losses, Scarborough rebounded with a 15-point win over Brampton on Sunday as Terquavion Smith erupted for 33 points in the absence of second-leading scorer Donovan Williams (Summer League). The BlackJacks also remain in the fight as winners of five of their last six games. Ottawa’s hot streak has coincided with big man Zane Waterman’s introduction to the team. The longtime Honey Badger is averaged 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in his first season in Ottawa. Plenty is at stake as the CEBL season heads into overdrive — and you can be sure there will be no shortage of twists, turns and Target Score thrillers along the way. Weekly schedule (Nine games) Game #80 – Tuesday, July 15 – CGY at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST/MT / 9:30 p.m. ET– SaskTel Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #81 – Wednesday, July 16 – BHB at NRL – 7 p.m. ET – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #82 – Thursday, July 17 – EDM at OTT – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #83 – Thursday, July 17 – CGY at WPG – 7 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #84 – Friday, July 18 – SSK at VAN – 7 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. CST / 10 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #85 – Sunday, July 20 – SSS at NRL – 3 p.m. ET – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #86 – Sunday, July 20 – WPG at MTL – 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CDT – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #87 – Sunday, July 20 – EDM at VAN – 5 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #88 – Monday, July 21 – BHB at OTT – 7:30 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .

6-foot-7 guard has averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25 CEBL games with Scarborough and Winnipeg

The Canadian guard appeared in 10 games for the Rattlers last season