CEBL NEWS ARTICLES

By Teru Ikeda
•
July 10, 2025
Evan Gilyard was all smiles after the game. When sideline reporter Heather Morrison told him about his 37-point franchise-record breaking performance for most points in a game, he looked astonished. “Ahhh, we’re seeing red,” he said. “I knew that we had to have a bounce back game from the last game that we lost,” referring to the 113-90 loss against provincial rival Edmonton Stingers at the EXPO Centre. “I feel like a lot of that energy from the last game carried over…We came out and fought.” Calgary surged back from a 13-point first-half deficit and punched Montreal back in the second half en route to a 107-91 victory. While the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth was happening outside the arena, Calgary gave its 6,954 fans inside the Saddledome a treat on Stampede Night. The game had all the hallmarks of a nationally televised game as Paul Jones and Rod Black – two familiar faces in Canadian basketball – on the broadcast. The game was hyper-competitive with two elite undersized guards. On the big stage, Gilyard proved that what Tavian Dunn-Martin could do, the former could do better. TDM buried five three-pointers in the first half, tossing up shots – and making them – as if he were casually shooting at the park. Calgary, however, instantly punched back after halftime, making a 11-3 run. Gilyard hit a triple, Montreal turned the ball over, and Calgary capitalized by running out and scoring. Though TDM hit his sixth triple in what briefly seemed to be a buffer builder, Gilyard answered back with a triple and Khyri Thomas’ three-pointer forced Montreal to take a timeout. Calgary suddenly trailed by five points. The timeout did little to stop the bleeding as Calgary would dominate the third 39-15, led by Gilyard’s miraculous 21-point third quarter extravaganza on 12-for-23 shooting. He showed the home crowd he was even more electrifying than TDM. After the timeout, Gilyard hit some mid-range jumpers, a triple to inch within two points before Greg Brown (game total 23 points) hit one of his own to give Calgary a one-point lead and the team never looked back. Most notably, the tide had swung so much in Calgary’s favour that Gilyard’s technical after his three-pointer did little to stop his team’s relentless surge. He hit another triple with 1:37 left in the third to give Calgary a six-point lead, a triple as deep as TDM’s second quarter threes. Fan favourite Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore also had a consistent scoring night, finishing the game with 23 points. Montreal tried to punch back towards the end of the game, but it was too little, too late. They got within 10 points by Target Time, but Calgary easily put the game away. Montreal had an extremely strong showing in the second quarter. They pounded the ball inside and went nine-for-13 from downtown in the first half. Before the second half, Calgary Surge head coach Kaleb Canales said, “We just let them get loose. 69 per cent from three is just not a good number for us.” TDM splashed threes from everywhere and even flew out of the paint to hit one as two Surge players came out to the perimeter to contest (Gilyard also made a similar triple in the third quarter as two Alliance players came to blitz him). As Montreal has shown throughout the season, they didn’t have to solely rely on TDM. Newcomer Shamiel Stevenson attacked the hoop and missed, but an offensive board led to a three-pointer by Malcolm Duvivier, who then splashed another one. When so much focus went into stopping TDM, Montreal went to the second-side, swinging the ball to Abdul Mohamed who splashed a triple of his own. Montreal made their surge in the second quarter when Duvivier made a pitch pass to TDM who nailed a deep three, and kept his shooting hand suspended for all in the Saddledome to see. Even Gabe Osabuohien’s outstretched hands didn’t phase him. The score was 52-44, but that lead quickly disappeared in the second half. With TDM out for most of the third, however, Gilyard and the Surge took full advantage and never looked back. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600630 Up next for both teams The Montreal Alliance (6-8) return to Verdun Auditorium and host the league-best Vancouver Bandits (11-3) on Sunday, July 13. The Calgary Surge (10-5) stampede east to face the Saskatchewan Rattlers (4-11) at SaskTel Centre on Tuesday, July 15. Next CEBL action The league-best Vancouver Bandits (11-3) face the best of the East. They head to Meridian Centre tomorrow to play the Niagara River Lions (9-5). For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
July 9, 2025
