CEBL NEWS ARTICLES

By Myles Dichter
•
June 14, 2025
On ring night in Niagara, it was the Edmonton Stingers who showed championship quality. The Stingers opened the game on a 9-0 run and led wire-to-wire en route to a 106-88 victory over the River Lions on Friday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Edmonton dominated through the first 25 minutes or so and opened a 71-46 lead midway through the third quarter when Niagara offered a taste of the championship mettle that earned them diamonds, chipping away to cut the lead to six in the fourth quarter. But Edmonton still held a 97-88 lead at Target Score Time — and it was all Stingers from there. With the River Lions held scoreless after the clock turned off, it was Edmonton’s Scottie Lindsey who ultimately ended the proceedings with a three-pointer and a dunk. “Basketball is a game of runs, and it was exemplified by that tonight. I mean, obviously, we played well in the first half, and to start the third, but credit to them, they battled back,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. “But Target Time is when games are won and lost, and we managed to hold them scoreless, which is a good win for us.” Edmonton dominated from the field and on the glass, shooting 48 per cent from three-point range and outrebounding Niagara 46-37. The Stingers had three players in double-digits by halftime, with Lindsey ultimately leading the team in scoring with 32 points. The win for Edmonton (4-5) was its second straight after losing two in a row, while Niagara (5-3) saw a two-game win streak of its own come to an end. “We just gotta keep playing with the same intensity we’ve been playing with,” Lindsey, who was named player of the game, told sideline reporter Dhanung Bulsara in a post-game interview. River Lions head coach Victor Raso said his side did not come out with the proper intensity. “They punched us in mouth at the start of the first half, start of the second half, start of Target Time. We just didn't have it tonight. Simple as that,” he said. Stingers guard Sean East II continued his torrid start to the season after entering third leaguewide at 24 points per game. The Louisville, Kent., native and CEBL rookie had 30 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds. Nick Hornsby neared a first-half triple-double with seven points, eight rebounds and eight assists. He failed to score in the second half, but finished with a 10-rebound, 10-assist double-double. Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton also contributed 18 points and seven rebounds. East II said the team now hopes to take its good vibes into a Saturday night showdown in Brampton. “Just keep stacking and keep focusing on defensive end, playing hard (and) having fun out there,” he said. Baker said the team’s offensive success was about sharing the ball. “I think we played with pace. I mean, we had 17 assists in the first half, ended with 29, like when we were moving it, sharing it, being unselfish, we got some skilled guys out there that can make plays,” he said. The River Lions made a valiant second-half comeback effort as they ramped up their defence to fuel their offence and chip away at the Stingers’ lead. However, a slow start and poor shooting night — Niagara made just four of 29 three-point attempts — ultimately proved its undoing. “That's what this league really is, is that if one team's ready to go, they always win, and that team was ready to fight. They were desperate,” Raso said. For Niagara, reigning Finals MVP Khalil Ahmad led the way with 30 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Ahmad reached 300 career assists (including playoffs) with his first helper, joining Kadre Gray, Cat Barber and Alain Louis as the only players to accomplish the feat in league history. “I mean, it's a great accolade, like, I appreciate it from the league and the recognition and whatnot, but just focused on the main goal, which is the championship,” Ahmad said. Eddie Ekiyor (14 points) and Nathan Cayo (10) were the only other River Lions scorers in double digits. Canadian point guard Jahvon Blair made his season debut after finishing a campaign in France, posting seven points and three rebounds in nearly 17 minutes of action. In a pre-game ceremony, commissioner Mike Morreale and River Lions executives Richard Petko (owner), Michael Skrtich (owner) and Michelle Biskup (president) presented players, coaches and support staff their 2024 CEBL championship rings. A banner commemorating the title run was unfurled from the rafters of the Meridian Centre. “That was amazing, just like a cherry on top the big season last year. It's a 10-out-of-10 moment I'll keep with me for a long time,” Ahmad said. On the other hand, he’ll hope to forget the game that ensued rather quickly. The Stingers led 34-25 after the first 10 minutes and extended their advantage to 61-44 at halftime. Niagara put together a 20-6 run in the middle of the third quarter to cut a 25-point deficit to 12 heading into the final frame. But while Niagara cut things even closer from there, it could not close the deal — and ultimately walked away with rings, but without a win. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600604 Up Next Edmonton is back at it Saturday with a visit to the Brampton Honey Badgers, while the River Lions head to Ottawa to face the BlackJacks on Sunday. Next CEBL Action In addition to the Stingers-Honey Badgers game on Saturday, a battle of conference leaders will occur as the Vancouver Bandits host the Montreal Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

June 12, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-1 American guard Corey Davis Jr. No stranger to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Davis Jr. was a member of the Calgary Surge during the 2024 season where he set the league record for most assists in a single season with 126 helpers. Appearing and starting in 19 regular season games and three playoff games, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals through 33.1 minutes played. He finished the season with three consecutive, 20+ point performances in the postseason, leading the Surge from the Play-In round to the CEBL Western Conference Final. Davis Jr. most recently played professionally with Vanoli Cremona, the highest-tier level of Italy’s basketball league system, where he appeared in 30 games and averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 29.8 minutes of action per game during the 2024-25 season. His pro career also includes stops in Spain, Montenegro, France, Turkey and a stint with the Washington Wizards during the 2019 NBA Summer League. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back in the CEBL and can’t wait to get started with the Bandits. I’m looking forward to working with coach Kyle and the team, and building on the success that the Bandits have had so far this season,” said Davis Jr. A member of the University of Houston’s men’s basketball team for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, Davis Jr. was a unanimous First Team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2019. Davis Jr. also helped the Cougars advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2019 Sweet 16. Davis Jr. will be on the active roster for the Vancouver Bandits game Saturday evening at home when the club hosts the visiting Montréal Alliance at Langley Events Centre. In a corresponding move, the club has placed guard Izaiah Brockington on its Suspended List in order to accommodate Davis Jr.'s addition while adhering to CEBL roster rules, which limit clubs to four Import players on active rosters. ### About the Vancouver Bandits: The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC).

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
June 12, 2025
Simi Shittu couldn’t have made a better first impression if he tried. Facing the prospect of blowing a 19-point lead, the Canadian forward played hero in his Winnipeg Sea Bears debut to seal a 92-89 victory over the Montreal Alliance in the CEBL’s milestone 500th game on Wednesday. “I’m kind of speechless,” Shittu said after scoring five points in Target Score Time, including a game-winning hookshot. “The crowd was there with us the whole time, obviously it wasn’t a perfect game … but we’ve got a lot of chemistry already.” The win marked the Sea Bears' first time this season winning back-to-back games, doing so emphatically by handing the East-leading Alliance their first loss of the year while snapping a three-game home losing streak. Winnipeg got plenty of contributions outside of Shittu’s team-high 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting, starting with Tevian Jones and Jaylin Williams, who chipped in 17 and 15 points, respectively. Terry Roberts added a double-double effort of 10 points and 12 assists, while Jalen Harris added a career-high tying nine assists despite finishing with just four points. On the other side, Montreal was led by captain Quincy Guerrier, who scored a game-high 25 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter, on 8-of-12 shooting. Meanwhile, Tavian Dunn-Martin and Dontay Bassett rounded out the Alliance’s double-digit scoring efforts with 14 and 17 points each. “We tried to fight all the way to the end,” Dunn-Martin said after the loss. “We didn’t start off too hot, but we showed our fight and we showed our heart.” Although Shittu’s late-game heroics stole the show, it didn’t take long for him to make an impact in his first minutes as a Sea Bear. The former CEBL All-Canadian selection nailed his first two shots of the game, starting with a three for Winnipeg’s first points and then a dunk in transition after sealing off his defender in the paint — bringing the 6,505 fans in attendance at the Canada Life Centre to their feet. And while Shittu was forced to the bench shortly after due to two quick fouls in the first, that leak out from him proved to be a precursor for the Sea Bears’ efforts in the opening frame. They pushed the pace on makes, misses and turnovers alike, rattling off an 8-2 run en route to a 25-21 lead after 10 minutes. “Complete difference-maker,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said of Shittu post-game. “He started so strong, he had such a great start, and then the fouls limited him in the first half. But the rest of the team, the bench players, really stepped up … I was really pleased with the team effort.” Winnipeg kept up that high temp throughout the second quarter, but its defence ultimately did the heavy lifting, forcing five turnovers in the frame from a typically disciplined Montreal team that entered Wednesday averaging a CEBL-low 11.0 giveaways. “We started off slow, playing careless basketball,” Dunn-Martin said of his team’s uncharacteristic ball-handling miscues on Wednesday. “They played way more aggressive than us in the beginning … We got punched in the mouth.” The Sea Bears' defensive activity not only led to 11 points off the seven total turnovers forced through the first half, but also helped them limit the Alliance to just 16 points in the second. And Winnipeg’s offence rewarded the effort on the other end as it finished the quarter on a 10-2 run, capped off with back-to-back threes — Jaylin Williams nailed his second of three triples in the game at the halftime buzzer to extend the Sea Bears' lead to 52-37. “We’re in a great position,” Williams said on the team’s outlook moving forward after his 6-for-6 shooting performance on Wednesday. “We still have room to grow.” To the Alliance’s credit, they came out of the break and responded, doing so largely thanks to their success on the glass. Montreal’s first three field goals of the second half all came on putbacks to extend its lead on second-chance points to 17-4 after 30 minutes — that margin was extended to 19-9 by the end of the game thanks to a total of 13 offensive rebounds. And while that effort helped the Alliance chip their deficit back down to single digits throughout the frame, it didn’t hold. The Sea Bears' hot shooting — punctuated by back-to-back triples from Harris and Williams — ultimately rebuilt their double-figure advantage, going up by as many as 19 points before taking a 78-61 lead into the fourth. Not to be outshone, however, Winnipeg’s defence made the statement play of the third quarter as Williams swatted a turning hookshot attempt from Kevin Osawe to close the frame. That miss brought Montreal’s field goal percentage below 40 per cent through three, before the Alliance eventually finished the game shooting 43 per cent from the field (32-of-74) while their two-game streak of scoring 100-plus points was snapped. The Alliance did make things interesting to close the game, starting the final frame on a 9-0 run, making it an eight-point deficit on a Dunn-Martin triple at the 7:27 mark of the fourth. And although the Sea Bears did stymie some of that momentum, rebuilding their advantage to double digits off a slick transition lob feed from Roberts to Shittu, the Alliance persisted. Montreal sparked a 9-2 run, punctuated by five straight points from Bassett to bring the deficit heading into Target Score Time down to 83-79. The Alliance then got big makes from their leading scorers, back-to-back triples from Guerrier and Dunn-Martin to take their first lead since the 4:57 mark of the opening frame. But like Winnipeg had done all game, it responded. Emmanuel Akot dropped two timely layups with the clock stopped — part of 13 points and nine rebounds from the Winnipeg native — before Shittu sealed the deal. The forward corralled a slick bounce feed from Harris, who made his first appearance at Canada Life Centre since joining the Sea Bears, and Shittu made sure not to waste the high-percentage look to cap off his storybook debut in Winnipeg. “Jalen actually called that last play for Simi,” Taylor explained post-game when describing the final possession. “So, as a coach, when you see these two new guys work for each other on the floor, that’s a really good sign. “Really proud. It didn’t come easy, and it shouldn't. We want to keep developing and keep working, but it was a great win.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600602 Up next The Alliance return to the court on Saturday, wrapping up a three-game road trip by visiting the Vancouver Bandits for a battle between No. 1 seeds. Meanwhile, the Sea Bears retake home court on Sunday as they host the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Next CEBL action The 5-2 River Lions welcome the 3-5 Edmonton Stingers to Niagara at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT for the first game of a Friday night CEBL doubleheader. Shortly after, the 2-5 Rattlers host the 3-3 Scarborough Shooting Stars at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Myles Dichter
•
June 11, 2025
It rained triples in Edmonton on Tuesday. The Stingers used a flurry of three-pointers to snap a two-game skid and beat the Ottawa BlackJacks 93-74 on Tuesday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. Edmonton improved to 3-5 with the win, while Ottawa fell to 2-5. Scottie Lindsey led the way for the Stingers with a breakout 23-point performance, including 18 by halftime. He added nine rebounds and five steals. In all, the Stingers shot 50 per cent from beyond the arc after entering the game fourth leaguewide at 34 per cent. “You put yourself in a great position to win basketball games, but I think it was the quality of our shots. We’d struggled a little bit with too much isolation in the last couple, so it was great to see us get to the paint, share the basketball and get open looks for each other,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. Edmonton entered Target Score Time up 83-69 after a 13-3 run, and its strong shooting continued with the clock stopped. Mason Bourcier scored his first points as a Stinger with a three-pointer to get things going, Lindsey knocked one down to put Edmonton within three, and the Stingers salted away the win after layups from Sean East II and Keon Ambrose-Hylton. “Guys executed, guys played hard, we had lots of contributions top to bottom. So we’re certainly happy but we’re not satisfied,” Baker said. East II finished the game with 20 points and six assists, while Ambrose-Hylton added 13 points and eight rebounds and Elijah Miller contributed 12 points off the bench. Miller, of Rexdale, Ont., said it was a “great win.” “It’s gonna take time during the season, but as the games go on we’re definitely starting to click,” he said. Lindsey, the 29-year-old Illinois native, came to Edmonton after a year with Winnipeg last season in which he shot 42.1 per cent from the field en route to 13.5 points per game. But while he was still at 13 per game as a Stinger to start this season, his field-goal percentage had slumped to 30.4. Lindsey busted out of that slump in a big way on Tuesday. “When he lets the game come to him, he’s pretty damn good offensively. We try to put him in some spots, but he did a good job moving away from the ball and we found him early and often. And when he gets going, he really gets going,” Baker said. For Ottawa, meanwhile, the loss marked its third straight as it remains fourth in the Eastern Conference. Justin Jackson came off the bench to lead the BlackJacks with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Meshack Lufile (11 points) and Christian Rohlehr (10 points) were the only other scorers in double digits. Head coach Dave DeAveiro said his team kept things close through three quarters but struggled to close — an emerging trend during the losing streak. He added that the BlackJacks need “mental toughness” to snap out of it. “I find when things are not going our way, that’s when we’re not at our best,” DeAveiro said. Ottawa captain Tyrrel Tate notched nine points and five rebounds. He said the team is still learning each other’s tendencies while awaiting some players who have yet to debut. “We’re just trying to build some chemistry within the guys we have now. I think we’ve grown in a lot of areas but we still have a lot of growing room to go so just learn from this, watch the film, get ready to take care of business when we get back home,” Tate said. The BlackJacks’ Miryne Thomas appeared injure his shoulder during the third quarter and did not return. The Stingers led 25-23 after the first quarter on the strength of five-for-eight shooting from three-point range. Edmonton’s lead ballooned to 50-44 by halftime as the threes kept falling. In the third quarter, the Stingers finally gained some separation, but a late run by the BlackJacks cut Edmonton’s lead to just four points entering the final frame. Yet the Stingers responded, built a double-digit lead and cruised through Target Score Time. Now, Edmonton sports fans will turn their focus to the Stanley Cup Final, where the hope is that the Oilers make like the Stingers and earn a bounce-back victory of their own. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600598 Up Next Both teams face the Niagara River Lions in their next game — the Stingers visit Niagara on Friday, while the BlackJacks host the reigning champions on Sunday. Next CEBL Action The 500th game in league history, including playoffs, takes place Wednesday when the Winnipeg Sea Bears host the Montreal Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

June 10, 2025
The Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday the signing of American forward Chris Smith. This will be Smith’s second year in the CEBL. Smith recently completed an international season playing for the Ironi Kiryat Ata of the Israeli Winner-League, averaging 29 minutes, 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 24 games in his fourth pro-season. Before joining the CEBL, Smith played several seasons in the NBA G-League. Smith began his pro career in 2021-22 with the Motor City Cruise, appearing in 19 games and averaging 9.4 points and 23.2 minutes played. He joined the Salt Lake City Stars for the 2022–23 season but appeared in only one game due to injury. In 2023–24, Smith began the season with the Grand Rapids Gold, before transferring to the Iowa Wolves where he averaged 3.3 points and 10.9 minutes in 23 games. Following his 2024 season in Iowa, Smith made his first CEBL appearance with the Montreal Alliance. Smith scored a season-high 24 points on three separate occasions – on July 14th, June 19th and 16th, while playing against Ottawa, Brampton and Saskatchewan. Post-season, Smith was named All-CEBL Second Team and CEBL rebounding champion (2024). “We are very excited to be able to bring Chris to Edmonton for the remainder of the season.” said Head Coach and General Manager Jordan Baker. “His versatility, size, and athleticism will provide an immediate boost on both ends of the floor. I know he will enjoy playing in front of our passionate fans at The Hive!” The 6’9” forward also has several collegiate seasons under his belt, playing at UCLA. During his time as a Bruin, he scored a collegiate-best of 30 points on Jan 30, 2020 while playing against Colorado. He was also named First-team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Most Improved Player that same year (2020). Smith and the Stingers will return to the Edmonton EXPO Centre on June 10th to host the Ottawa Blackjackets. Tickets are available for as low as $20 per seat and can be purchased online or by contacting the Stingers head office via email ( [email protected] ) or phone (1-87STINGERS).