While the clouds were outside in the Brampton area on Wednesday, it was raining threes inside the CAA Centre as the Ottawa BlackJacks tied a franchise-record with 17 made triples en route to a 101-73 win over the Honey Badgers. The BlackJacks made 11 of those long-balls in the second half, finishing plus-seven on made triples overall while converting on a 54 per cent clip for the game as they improved to 7-7 on the season — tied with the Scarborough Shooting Stars for second in the East and two games back of the Niagara River Lions. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers fell to 4-11 and remain at the bottom of the conference. Leading Ottawa’s three-point onslaught was Javonte Smart, who finished with a game-high 28 points on 4-of-6 shooting from distance as the team improved to 5-1 since adding the import guard. Behind him was Isaih Moore with 17 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on 8-of-11 from the field. Deng Adel and Zane Waterman (off the bench) each chipped in 17 points as the forward duo also each knocked down five threes, respectively, going a combined 10-of-15. Meanwhile, Keevan Veinot added 12 points and eight assists while going 5-of-7 from the field. “It was a great second half, we obviously shot the ball well, but I think the main difference in the second half was just defending (better),” Adel said after the win. “We did a good job of matching their intensity and stopping their main scorers.” On the other side, David Muenkat’s 16 points and seven rebounds led the way as Brampton lost its third game in a row. Quinndary Weatherspoon added 14 points while Amari Kelly and Bryson Williams rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts with 11 and 10 points apiece. “Ottawa made a lot of threes in the third quarter and that kind of just opened up the game,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said. “Sometimes it was making open shots, other times it was tough shots, they just had it rolling … that was literally the game right there.” Conference rivalry games are never supposed to be easy, especially when one team has taken the first two of four matchups by an average of 17.5 points, like Ottawa had. Something Brampton appeared determined to change on Wednesday, as they kept things much closer early on. The first half between the East rivals saw 12 lead changes as neither team carved out a lead larger than six points, despite the BlackJacks going on an 8-0 run mid-way through the second, to which the Honey Badgers responded with a 10-0 charge of their own. Once the dust settled on an opening half that fittingly saw both teams shoot an identical 51 per cent from the field, and was capped off by an Adel triple right before the buzzer , Brampton held on for a 45-42 lead. That narrow edge was largely thanks to their efforts defensively as the Honey Badgers forced 12 BlackJacks turnovers in the first half, eight in the second quarter alone, from a team that entered the day averaging 14.7 per game. That disruptive play not only won Brampton the first-half possession battle, it also earned it a 14-7 edge on points off turnovers. That trend wouldn’t continue, however, as the BlackJacks only gave the ball away three times the rest of the way. “The two things we talked about at halftime were turning things up on defence, and then taking care of the ball,” Ottawa head coach Dave DeAveiro said post-game. “I thought we did a really good job in those two areas in the second half.” And then the third quarter happened. A frame in which the BlackJacks outscored the Honey Badgers 32-13 after Ottawa caught fire from beyond the arc. The same team that made six threes in the opening half drilled eight triples in the third quarter alone. Leading that charge was Adel, who hit four shots from beyond the arc as he scored 12 points in the third to more than remedy a quiet first half with just three points. “Deng has great self-awareness,” DeAveiro explained. “He had four shots in the first half (he knew) he needed to take more shots … he played with a lot more bounce, a lot more step and let the game come to him.” Right behind him was Waterman, who’s two triples towards the end of the third not only contributed to a 12-0 BlackJacks run en route to a 74-58 lead before the fourth, but also marked his 100th regular-season three-point make all-time. The sharpshooter was just the 15th player in CEBL history to reach that mark. “Our energy kind of died down in the second half,” Muenkat said after the loss. “We weren’t able to have a response to their late-game push … they just really got hot, which kind of tilted the momentum.” Ottawa’s lead only ballooned from that point, leading 92-68 at the start of Target Score Time before Moore wrapped up the Camp Day win in front of the 2,641 in attendance with a make at the charity stripe as part of nine points in the fourth quarter. It won’t be long before the East rivals square off again, as they’ll run it back for their fourth and final regular-season matchup in less than two weeks (July 21) when the BlackJacks host the Honey Badgers with hopes of sweeping the series. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600625 Up next The Honey Badgers stay put in Brampton as they get set to host the West-leading Bandits on Friday — a rematch from Sunday when Vancouver held on for a three-point win. Meanwhile, the BlackJacks get an extended break as they’ll return on July 17 when they host the red-hot Edmonton Stingers, winners of five straight. Next CEBL action Wednesday’s double-header slate resumes with the first-ever Stampede Game at Scotiabank Saddledome as the Montreal Alliance visit the Calgary Surge for a cross-conference clash 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 -

July 8, 2025
The Montréal Alliance is pleased to announce the signing of Canadian forward Shamiel Stevenson. The 6’6” forward from Toronto joins the organization after a productive 2024 CEBL campaign with the Brampton Honey Badgers where he averaged 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 30.8 minutes across 19 games. Most recently, he completed the 2024-25 season with Inter Bratislava in Slovakia, averaging 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.8 minutes per game. Stevenson brings valuable CEBL experience to Montréal, having played three seasons in the league with both the Ottawa BlackJacks (2022) and the Brampton Honey Badgers (2023-2024). During the 2024 season, he scored in double figures in 11 contests, including four games with 20+ points. His standout performances included a 2024 season-high 24 points against Montréal on June 2 and a dominant 28-point, 10-rebound effort against Scarborough on July 26, 2023. The Toronto native played four years of NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Nebraska, averaging 7.0 points and 3.4 rebounds over 62 games. As a freshman at Pittsburgh in 2017-18, he led the team in field goal percentage (.505) and total rebounds (141). The Alliance also announces the promotion of local players Nate Tshimanga and Blondeau Tchoukuiegno from the practice squad. Tshimanga recently completed his collegiate career at New Mexico State (2024-25), where he appeared in 31 games with nine starts. His college career also included stops at Utah Valley (2023-24) and Troy University (2021-22, 2022-23). Montréal guard Tchoukuiegno also joins the active roster. Tchoukuiegno returns from a season in Croatia with Osijek, where he averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.8 minutes across 11 games. The California Baptist University graduate Both players will be available starting with the Alliance’s next game. The team currently holds a 6-7 record and continues its pursuit of a playoff position.

By Myles Dichter
•
July 8, 2025
(Preview: Week 10) In the CEBL, every game can be its own rodeo. Hard-charging opponents barrel toward each other from the opening tip, scores swing wildly in either direction and you never know how Target Score Time is going to end. It’s fitting, then, that the CEBL will be teaming up with the literal rodeo for the first time ever. On Wednesday, the Calgary Surge will host their first Stampede Game at the Scotiabank Saddledome, taking on the visiting Montreal Alliance. Action from the 19,289-seat arena begins at 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET, with tickets available starting at $35 for the upper bowl and $45 for the lower bowl (plus applicable fees and taxes). “The Calgary Stampede is one of the most iconic celebrations in Canada, and it’s only fitting that CEBL basketball will become part of that energy and tradition,” commissioner Mike Morreale said when the game was announced in May. Indeed, this Surge-Alliance matchup should bring the energy. Calgary enters with a chip on its shoulder on the heels of a loss to provincial rival Edmonton. Still, the Surge, who sit second in the West at 9-5, have represented one of the breakout stories of the season. Fueled by a three-headed monster in Sean Miller-Moore, Greg Brown III and Jameer Nelson Jr., the Surge have consistently turned defence into offence, ranking first leaguewide on a per-game basis in steals (10.1), second in rebounds (41.4) and blocks (4.8) and third in points (93.5). Head coach Kaleb Canales has instilled his philosophy quickly and effectively in his first year leading a CEBL squad. The former