By Myles Dichter
•
June 10, 2025
(Preview: Week 6) Time flies when you’re having fun, eh? It feels like not so long ago that the Canadian Elite Basketball League burst onto the scene in 2019 as a trailblazer in the country. For the first time, there was a Canada Basketball- and FIBA-affiliated place for Canadians to play professional basketball — right at home. On Wednesday, the CEBL will witness its 500th game (including playoffs) when the ball is tipped as the Winnipeg Sea Bears host the Montreal Alliance. It’s a fitting matchup between two teams who did not exist in Year 1 but have come to represent the league’s rapid growth and will have hosted consecutive Championship Weekends, with Niagara emerging victorious in Montreal last year and Winnipeg set to welcome the CEBL world to the Canada Life Centre this year. And there will even be a throughline to Game No. 1: Alex Campbell, who scored 19 points for the Saskatchewan Rattlers in that league-opening 99-97 loss to the River Lions, is set to suit up for the Sea Bears. Campbell is the only player in league history to reach the 100-game barrier. Now, he’ll be part of No. 500, too. Undefeated Alliance look to keep rolling On the topic of Montreal, the CEBL’s lone Quebec-based team is also its lone franchise without a loss on its ledger this season. Yes, the Alliance have only played four games — the Vancouver Bandits opened their season 5-0 and now sit 7-1 — but even still, their dominance is hard to ignore. In those games, Montreal has outscored its opponents by 85 points, with each win coming by at least 20. The Alliance are allowing the fewest points against per game in the league at 77, with Vancouver second at 81.5. And only the Bandits (100.4) score more points per game than the Alliance’s 98.3 per contest. As luck would have it, those two powerhouses will collide on Saturday in B.C. Montreal may not be undefeated by then — it has the game in Winnipeg two nights prior — but either way, the game promises to be a doozy. Is it too early to say championship preview? Harris to face former team Jalen Harris has changed sides in the Battle of the Prairies. The former Toronto Raptors guard recently signed with the Sea Bears after spending last season with the Rattlers. Just four games into his Winnipeg career, he’ll meet his former team at home on Sunday. Harris, who also played two seasons with the Scarborough Shooting Stars, is off to a strong start with the Sea Bears, averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists and four rebounds per contest. Winnipeg scuffled to a 1-5 start to its season but is coming off a dramatic win over the Shooting Stars — in which Harris foiled his other former team with the Target Score game-winner — and can freely build toward Championship Weekend at home. Weekly schedule (nine games) Game #36 -- Tuesday, June 10 - OTT at EDM – 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #37 – Wednesday, June 11 – MTL at WPG – 7 p.m. CDT / 8 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #38 – Friday, June 13 – EDM at NRL – 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #39 – Friday, June 13 – SSS at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #40 – Saturday, June 14 – EDM at BHB – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #41 – Saturday, June 14 – MTL at VAN – 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #42 – Sunday, June 15 – NRL at OTT – 2 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #43 – Sunday, June 15 – SSK at WPG – 2 p.m. CDT / 1 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #44 – Sunday, June 15 – SSS at CGY – 2 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .

By Teru Ikeda
•
June 9, 2025
It didn’t take long for Montreal to break its own franchise record for most points in a game. Last game, they scored 105 points. Tonight, they dropped 108 in the Ends. It was Montreal’s first game facing a team with a winning record (3-2), but Montreal started to pull away in the third quarter. Scarborough’s fatigue was beginning to surface in the second half and they lost 108-88. “I think it’s a long stretch for us,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said about playing three games in four nights. “Playing a game on the road and two at home with only one off-day in between. Not having Hason Ward shortened our bench for sure. We needed his size.” Montreal took full advantage in the third quarter when they quickly built up a 13-point lead. Tavian Dunn-Martin (game-high 26 points) threw a beautiful pocket bounce pass into Ben Stevens at the right elbow for an easy bucket. Scarborough missed a lay-up, and Anthony Walker (game total 16 points) nailed a triple on the other end while drawing a foul. He missed his free throw, scored on his own miss, and his five-point play seemed to deflate Scarborough. “Our depth is definitely a strength of ours. And it’s good because it keeps guys engaged. It’s been four games now and everyone’s getting in and they’re happy,” said Montreal head coach Jermaine Small. “Especially someone like Ant (Anthony) Walker, he’s been more aggressive. He got into foul trouble early on, but I think he came back on and had a really strong second half.” Walker continued to be impressive in the third, swatting Cat Barber and then threw a cross-court pass to Kevin Osawe (game total 11 points) that allowed him to drive to the hoop and draw a foul. Most notably, the 20-point lead was established in the third when Quincy Guerrier hit a triple, assisted by none other than fellow Montrealer Alain Louis. Louis, the only returning Alliance player from last season and who has been with them since its inception, became the all-time regular season assist leader with 332, surpassing another U SPORTS-to-CEBL pathway player Kadre Gray. “My biggest thing has always been, I gotta represent the U SPORTS players ,” said Louis after the game, reflecting on his individual record. “And for me to be the leader now, that just goes to tell you that U SPORTS guys can play. We’re good enough. That’s my biggest thing for sure.” Guerrier also had a strong all-around game, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, and four stocks. “Look at the weapons they have,” play-by-play commentator Rod Black summed up Montreal’s firepower in the third. They stopped relying on Dunn-Martin, who had exploded for 21 points in the first half, shooting nine-for-13 from the field and three-for-five from downtown. The 5-foot-8 guard would have impressed another diminutive guard, Jamal Shead, who watched from the sidelines along with Raptors players Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, and Ulrich Chomche. True to their team name, Scarborough has been consistently drawing celebrities to the sidelines as Olympic gold medalist Andre De Grasse was there just a few days ago at their last home game against Winnipeg. Records weren’t only being achieved by Montreal, however. It was CEBL’s all-time second leading scorer Cat Barber’s first game back, and he reached 300 regular season assists. Coach De Giorgio remains excited about the potential a Cat Barber-Yuri Collins backcourt could achieve, and recognized the need to limit turnovers as they head out on a three-game road trip. Scarborough saw a spirited effort from its role players. David Walker, last year’s Developmental Player of the Year finalist, had an impressive 21 points on seven-for-11 shooting. Sharp shooter Danilo Djuricic tried to fill in for Hasan Ward’s absence by grabbing some key defensive boards in the second quarter (game total seven boards). The league’s leading scorer, Donovan Williams, had a team-high 23 points, and recorded a big block in the second quarter after a massive two-handed block in the fourth against Winnipeg last time out. The 6-foot-6 star continues to be impressive at both ends of the court, but will be looking to make a mark in the fourth quarter as Scarborough looks to end its three-game losing streak. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600596 Up next for both teams Montreal (4-0) will continue their road trip as they head west to face the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Last Saturday night’s rematch will take place on Wednesday, June 11 at Canada Life Centre. Scarborough (3-3) will be looking to end their three-game losing streak on the road. They begin their three-game road trip against the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-5) at SaskTel Centre on Friday, June 13. Next CEBL action The Ottawa BlackJacks (2-4) will face the Edmonton Stingers (2-5) at the EXPO Centre in Tuesday’s lone contest. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
June 9, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits (7-1) improved to 4-0 on the road this season with an emphatic 101-76 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-5) on Sunday evening. It was déjà vu for the franchise-record 3,518 fans in attendance at the SaskTel Centre as Vancouver took the second of four regular-season meetings in a similarly dominant fashion to their first matchup — now having won both by an average margin of 32.5 points. The Bandits used a full-team effort for their latest victory as seven different players made at least two field goals, while four scored in double figures. And just like he did last time against the Rattlers, Tyrese Samuel led the way as the Canadian put up 21 points. Behind him was Izaiah Brockington, who scored 18 points with three triples, while Shamar Givance and Mitch Creek added 16 points each. “Really happy with the win,” Vancouver head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said post-game. “Pleased with the energy, togetherness and connectivity of the guys.” On the other side, Cody John spearheaded the Rattlers as their two-game win streak got snapped, finishing with a team-high 18 points. Meanwhile, Jamir Chaplin chipped in 16 points, while Grant Anticevich and Jordan Bowden off the bench scored 11 points, respectively. It was no secret that the Rattlers entered Sunday looking for revenge after last month’s home-opener was spoiled thanks to a 40-point loss to the Bandits — a franchise-record win for Vancouver. Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz admitted as much pre-game, noting the rematch had been marked on the calendar. Unfortunately for his Rattlers squad, the Bandits' league-leading offence continued to prove troublesome as they shot 66 per cent from the field (12-of-18) in the opening frame. The hot start sparked a 13-2 run that helped carve out a 30-16 lead after the first. Practically identical to last time, when Vancouver led by 11 points after 10 minutes into the first matchup. “We had moments where we fought back, but that’s got to be consistent for 40 minutes,” Magdanz said post-game. “We’ve improved in some areas, but we have some growth yet to happen … we (previously) found success by playing together, playing as a team and we lacked that today.” The Bandits have now scored at least 100 points in six of their eight games and are the only team in the CEBL averaging 100-plus points per game. And it’s been done collectively as four Bandits (Creek, Kyle Mangas, Samuel and Curtis Hollis) rank top 30 in the CEBL for scoring. “Not trying to be arrogant, but we seem to be getting everyone’s best game,” Julius said on his team’s mindset entering the contest. “But when you’re one of the top teams in the league, everybody really prepares for you, and so we really thought today was going to be a significant challenge.” As has been the case for much of the season, Vancouver asserted their dominance by spreading the wealth as all five starters scored in the first quarter — led by Brockington, who had eight points on 3-for-3 shooting, including two triples. Also like last time, the Bandits held onto the momentum from there, building their lead up to 20 points (56-36) at the break. Seven different players on Vancouver finished the half with five-plus points, spearheaded by Mangas’s nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. Unlike the first matchup, however, the Rattlers came out of halftime with a much better response. Rather than getting outscored by 17 in the third like the previous mid-May matchup, Saskatchewan won the frame on Sunday — the first-time beating Vancouver for a quarter this season — and chipped into the deficit, down 72-54. And that was largely thanks to John, as the Mississauga, Ont. native single-handedly scored the Rattlers' first 10 points of the quarter. “We played within our tempo, we played physically defensively and that let us get out in transition,” Magdanz explained when asked how his team found success in the third. But although Saskatchewan had already proven it could rally with the clock stopped — going on an 11-0 run in Target Score Time against the Calgary Surge on Friday for their second win — Sunday’s deficit proved too large to overcome. Ultimately, Vancouver’s game plan was similar to the first matchup, and it yielded similarly positive results. The Bandits focused exclusively on rim pressure and were met by little resistance, finishing plus-eight for paint points (50-42) while earning 10 more free throws than the Rattlers. “Proud of how we stuck to the game plan and attacked the paint first and really got ourselves going early,” Brockington said after the win. The Bandits went up by as many as 26 points headed into Target Score Time before Samuel tipped in a Hollis miss for the game-sealing score — providing one final dose of been there, done that as forward also made the winning basket the last time these teams played. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600593 Up next Both squads get a bit of rest before returning to action, starting with the Rattlers wrapping up their two-game homestand by welcoming the Scarborough Shooting Stars to Saskatchewan on Friday. Meanwhile, the Bandits head back to Vancouver as they’ll get set to host the Montreal Alliance on Saturday. Next CEBL action The undefeated Alliance (3-0) start a three-game road trip on Monday as they visit the Shooting Stars for the first of four regular-season meetings between the East rivals. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Myles Dichter
•
June 14, 2025
On ring night in Niagara, it was the Edmonton Stingers who showed championship quality. The Stingers opened the game on a 9-0 run and led wire-to-wire en route to a 106-88 victory over the River Lions on Friday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Edmonton dominated through the first 25 minutes or so and opened a 71-46 lead midway through the third quarter when Niagara offered a taste of the championship mettle that earned them diamonds, chipping away to cut the lead to six in the fourth quarter. But Edmonton still held a 97-88 lead at Target Score Time — and it was all Stingers from there. With the River Lions held scoreless after the clock turned off, it was Edmonton’s Scottie Lindsey who ultimately ended the proceedings with a three-pointer and a dunk. “Basketball is a game of runs, and it was exemplified by that tonight. I mean, obviously, we played well in the first half, and to start the third, but credit to them, they battled back,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. “But Target Time is when games are won and lost, and we managed to hold them scoreless, which is a good win for us.” Edmonton dominated from the field and on the glass, shooting 48 per cent from three-point range and outrebounding Niagara 46-37. The Stingers had three players in double-digits by halftime, with Lindsey ultimately leading the team in scoring with 32 points. The win for Edmonton (4-5) was its second straight after losing two in a row, while Niagara (5-3) saw a two-game win streak of its own come to an end. “We just gotta keep playing with the same intensity we’ve been playing with,” Lindsey, who was named player of the game, told sideline reporter Dhanung Bulsara in a post-game interview. River Lions head coach Victor Raso said his side did not come out with the proper intensity. “They punched us in mouth at the start of the first half, start of the second half, start of Target Time. We just didn't have it tonight. Simple as that,” he said. Stingers guard Sean East II continued his torrid start to the season after entering third leaguewide at 24 points per game. The Louisville, Kent., native and CEBL rookie had 30 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds. Nick Hornsby neared a first-half triple-double with seven points, eight rebounds and eight assists. He failed to score in the second half, but finished with a 10-rebound, 10-assist double-double. Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton also contributed 18 points and seven rebounds. East II said the team now hopes to take its good vibes into a Saturday night showdown in Brampton. “Just keep stacking and keep focusing on defensive end, playing hard (and) having fun out there,” he said. Baker said the team’s offensive success was about sharing the ball. “I think we played with pace. I mean, we had 17 assists in the first half, ended with 29, like when we were moving it, sharing it, being unselfish, we got some skilled guys out there that can make plays,” he said. The River Lions made a valiant second-half comeback effort as they ramped up their defence to fuel their offence and chip away at the Stingers’ lead. However, a slow start and poor shooting night — Niagara made just four of 29 three-point attempts — ultimately proved its undoing. “That's what this league really is, is that if one team's ready to go, they always win, and that team was ready to fight. They were desperate,” Raso said. For Niagara, reigning Finals MVP Khalil Ahmad led the way with 30 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Ahmad reached 300 career assists (including playoffs) with his first helper, joining Kadre Gray, Cat Barber and Alain Louis as the only players to accomplish the feat in league history. “I mean, it's a great accolade, like, I appreciate it from the league and the recognition and whatnot, but just focused on the main goal, which is the championship,” Ahmad said. Eddie Ekiyor (14 points) and Nathan Cayo (10) were the only other River Lions scorers in double digits. Canadian point guard Jahvon Blair made his season debut after finishing a campaign in France, posting seven points and three rebounds in nearly 17 minutes of action. In a pre-game ceremony, commissioner Mike Morreale and River Lions executives Richard Petko (owner), Michael Skrtich (owner) and Michelle Biskup (president) presented players, coaches and support staff their 2024 CEBL championship rings. A banner commemorating the title run was unfurled from the rafters of the Meridian Centre. “That was amazing, just like a cherry on top the big season last year. It's a 10-out-of-10 moment I'll keep with me for a long time,” Ahmad said. On the other hand, he’ll hope to forget the game that ensued rather quickly. The Stingers led 34-25 after the first 10 minutes and extended their advantage to 61-44 at halftime. Niagara put together a 20-6 run in the middle of the third quarter to cut a 25-point deficit to 12 heading into the final frame. But while Niagara cut things even closer from there, it could not close the deal — and ultimately walked away with rings, but without a win. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600604 Up Next Edmonton is back at it Saturday with a visit to the Brampton Honey Badgers, while the River Lions head to Ottawa to face the BlackJacks on Sunday. Next CEBL Action In addition to the Stingers-Honey Badgers game on Saturday, a battle of conference leaders will occur as the Vancouver Bandits host the Montreal Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

June 12, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-1 American guard Corey Davis Jr. No stranger to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Davis Jr. was a member of the Calgary Surge during the 2024 season where he set the league record for most assists in a single season with 126 helpers. Appearing and starting in 19 regular season games and three playoff games, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals through 33.1 minutes played. He finished the season with three consecutive, 20+ point performances in the postseason, leading the Surge from the Play-In round to the CEBL Western Conference Final. Davis Jr. most recently played professionally with Vanoli Cremona, the highest-tier level of Italy’s basketball league system, where he appeared in 30 games and averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 29.8 minutes of action per game during the 2024-25 season. His pro career also includes stops in Spain, Montenegro, France, Turkey and a stint with the Washington Wizards during the 2019 NBA Summer League. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back in the CEBL and can’t wait to get started with the Bandits. I’m looking forward to working with coach Kyle and the team, and building on the success that the Bandits have had so far this season,” said Davis Jr. A member of the University of Houston’s men’s basketball team for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, Davis Jr. was a unanimous First Team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2019. Davis Jr. also helped the Cougars advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2019 Sweet 16. Davis Jr. will be on the active roster for the Vancouver Bandits game Saturday evening at home when the club hosts the visiting Montréal Alliance at Langley Events Centre. In a corresponding move, the club has placed guard Izaiah Brockington on its Suspended List in order to accommodate Davis Jr.'s addition while adhering to CEBL roster rules, which limit clubs to four Import players on active rosters. ### About the Vancouver Bandits: The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC).

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
June 12, 2025
Simi Shittu couldn’t have made a better first impression if he tried. Facing the prospect of blowing a 19-point lead, the Canadian forward played hero in his Winnipeg Sea Bears debut to seal a 92-89 victory over the Montreal Alliance in the CEBL’s milestone 500th game on Wednesday. “I’m kind of speechless,” Shittu said after scoring five points in Target Score Time, including a game-winning hookshot. “The crowd was there with us the whole time, obviously it wasn’t a perfect game … but we’ve got a lot of chemistry already.” The win marked the Sea Bears' first time this season winning back-to-back games, doing so emphatically by handing the East-leading Alliance their first loss of the year while snapping a three-game home losing streak. Winnipeg got plenty of contributions outside of Shittu’s team-high 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting, starting with Tevian Jones and Jaylin Williams, who chipped in 17 and 15 points, respectively. Terry Roberts added a double-double effort of 10 points and 12 assists, while Jalen Harris added a career-high tying nine assists despite finishing with just four points. On the other side, Montreal was led by captain Quincy Guerrier, who scored a game-high 25 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter, on 8-of-12 shooting. Meanwhile, Tavian Dunn-Martin and Dontay Bassett rounded out the Alliance’s double-digit scoring efforts with 14 and 17 points each. “We tried to fight all the way to the end,” Dunn-Martin said after the loss. “We didn’t start off too hot, but we showed our fight and we showed our heart.” Although Shittu’s late-game heroics stole the show, it didn’t take long for him to make an impact in his first minutes as a Sea Bear. The former CEBL All-Canadian selection nailed his first two shots of the game, starting with a three for Winnipeg’s first points and then a dunk in transition after sealing off his defender in the paint — bringing the 6,505 fans in attendance at the Canada Life Centre to their feet. And while Shittu was forced to the bench shortly after due to two quick fouls in the first, that leak out from him proved to be a precursor for the Sea Bears’ efforts in the opening frame. They pushed the pace on makes, misses and turnovers alike, rattling off an 8-2 run en route to a 25-21 lead after 10 minutes. “Complete difference-maker,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said of Shittu post-game. “He started so strong, he had such a great start, and then the fouls limited him in the first half. But the rest of the team, the bench players, really stepped up … I was really pleased with the team effort.” Winnipeg kept up that high temp throughout the second quarter, but its defence ultimately did the heavy lifting, forcing five turnovers in the frame from a typically disciplined Montreal team that entered Wednesday averaging a CEBL-low 11.0 giveaways. “We started off slow, playing careless basketball,” Dunn-Martin said of his team’s uncharacteristic ball-handling miscues on Wednesday. “They played way more aggressive than us in the beginning … We got punched in the mouth.” The Sea Bears' defensive activity not only led to 11 points off the seven total turnovers forced through the first half, but also helped them limit the Alliance to just 16 points in the second. And Winnipeg’s offence rewarded the effort on the other end as it finished the quarter on a 10-2 run, capped off with back-to-back threes — Jaylin Williams nailed his second of three triples in the game at the halftime buzzer to extend the Sea Bears' lead to 52-37. “We’re in a great position,” Williams said on the team’s outlook moving forward after his 6-for-6 shooting performance on Wednesday. “We still have room to grow.” To the Alliance’s credit, they came out of the break and responded, doing so largely thanks to their success on the glass. Montreal’s first three field goals of the second half all came on putbacks to extend its lead on second-chance points to 17-4 after 30 minutes — that margin was extended to 19-9 by the end of the game thanks to a total of 13 offensive rebounds. And while that effort helped the Alliance chip their deficit back down to single digits throughout the frame, it didn’t hold. The Sea Bears' hot shooting — punctuated by back-to-back triples from Harris and Williams — ultimately rebuilt their double-figure advantage, going up by as many as 19 points before taking a 78-61 lead into the fourth. Not to be outshone, however, Winnipeg’s defence made the statement play of the third quarter as Williams swatted a turning hookshot attempt from Kevin Osawe to close the frame. That miss brought Montreal’s field goal percentage below 40 per cent through three, before the Alliance eventually finished the game shooting 43 per cent from the field (32-of-74) while their two-game streak of scoring 100-plus points was snapped. The Alliance did make things interesting to close the game, starting the final frame on a 9-0 run, making it an eight-point deficit on a Dunn-Martin triple at the 7:27 mark of the fourth. And although the Sea Bears did stymie some of that momentum, rebuilding their advantage to double digits off a slick transition lob feed from Roberts to Shittu, the Alliance persisted. Montreal sparked a 9-2 run, punctuated by five straight points from Bassett to bring the deficit heading into Target Score Time down to 83-79. The Alliance then got big makes from their leading scorers, back-to-back triples from Guerrier and Dunn-Martin to take their first lead since the 4:57 mark of the opening frame. But like Winnipeg had done all game, it responded. Emmanuel Akot dropped two timely layups with the clock stopped — part of 13 points and nine rebounds from the Winnipeg native — before Shittu sealed the deal. The forward corralled a slick bounce feed from Harris, who made his first appearance at Canada Life Centre since joining the Sea Bears, and Shittu made sure not to waste the high-percentage look to cap off his storybook debut in Winnipeg. “Jalen actually called that last play for Simi,” Taylor explained post-game when describing the final possession. “So, as a coach, when you see these two new guys work for each other on the floor, that’s a really good sign. “Really proud. It didn’t come easy, and it shouldn't. We want to keep developing and keep working, but it was a great win.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600602 Up next The Alliance return to the court on Saturday, wrapping up a three-game road trip by visiting the Vancouver Bandits for a battle between No. 1 seeds. Meanwhile, the Sea Bears retake home court on Sunday as they host the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Next CEBL action The 5-2 River Lions welcome the 3-5 Edmonton Stingers to Niagara at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT for the first game of a Friday night CEBL doubleheader. Shortly after, the 2-5 Rattlers host the 3-3 Scarborough Shooting Stars at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Myles Dichter
•
June 11, 2025
It rained triples in Edmonton on Tuesday. The Stingers used a flurry of three-pointers to snap a two-game skid and beat the Ottawa BlackJacks 93-74 on Tuesday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. Edmonton improved to 3-5 with the win, while Ottawa fell to 2-5. Scottie Lindsey led the way for the Stingers with a breakout 23-point performance, including 18 by halftime. He added nine rebounds and five steals. In all, the Stingers shot 50 per cent from beyond the arc after entering the game fourth leaguewide at 34 per cent. “You put yourself in a great position to win basketball games, but I think it was the quality of our shots. We’d struggled a little bit with too much isolation in the last couple, so it was great to see us get to the paint, share the basketball and get open looks for each other,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. Edmonton entered Target Score Time up 83-69 after a 13-3 run, and its strong shooting continued with the clock stopped. Mason Bourcier scored his first points as a Stinger with a three-pointer to get things going, Lindsey knocked one down to put Edmonton within three, and the Stingers salted away the win after layups from Sean East II and Keon Ambrose-Hylton. “Guys executed, guys played hard, we had lots of contributions top to bottom. So we’re certainly happy but we’re not satisfied,” Baker said. East II finished the game with 20 points and six assists, while Ambrose-Hylton added 13 points and eight rebounds and Elijah Miller contributed 12 points off the bench. Miller, of Rexdale, Ont., said it was a “great win.” “It’s gonna take time during the season, but as the games go on we’re definitely starting to click,” he said. Lindsey, the 29-year-old Illinois native, came to Edmonton after a year with Winnipeg last season in which he shot 42.1 per cent from the field en route to 13.5 points per game. But while he was still at 13 per game as a Stinger to start this season, his field-goal percentage had slumped to 30.4. Lindsey busted out of that slump in a big way on Tuesday. “When he lets the game come to him, he’s pretty damn good offensively. We try to put him in some spots, but he did a good job moving away from the ball and we found him early and often. And when he gets going, he really gets going,” Baker said. For Ottawa, meanwhile, the loss marked its third straight as it remains fourth in the Eastern Conference. Justin Jackson came off the bench to lead the BlackJacks with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Meshack Lufile (11 points) and Christian Rohlehr (10 points) were the only other scorers in double digits. Head coach Dave DeAveiro said his team kept things close through three quarters but struggled to close — an emerging trend during the losing streak. He added that the BlackJacks need “mental toughness” to snap out of it. “I find when things are not going our way, that’s when we’re not at our best,” DeAveiro said. Ottawa captain Tyrrel Tate notched nine points and five rebounds. He said the team is still learning each other’s tendencies while awaiting some players who have yet to debut. “We’re just trying to build some chemistry within the guys we have now. I think we’ve grown in a lot of areas but we still have a lot of growing room to go so just learn from this, watch the film, get ready to take care of business when we get back home,” Tate said. The BlackJacks’ Miryne Thomas appeared injure his shoulder during the third quarter and did not return. The Stingers led 25-23 after the first quarter on the strength of five-for-eight shooting from three-point range. Edmonton’s lead ballooned to 50-44 by halftime as the threes kept falling. In the third quarter, the Stingers finally gained some separation, but a late run by the BlackJacks cut Edmonton’s lead to just four points entering the final frame. Yet the Stingers responded, built a double-digit lead and cruised through Target Score Time. Now, Edmonton sports fans will turn their focus to the Stanley Cup Final, where the hope is that the Oilers make like the Stingers and earn a bounce-back victory of their own. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600598 Up Next Both teams face the Niagara River Lions in their next game — the Stingers visit Niagara on Friday, while the BlackJacks host the reigning champions on Sunday. Next CEBL Action The 500th game in league history, including playoffs, takes place Wednesday when the Winnipeg Sea Bears host the Montreal Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