Portland Trail Blazers bench boss adapted quickly to the league’s quirks — including Target Score Time — and turned the Surge into a well-oiled machine. While Nelson Jr., will miss the Stampede Game as he heads to NBA Summer League (more on that to come), Calgary should not miss a step. Meanwhile, Alliance head coach Jermaine Small referred to his team’s season as a “roller-coaster.” Montreal won its first four games, lost the next four and has gone 2-3 since for a total record of 6-7. The Alliance could enter short-handed, with star forward Quincy Guerrier also off to Summer League while leading scorer Tavian Dunn-Martin missed the team’s last game with an injury. Reinforcements could be on the way ahead of Wednesday’s game. Stay tuned. As a team, Montreal has made and attempted the most three-pointers per game while leading the league in assists per game. Its swift ball movement — even with some new players — could present a challenge for Calgary’s opportunistic defence in a battle of strengths. Giddy up. Championship rematch 2.0 Any time Niagara and Vancouver face off these days, it’s a treat. Not only will Thursday’s matchup in St. Catharines, Ont., feature last year’s Finals combatants, but it also could be a preview of this year’s championship game with both teams currently atop their conferences — and riding winning streaks, to boot. The season hasn’t been all smooth-sailing for the River Lions, whose current two-game surge comes after a two-game skid. Niagara has won ugly at times — see Sunday’s victory over Montreal for proof of that — and its minus-61 point differential does not portend confidence. But Khalil Ahmad has provided his usual Target Time heroics, and players like Nathan Cayo — who scored a team-high 18 points in his hometown — have stepped up in support. In Vancouver, the Bandits carry a league high plus-154 point differential and 11-3 record, with two of three losses coming at the hands of the Surge. They are rolling once more now with a three-game winning streak. While sharpshooter Kyle Mangas and Canadian Tyrese Samuel are off at Summer League, leading scorer Mitch Creek should continue to carry the load at both ends alongside CEBL vet Corey Davis Jr., for Kyle Julius’s squad. The Bandits crushed the River Lions 109-72 in their first matchup of the season in May, but Niagara’s squad is much improved from then — and now they’re at home, too. It all adds up to what should be a fascinating measuring-stick game for both sides. Record number of players headed to Summer League The CEBL just continues to churn out talent. Now, a record 15 players will temporarily leave their teams to compete at NBA Summer Leagues. Calgary’s Nelson Jr., the son of longtime NBAer Jameer Nelson, is already with the San Antonio Spurs alongside the Bandits’ Mangas. Both have been crucial parts of their teams, with Nelson Jr., an early favourite to win Defensive Player of the Year and Mangas knocking down triples at a team-high rate of 3.7 per game. Calgary forward Osayi Osifo is also set to be on the Spurs' Summer League roster, having played about 15 minutes per contest for the Surge off the bench. Elsewhere, the Raptors will feature the Canadian Guerrier, who was second on Montreal in scoring and first rebounds. Guerrier played for Toronto’s G League affiliate Raptors 905 last season. Brooklyn will feature Vancouver’s Samuel and Winnipeg’s Terry Roberts. And Scarborough has lost second-leading scorer Donovan Williams, who is averaging 24.3 points per contest but is off to play for the Denver Nuggets. Other players headed to Summer League include Jaylin Williams (Dallas), Izaiah Brockington (New Orleans), Jaden Campbell (New York), Hason Ward (Oklahoma City), Cam McGriff (Utah) and Jalen Gainey (Utah). Weekly schedule (Eight games) Game #72 -- Wednesday, July 9 – OTT at BHB – 12:30 p.m. ET– CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #73 – Wednesday, July 9 – MTL at CGY – 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET – Scotiabank Saddledome (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #74 – Thursday, July 10 – VAN at NRL – 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #75 – Friday, July 11 – EDM at SSS – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #76 – Friday, July 11 – VAN at BHB – 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #77 – Friday, July 11 – WPG at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST / 8:30 p.m. CDT / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #78 – Sunday, July 13 – BHB at SSS – 2 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #79 – Sunday, July 13 – VAN at MTL – 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .

By Myles Dichter
•
July 7, 2025
During his first year in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, Calgary Surge head coach Kaleb Canales has had to watch his mouth. “I'm used to using the word 48 minutes, right?” Canales said recently, in reference to the length of an NBA game. Of course, in the CEBL, games are 40 minutes — or thereabouts, depending on how Target Score Time goes. And so it’s safe to say that the league has been an adjustment for Canales, whose long NBA career includes 23 games as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He is the first former NBA head coach to come to the CEBL. “With Target Score and having strategy when it comes to that, when the clock stops, we want to execute certain things. But no, listen, I think from a coaching perspective, it probably keeps me up at night. But from a fan perspective, I think it's pretty cool,” Canales said. Canales, the 46-year-old from Laredo, Texas, moved north of the border in May in pursuit of furthering his coaching career. He has spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Texas Legends — the Dallas Mavericks’ G League affiliate — but was ready to move back into a lead role. “I felt strongly about taking this step to lead an organization, to lead a team to a championship, to have the challenge of leading a team to a championship. And so we took it head on,” Canales said. Canales’s rise up the coaching ladder was swift. He was a high-school assistant for two years, spent one season at the NCAA level and then jumped to the NBA, where he spent four years as a Blazers assistant. In 2012, after head coach Nate McMillan was fired by Portland, Canales took over for the final stretch of the season, becoming the youngest head coach in the NBA and the first ever of Mexican-American descent. But since his brief stint in Portland, Canales had not returned to the lead chair until joining the Surge. “Any opportunity to lead a franchise and lead an organization is a big step in my development as a coach. So I wanted to continue to grow as a coach like players continue to grow as players,” he said. “In my coaching journey where I was at, I think everything matched and it was a blessing for me to get this opportunity. And I also wanna get better, and obviously this was a great opportunity for my career and to help my growth as a coach.” It was also an opportunity for Canales to help expand his coaching creativity. While he was familiar with Target Score endings since the G League uses them in overtime, the rules are slightly different. Plus, the run of game before the clock turns off in the CEBL is much shorter. Other rule differences — such as the maximum three imports allowed on the floor per team — create new situations, too. “I have a lot of respect for other coaches in this league. There's a lot of good coaches, a lot of good players. And I felt, right when I started studying the league, it's a young dynamic league that's growing and it's going to continue to explode here in the next couple of years,” Canales. Canales has found plenty of success in the early going with Calgary. At 9-5, the Surge are second in the West, having handed the first-place Vancouver Bandits (11-3) two of their three losses. Statistically, the Surge score the third-most points per game in the league and allow the fourth fewest. They lead the CEBL in steals per game and sit second in blocks — essential parts of Canales’ coaching philosophy. “I love our team. I love our squad. I love that our identity is defence to offence and staying in an attack mindset throughout the game. I've just been really proud of the group,” Canales said. Sean Miller-Moore, who’s played four CEBL seasons for the Surge franchise under four different coaches, said Canales’s energy stands out. “He’s one of those coaches that makes me want to play for him because of how energetic he is and how focused he is. And obviously he knows what it takes to win a championship because he’s been at the NBA level before,” Miller-Moore said. Canales isn’t the only NBA-experienced coach in the league. Nathaniel Mitchell, a former assistant for three teams including the Toronto Raptors, recently signed with the Brampton Honey Badgers as a coaching consultant. Meanwhile, longtime CEBL head coaches like Vancouver’s Kyle Julius and Niagara’s Victor Raso have proven their chops year after year in the league. Now, Canales is looking to chart his own path through the CEBL and up the NBA ranks — just like his players. “One of our main goals going into the season is to help these players develop and to have them have a great summer of development to put them in a great position in their careers heading into next season,” Canales said. Miller-Moore said Canales allows him to be himself on the court — to “play without thinking.” “He’s like a player’s coach. He makes me want to take shots that I might not usually take and he instills confidence in me,” he said. Together, Canales and the Surge could be ascending toward a CEBL title — and potentially beyond. - CEBL -

By Alex Lough
•
July 7, 2025
While the game was contested between two teams on either side of the standings, you never would have guessed it by what took place on the court. The Vancouver Bandits and Brampton Honey Badgers traded power punches until the very end, but it was the home team that managed to come on late and take the 87-84 victory in front of their fans. Mitch Creek led the game with 30 points for the Bandits, including 15 in the pivotal third quarter. Zach Copeland added 20 points for Vancouver, while Corey Davis Jr. had 15 points to go along with 11 assists. Vancouver was able to pick up the win despite missing a number of players as they attend NBA camps and participate in the NBA Summer League. Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius was proud of the way his team performed despite the roster turnover. “We weren’t that composed today, but I think that’s part of the process,” he said post-game. “We’re in a messy time right now with personnel changes, and I’m really proud of the fact we were able to win a game missing some key pieces, and it was a messy game at that.” “Our leadership; we have really good leadership,” he said when asked how the team was able to perform despite the personnel changes. “But there isn’t consistency. We had a completely different rotation today. Our sub pattern was wacky, and we found a way to win at the end. We have to find a way to grind through this time until our main pieces get back.” The Bandits struck first, getting off to a 12-4 lead before the visitors called a timeout. The Honey Badgers cam back strong, going on a 16-6 run out of the break to take a momentary lead before the Bandits were able to bring a 23-22 lead into the first break. A big part of the Brampton comeback was thanks to Quinndary Weatherspoon. The former Golden State Warrior had 11 of his 22 first half points in the quarter, ensuring his team was able to stay in the game. “We need these performances from (Weatherspoon),” teammate Amari Kelly said afterwards. “They’re big and they help keep us going. He’s a big factor for our team and kind of our leading guy, so we always want nights like this from him.” Things kept rolling for Weatherspoon in the second quarter, as he and David Muenkat started the period off with back-to-back three-pointers to take a lead that their team would carry into halftime, leading 44-40 – with the former NBA champion accounting for half his team’s points. In the second half, it was time for the Bandits’ star play to answer. Creek scored nine of his team’s first 15 points in the third quarter, and the team made three consecutive three-pointers to cap off a 12-2 run for a 61-56 lead. But the road team refused to go down quietly, rebounding with an 11-2 run off their own to go ahead leading into the final quarter. Weatherspoon was held to just three points in the third. A 9-0 Honey Badgers run to start the fourth had them up by as many as 10, but a pair of Copeland threes kickstarted a streak of 11 straight points for the team. The Honey Badgers led 78-77 at the start of Target Time, but another nine-point run from the Bandits put things out of reach, and they eventually took the win off a Duane Notice free throw. “They did a good job of making shots,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said of the opposition. “They made some tough shots that gave them a lead and then we were going through one of our droughts where we’re trying to execute, we’re looking for our mismatches or their rotations to break down. But they were solid in their rotations and we had a couple of turnovers.” Weatherspoon led his team with 27 points, though just five of them came in the second half. Kelly carried the load of the offense in the final two quarters, where he scored 12 of his 16 points. He also grabbed 10 rebounds for the game. Marcus Carr and Bryson Williams had strong performances off the bench, as both finished with 12 points. “One of the things we’re struggling with is winning on the road,” Cassimy said. “Early on, we had a lot of games on the road, so that’s part of the reason for the struggle. We have to find a way to put together wins on the road. I think once we do that we’ll be fine.” Brampton got off to a tough start on the season, boasting just a 1-7 record early on. The team had won three of their last five and were looking to continue their improved play against the top team in the CEBL. Despite coming out on the losing end, Cassimy was happy with his team’s performance and what it means for them going forward. “Just being together, trusting each other, and being able to execute and cut down on our turnovers,” he said about what his team needs to continue to work on in the second half of the season. “In the first half we were good with our turnovers, but in the second half, not so great. Once we’re trusting each other and cutting down on turnovers, then I think we’ll be fine.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600624 Up next for both teams The west leading Vancouver Bandits will head on the road to take on the east leading Niagara River Lions only July 10 in a championship rematch. The Brampton Honey Badgers will head home for a pair of games, starting with a contest against the Ottawa BlackJacks on July 9. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers will host the Ottawa BlackJacks in a special Camp Day game on July 9, streaming live at 12:30PM ET on CEBL+, TSN+ and Game+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
July 7, 2025
The always entertaining Battle of Alberta has come to an end for the time being. With a 113-90 victory over the Calgary Surge on Sunday, the Edmonton Stingers not only took the inter-province season series 2-1, but they also extended their league-best win streak to five consecutive games. Edmonton improved to 9-6 with the win, now just half a game back of Calgary, who fell to 9-5, for second place in the West. Leading that charge for the Stingers, as they hit a new season-high in scoring and the largest Target Score mark of any team this season, was Scottie Lindsey with 29 points on 7-for-11 from beyond the arc. Behind him was Sean East II, who chipped in 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, and Nick Hornsby, who added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as part of five different Edmonton players to reach double figures in scoring. “We’re in a groove,” Lindsey said after Edmonton extended its win streak. “We took a tough loss to Montreal, and even since then, we've been locked in, in a different way.” Meanwhile, Olumide Adelodun led the way for the Surge as he finished with 25 points on 6-of-10 shooting from distance off the bench. Greg Brown III and Jamarko Pickett each scored 16 and 12 points, respectively. “We allowed their runs to affect us,” Adelodun said post-game. “We let play after play roll over, and we didn’t fight back after that … just too much for us to come back.” The lopsided outcome was a surprise considering both of the previous two Battle of Alberta matchups this season had been decided by a combined five points — the first half of Sunday’s contest proving similar. Neither team went ahead by more than 10 points through the first 20 minutes as Calgary led 43-40 at halftime. But then the third quarter happened. Edmonton opened the second half on a 17-0 run en route to a league-record 42 points in the third quarter, one shy of the most points scored in any frame all-time. Calgary’s first basket of the second half didn’t come until he 6:08 mark of the third, a Sean Miller-Moore triple, to which Edmonton immediately replied with an 11-0 run as it carved out an 82-64 lead ahead of the fourth. “We had two close games with (Calgary) already this season, so we knew them well,” Lindsey explained. “We just wanted to come out and protect home court, and we did that in the second half.” The Stingers built that lead as high as 29 points throughout the final frame, ultimately carrying a 103-79 edge into Target Score Time. “Great third quarter,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said on what made the difference in the win. “We felt the energy in this building from the fans, and it was easy to get on a run.” Underscoring Edmonton’s CEBL-record second-half scoring output of 73 points was a drastic turnaround from beyond the arc. The League’s No. 1 three-point percentage (37.7) team entering Sunday, starting the contest just 1-for-14. Yet they caught fire as the game went on, making 10 of their next 16 attempts from distance — fittingly ending the ball game on a Lindsey triple from the right wing. “We didn’t play our brand of defence or our brand of basketball,” Surge head coach Caleb Canales said after the loss. “Which led to us not playing efficient offence … just have to give them credit, they had a great game today.” Meanwhile, the Stingers also did plenty of damage inside the arc, outscoring the Surge 60-32 in the paint as Edmonton shot 57 per cent on two-pointers to Calgary’s 36 per cent. Much of which was predicated on the Stingers' commitment to ball movement as they finished with 27 assists (plus-16) on as many turnovers (12) as the Surge. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600641 Up next The Surge head back to Calgary as they prepare to host the Montreal Alliance on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Stingers head east as they get set to begin a four-game road trip by visiting the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Friday. Next CEBL action The West-leading Vancouver Bandits host the Brampton Honey Badgers at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. local to wrap up Sunday’s triple-header slate. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Teru Ikeda
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July 10, 2025
Evan Gilyard was all smiles after the game. When sideline reporter Heather Morrison told him about his 37-point franchise-record breaking performance for most points in a game, he looked astonished. “Ahhh, we’re seeing red,” he said. “I knew that we had to have a bounce back game from the last game that we lost,” referring to the 113-90 loss against provincial rival Edmonton Stingers at the EXPO Centre. “I feel like a lot of that energy from the last game carried over