June 10, 2025
The Edmonton Stingers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday the signing of American forward Chris Smith. This will be Smith’s second year in the CEBL. Smith recently completed an international season playing for the Ironi Kiryat Ata of the Israeli Winner-League, averaging 29 minutes, 15.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 24 games in his fourth pro-season. Before joining the CEBL, Smith played several seasons in the NBA G-League. Smith began his pro career in 2021-22 with the Motor City Cruise, appearing in 19 games and averaging 9.4 points and 23.2 minutes played. He joined the Salt Lake City Stars for the 2022–23 season but appeared in only one game due to injury. In 2023–24, Smith began the season with the Grand Rapids Gold, before transferring to the Iowa Wolves where he averaged 3.3 points and 10.9 minutes in 23 games. Following his 2024 season in Iowa, Smith made his first CEBL appearance with the Montreal Alliance. Smith scored a season-high 24 points on three separate occasions – on July 14th, June 19th and 16th, while playing against Ottawa, Brampton and Saskatchewan. Post-season, Smith was named All-CEBL Second Team and CEBL rebounding champion (2024). “We are very excited to be able to bring Chris to Edmonton for the remainder of the season.” said Head Coach and General Manager Jordan Baker. “His versatility, size, and athleticism will provide an immediate boost on both ends of the floor. I know he will enjoy playing in front of our passionate fans at The Hive!” The 6’9” forward also has several collegiate seasons under his belt, playing at UCLA. During his time as a Bruin, he scored a collegiate-best of 30 points on Jan 30, 2020 while playing against Colorado. He was also named First-team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 Most Improved Player that same year (2020). Smith and the Stingers will return to the Edmonton EXPO Centre on June 10th to host the Ottawa Blackjackets. Tickets are available for as low as $20 per seat and can be purchased online or by contacting the Stingers head office via email ( [email protected] ) or phone (1-87STINGERS).

By Myles Dichter
•
June 10, 2025
(Preview: Week 6) Time flies when you’re having fun, eh? It feels like not so long ago that the Canadian Elite Basketball League burst onto the scene in 2019 as a trailblazer in the country. For the first time, there was a Canada Basketball- and FIBA-affiliated place for Canadians to play professional basketball — right at home. On Wednesday, the CEBL will witness its 500th game (including playoffs) when the ball is tipped as the Winnipeg Sea Bears host the Montreal Alliance. It’s a fitting matchup between two teams who did not exist in Year 1 but have come to represent the league’s rapid growth and will have hosted consecutive Championship Weekends, with Niagara emerging victorious in Montreal last year and Winnipeg set to welcome the CEBL world to the Canada Life Centre this year. And there will even be a throughline to Game No. 1: Alex Campbell, who scored 19 points for the Saskatchewan Rattlers in that league-opening 99-97 loss to the River Lions, is set to suit up for the Sea Bears. Campbell is the only player in league history to reach the 100-game barrier. Now, he’ll be part of No. 500, too. Undefeated Alliance look to keep rolling On the topic of Montreal, the CEBL’s lone Quebec-based team is also its lone franchise without a loss on its ledger this season. Yes, the Alliance have only played four games — the Vancouver Bandits opened their season 5-0 and now sit 7-1 — but even still, their dominance is hard to ignore. In those games, Montreal has outscored its opponents by 85 points, with each win coming by at least 20. The Alliance are allowing the fewest points against per game in the league at 77, with Vancouver second at 81.5. And only the Bandits (100.4) score more points per game than the Alliance’s 98.3 per contest. As luck would have it, those two powerhouses will collide on Saturday in B.C. Montreal may not be undefeated by then — it has the game in Winnipeg two nights prior — but either way, the game promises to be a doozy. Is it too early to say championship preview? Harris to face former team Jalen Harris has changed sides in the Battle of the Prairies. The former Toronto Raptors guard recently signed with the Sea Bears after spending last season with the Rattlers. Just four games into his Winnipeg career, he’ll meet his former team at home on Sunday. Harris, who also played two seasons with the Scarborough Shooting Stars, is off to a strong start with the Sea Bears, averaging 19.5 points, 4.5 assists and four rebounds per contest. Winnipeg scuffled to a 1-5 start to its season but is coming off a dramatic win over the Shooting Stars — in which Harris foiled his other former team with the Target Score game-winner — and can freely build toward Championship Weekend at home. Weekly schedule (nine games) Game #36 -- Tuesday, June 10 - OTT at EDM – 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #37 – Wednesday, June 11 – MTL at WPG – 7 p.m. CDT / 8 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #38 – Friday, June 13 – EDM at NRL – 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #39 – Friday, June 13 – SSS at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #40 – Saturday, June 14 – EDM at BHB – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #41 – Saturday, June 14 – MTL at VAN – 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #42 – Sunday, June 15 – NRL at OTT – 2 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #43 – Sunday, June 15 – SSK at WPG – 2 p.m. CDT / 1 p.m. CST / 3 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #44 – Sunday, June 15 – SSS at CGY – 2 p.m. MT / 4 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .

By Teru Ikeda
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June 9, 2025
It didn’t take long for Montreal to break its own franchise record for most points in a game. Last game, they scored 105 points. Tonight, they dropped 108 in the Ends. It was Montreal’s first game facing a team with a winning record (3-2), but Montreal started to pull away in the third quarter. Scarborough’s fatigue was beginning to surface in the second half and they lost 108-88. “I think it’s a long stretch for us,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said about playing three games in four nights. “Playing a game on the road and two at home with only one off-day in between. Not having Hason Ward shortened our bench for sure. We needed his size.” Montreal took full advantage in the third quarter when they quickly built up a 13-point lead. Tavian Dunn-Martin (game-high 26 points) threw a beautiful pocket bounce pass into Ben Stevens at the right elbow for an easy bucket. Scarborough missed a lay-up, and Anthony Walker (game total 16 points) nailed a triple on the other end while drawing a foul. He missed his free throw, scored on his own miss, and his five-point play seemed to deflate Scarborough. “Our depth is definitely a strength of ours. And it’s good because it keeps guys engaged. It’s been four games now and everyone’s getting in and they’re happy,” said Montreal head coach Jermaine Small. “Especially someone like Ant (Anthony) Walker, he’s been more aggressive. He got into foul trouble early on, but I think he came back on and had a really strong second half.” Walker continued to be impressive in the third, swatting Cat Barber and then threw a cross-court pass to Kevin Osawe (game total 11 points) that allowed him to drive to the hoop and draw a foul. Most notably, the 20-point lead was established in the third when Quincy Guerrier hit a triple, assisted by none other than fellow Montrealer Alain Louis. Louis, the only returning Alliance player from last season and who has been with them since its inception, became the all-time regular season assist leader with 332, surpassing another U SPORTS-to-CEBL pathway player Kadre Gray. “My biggest thing has always been, I gotta represent the U SPORTS players ,” said Louis after the game, reflecting on his individual record. “And for me to be the leader now, that just goes to tell you that U SPORTS guys can play. We’re good enough. That’s my biggest thing for sure.” Guerrier also had a strong all-around game, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, and four stocks. “Look at the weapons they have,” play-by-play commentator Rod Black summed up Montreal’s firepower in the third. They stopped relying on Dunn-Martin, who had exploded for 21 points in the first half, shooting nine-for-13 from the field and three-for-five from downtown. The 5-foot-8 guard would have impressed another diminutive guard, Jamal Shead, who watched from the sidelines along with Raptors players Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, and Ulrich Chomche. True to their team name, Scarborough has been consistently drawing celebrities to the sidelines as Olympic gold medalist Andre De Grasse was there just a few days ago at their last home game against Winnipeg. Records weren’t only being achieved by Montreal, however. It was CEBL’s all-time second leading scorer Cat Barber’s first game back, and he reached 300 regular season assists. Coach De Giorgio remains excited about the potential a Cat Barber-Yuri Collins backcourt could achieve, and recognized the need to limit turnovers as they head out on a three-game road trip. Scarborough saw a spirited effort from its role players. David Walker, last year’s Developmental Player of the Year finalist, had an impressive 21 points on seven-for-11 shooting. Sharp shooter Danilo Djuricic tried to fill in for Hasan Ward’s absence by grabbing some key defensive boards in the second quarter (game total seven boards). The league’s leading scorer, Donovan Williams, had a team-high 23 points, and recorded a big block in the second quarter after a massive two-handed block in the fourth against Winnipeg last time out. The 6-foot-6 star continues to be impressive at both ends of the court, but will be looking to make a mark in the fourth quarter as Scarborough looks to end its three-game losing streak. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600596 Up next for both teams Montreal (4-0) will continue their road trip as they head west to face the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Last Saturday night’s rematch will take place on Wednesday, June 11 at Canada Life Centre. Scarborough (3-3) will be looking to end their three-game losing streak on the road. They begin their three-game road trip against the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-5) at SaskTel Centre on Friday, June 13. Next CEBL action The Ottawa BlackJacks (2-4) will face the Edmonton Stingers (2-5) at the EXPO Centre in Tuesday’s lone contest. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
June 9, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits (7-1) improved to 4-0 on the road this season with an emphatic 101-76 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-5) on Sunday evening. It was déjà vu for the franchise-record 3,518 fans in attendance at the SaskTel Centre as Vancouver took the second of four regular-season meetings in a similarly dominant fashion to their first matchup — now having won both by an average margin of 32.5 points. The Bandits used a full-team effort for their latest victory as seven different players made at least two field goals, while four scored in double figures. And just like he did last time against the Rattlers, Tyrese Samuel led the way as the Canadian put up 21 points. Behind him was Izaiah Brockington, who scored 18 points with three triples, while Shamar Givance and Mitch Creek added 16 points each. “Really happy with the win,” Vancouver head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said post-game. “Pleased with the energy, togetherness and connectivity of the guys.” On the other side, Cody John spearheaded the Rattlers as their two-game win streak got snapped, finishing with a team-high 18 points. Meanwhile, Jamir Chaplin chipped in 16 points, while Grant Anticevich and Jordan Bowden off the bench scored 11 points, respectively. It was no secret that the Rattlers entered Sunday looking for revenge after last month’s home-opener was spoiled thanks to a 40-point loss to the Bandits — a franchise-record win for Vancouver. Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz admitted as much pre-game, noting the rematch had been marked on the calendar. Unfortunately for his Rattlers squad, the Bandits' league-leading offence continued to prove troublesome as they shot 66 per cent from the field (12-of-18) in the opening frame. The hot start sparked a 13-2 run that helped carve out a 30-16 lead after the first. Practically identical to last time, when Vancouver led by 11 points after 10 minutes into the first matchup. “We had moments where we fought back, but that’s got to be consistent for 40 minutes,” Magdanz said post-game. “We’ve improved in some areas, but we have some growth yet to happen … we (previously) found success by playing together, playing as a team and we lacked that today.” The Bandits have now scored at least 100 points in six of their eight games and are the only team in the CEBL averaging 100-plus points per game. And it’s been done collectively as four Bandits (Creek, Kyle Mangas, Samuel and Curtis Hollis) rank top 30 in the CEBL for scoring. “Not trying to be arrogant, but we seem to be getting everyone’s best game,” Julius said on his team’s mindset entering the contest. “But when you’re one of the top teams in the league, everybody really prepares for you, and so we really thought today was going to be a significant challenge.” As has been the case for much of the season, Vancouver asserted their dominance by spreading the wealth as all five starters scored in the first quarter — led by Brockington, who had eight points on 3-for-3 shooting, including two triples. Also like last time, the Bandits held onto the momentum from there, building their lead up to 20 points (56-36) at the break. Seven different players on Vancouver finished the half with five-plus points, spearheaded by Mangas’s nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. Unlike the first matchup, however, the Rattlers came out of halftime with a much better response. Rather than getting outscored by 17 in the third like the previous mid-May matchup, Saskatchewan won the frame on Sunday — the first-time beating Vancouver for a quarter this season — and chipped into the deficit, down 72-54. And that was largely thanks to John, as the Mississauga, Ont. native single-handedly scored the Rattlers' first 10 points of the quarter. “We played within our tempo, we played physically defensively and that let us get out in transition,” Magdanz explained when asked how his team found success in the third. But although Saskatchewan had already proven it could rally with the clock stopped — going on an 11-0 run in Target Score Time against the Calgary Surge on Friday for their second win — Sunday’s deficit proved too large to overcome. Ultimately, Vancouver’s game plan was similar to the first matchup, and it yielded similarly positive results. The Bandits focused exclusively on rim pressure and were met by little resistance, finishing plus-eight for paint points (50-42) while earning 10 more free throws than the Rattlers. “Proud of how we stuck to the game plan and attacked the paint first and really got ourselves going early,” Brockington said after the win. The Bandits went up by as many as 26 points headed into Target Score Time before Samuel tipped in a Hollis miss for the game-sealing score — providing one final dose of been there, done that as forward also made the winning basket the last time these teams played. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600593 Up next Both squads get a bit of rest before returning to action, starting with the Rattlers wrapping up their two-game homestand by welcoming the Scarborough Shooting Stars to Saskatchewan on Friday. Meanwhile, the Bandits head back to Vancouver as they’ll get set to host the Montreal Alliance on Saturday. Next CEBL action The undefeated Alliance (3-0) start a three-game road trip on Monday as they visit the Shooting Stars for the first of four regular-season meetings between the East rivals. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Alex Lough
•
June 8, 2025
The Calgary Surge came out hot Sunday afternoon, and despite some pushback from the opposition, were able to hold off the Ottawa BlackJacks and lay claim to a 107-93 victory. Shots were falling for the Surge from the jump as they got off to a 15-4 lead before the first timeout, led by Sean Miller-Moore scoring nine of his game-high 28 points during the stretch. Neither team had trouble finding the bottom of the basket, as Calgary shot 15-of-20 from the field in the first quarter, while Ottawa was 9-of-13. The big difference early was the Surge putting pressure on the BlackJacks ball carrier and forcing seven turnovers whilst committing none of their own. “I thought we came out with our defensive identity from the start,” Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said after the win. “I think guys were locked into the defensive end. We know we’re going to play a good team every night, teams are going to go on runs and comeback. I thought we sustained our defense for the majority of the game.” Trailing 35-23 after the first quarter, the BlackJacks went on a 19-5 run of their own to open the second and take a 42-40 lead before the Surge pushed back to take a 54-52 lead into halftime. The bench played a major role in the comeback, outing the Surge 18-4 in that department. Rudi Williams, Justin Jackson and Christian Rohlehr all chipped in with nine points off the bench. Tyrell Tate had 13 points and Matt Coleman III had 11 while Deng Adel led the way with 24 points, four rebounds and six assists, but also accounted for seven of Ottawa’s 19 turnovers. “I thought Calgary came out and made every shot,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said post game. “Defensively they made us turn the ball over and we gave them points off of turnovers. I thought in the first quarter we played into Calgary’s hand a little bit, and in the second quarter we got better and took care of the ball a lot better.” “It’s critical,” he said of his team’s stellar bench play. “Especially when you’re on a road trip like this where you play three games in five days, our bench has to step up like that have in the last two games… I thought Justin Jackson was good today. I thought he played well today, coming back and playing against his old team he was a little motivated to play well, but he’s been strong for us.” With the Surge missing key pieces in Khyri Thomas and Stefan Jankovic due to injuries and Osayi Osifo away from the team to attend camp with the Dallas Mavericks, the core of the team stepped up in a big way. On top of Miller-Moore’s performance, Jameer Nelson Jr. finished with 24 points, six assists and five steals on 9-of-12 shooting, while Greg Brown III had 25 points and six rebounds, including 21 in the second half. Olumide Adelodun led the way for the Surge’s bench, scoring 15 of 17 points from a second unit that saw the professional debuts of Javonte Brown and Javier Gilgeous-Glasgow. “I thought (Gilgeous-Glasgow and Brown) were huge,” Canales said. “Even D.J (Jackson)’s minutes there. We coach it and we teach it that everyone has to be ready. I know it sounds like a cliché, but the season’s long and guys get banged up and guys have to step up, and it speaks to their work.” Despite coming into the game ninth in the league in free throw percentage and dead last in three-point percentage, the Surge shot 29-of-38 from the line and 10-for-28 from beyond the arc. 37 of the team’s 53 second-half points came from either the charity stripe or the three-point line, making their improvements in the areas critical to pull out a win. Team captain Sean Miller-Moore said keeping his own composure was key to setting the tone for his team to have an impactful second half. “I know it starts with me,” he said. “I’m very passionate when I play, I’m very emotional. So sometimes I just try to stay even keel because once I show that on my sleeve, it kind of affects the team. Coach always preaches staying poised, playing our game even when it’s (Target Time), fourth quarter, second quarter. It’s a game of runs, so teams are going to go on runs, but you just have to stay solid.” The win pushed the Surge to 3-0 all-time against the BlackJacks since relocating to Calgary. Ottawa fell to 1-3 on the road this season. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600590 Up next for both teams The Calgary Surge have a week off before their five-game homestand continues against the Scarborough Shooting Stars on June 15. The Ottawa BlackJacks stay in Alberta as they’ll face the Edmonton Stingers on June 10. Next CEBL action The undefeated Montreal Alliance travel to Scarborough to face the Shooting Stars in the first of four meetings between the teams this season. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By CEBL Staff
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June 8, 2025
Connor Vreeken came off the bench to score 14 points, and collect five rebounds and five assists as the Niagara River Lions defeated the Brampton Honey Badgers, 94-80, Sunday afternoon at Meridian Centre. Vreeken finished an efficient 5-for-11 from the field and added a couple steals in a career-high 14 minutes of action. The former Carleton Ravens star credits the River Lions (5-2) organization with preparing him for the moment. “We have a really good coaching staff here. They put me in good positions in order to make plays and then my teammates put me into good spots,” he said. “So, it makes it pretty easy to make reads and then it's just about executing at the end of the day.” Khalil Ahmad led all River Lions players with 22 points in 26 minutes, but was unable to finish the game as he was ejected, along with his Niagara teammate AJ Davis. Honey Badgers Koby McEwen and Amari Kelly were also ejected in the aftermath of a heated skirmish between both sides near the end of the third quarter. Quinndary Weatherspoon scored a game-high 25 points in the loss for the Honey Badgers (1–7), who looked out of the game early after a 14–3 Niagara run in the first quarter effectively put it out of reach for Brampton. The River Lions bombarded the Honey Badgers from three in the opening frame, going 6-of-13 from distance. “We always wanna play fast,” said River Lions assistant coach Troy Stevenson. “We thought we had an advantage in transition against them this time so we were really looking to go a little bit earlier, but that that being said, we’re always looking to hunt good shots. Talk to him first and then if it happens to unveil itself like it did today, we’ll take them. We’re not afraid to take shots.” Ahmad also become the first player in CEBL history to record 100 career steals with a couple in the first quarter. Niagara carried a 53-35 lead into halftime and an 85-66 lead into Target Score Time. The Honey Badgers made a spirited run in Target Score Time, scoring 14 points while the clock was turned off, but couldn’t overcome the hole they dug themselves into. The defending champion River Lions looked every part of it Sunday, but feel like there’s lots to work on moving ahead, so a Target Score Time like the one that occurred doesn’t happen again. “I think it’s just putting 40 minutes together,” Stevenson said. “We have we have veteran guys, we have guys who know how to win, guys that are proven winners. It’s just a matter of putting all the pieces together and getting comfortable with each other, communicating on the defensive side, not being stagnant on the offence, being aggressive. “So we’ve got the veterans, we’ve got the pieces and we’re gonna put it together. It’s just taking a little bit longer than we would like.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600587 Up next The River Lions will have a bit of a break and resume play Friday, June 13 at home against the Edmonton Stingers. The Honey Badgers also have a longer break before their next contest, also against Edmonton, at home on Saturday, June 14. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Teru Ikeda
•
June 8, 2025
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 -

By Maggie Hsu
•
June 7, 2025
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 -

By Alex Lough
•
June 7, 2025
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 -

By Teru Ikeda
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June 7, 2025
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 -

By Zulfi Sheikh
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June 7, 2025
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 -

By Myles Dichter
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June 7, 2025
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 -
June 6, 2025
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 .

By Zulfi Sheikh
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June 4, 2025
It’s safe to say the Montreal Alliance (2-0) enjoy playing the Brampton Honey Badgers (0-6) this year. In the second of three regular-season matchups between the East rivals, the visiting Alliance walked away with a convincing 92-71 win over the Honey Badgers in Brampton. Montreal’s two wins this season have both come against Brampton, doing so by an average margin of 21.5 points. Wednesday's win was just one point shy of the franchise’s largest victory set against the same Honey Badgers in the Alliance’s season-opener last month. Anthony Walker led that charge, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting and seven rebounds. Right behind him was captain Quincy Guerrier as the Montreal native chipped in 14 points, six of which came in Target Score Time. Meanwhile, Dontay Bassett and Tavian Dunn-Martin off the bench (in his CEBL debut), each scored 13 points, respectively. “I’m proud of our guys,” Alliance head coach Jermaine Small said after the win. “We had a bit of a slow start, but our depth showed, and you know what, a win on the road is a win on the road.” On the other side, Quinndary Weatherspoon spearheaded Brampton’s effort, putting up a team-high 24 points. The Honey Badgers’ leading scorer struggled efficiency-wise, however, shooting 7-of-17 with three turnovers. Koby McEwen (15 points) and David Muenkat (10 points, six turnovers) rounded out Brampton’s double-digit scorers for the day. “We didn’t play together,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said after the loss. “Things aren’t going perfectly and we’re crumbling right now. We’re frustrated, which is normal during a losing streak, but it’s going to take some mental toughness to figure that out.” The Honey Badgers entered Wednesday’s contest giving up the most points on average this season (94.4). But clearly they didn’t get that memo, as Brampton's defence did the heavy lifting early on and held Montreal to just 6-of-17 shooting through 10 minutes. Yet despite those efforts earning an early 9-0 run, Brampton wasn’t able to capitalize thanks to some self-inflicted errors. The Honey Badgers gave the ball away five times — a recurring theme as Brampton entered the game averaging a league-high 18.6 turnovers per game — and went into the second quarter trailing 19-16. “That’s our identity this season,” Guerrier said post-game. “Brampton came out and punched us, that woke us up … by being physical and communicating, we were able to get the win.” Montreal’s momentum only continued from there, as they opened the second with back-to-back threes, the first of which was made by Walker, who finished the half with 13 points on a perfect 3-for-3 from distance. The pair of triples extended the Alliance’s run to 15-0, spanning back to the end of the first. From there, Montreal led by as many as 14 points through the first 20 minutes en route to a 46-34 advantage at the break. That margin was built largely thanks to some impressive ball movement (16 first-half assists), which led to high-quality looks (20 points in the paint). The Alliance entered the game averaging the most assists per game (26.0) and showed why, finishing with 28 — three shy of their franchise record — on Wednesday on just eight turnovers. “I give a lot of credit to our guys,” Small said. “These guys are very unselfish, sometimes too unselfish, but 28 assists, that speaks volumes to how connected we are.” And speaking of turnovers, they continued to cost the Honey Badgers even after the break. Brampton finished the game with 19 giveaways and ultimately conceded a 25-7 edge on points from turnovers. That trend, which included four Honey Badger miscues in the third, had them down 75-56 after thirty minutes. And although Brampton chipped into the deficit ahead of Target Score Time, down 82-67, the margin didn’t get any closer as the Honey Badgers were outscored 10-4 to close the ball game. That winning stretch included back-to-back triples from Guerrier, which brought Montreal’s total to a franchise-record tying 15 made threes for the game. Michael Diggins Jr. then capped off the festivities, blowing by his defender and rising for a rim-rocking dunk. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600595 Up next Both teams return to action on Friday for the CEBL’s first-ever five-game night . The Alliance head back to Montreal as they prepare to take on the 2-4 Edmonton Stingers, while the Honey Badgers stay put in Brampton to host the 1-4 Winnipeg Sea Bears. Next CEBL action Tipping off Friday’s busy slate, which’ll see all 10 teams in action, are the undefeated Scarborough Shootings (3-0) and the defending champion Niagara River Lions (3-2) from the Meridian Centre at 7:00 p.m. ET. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -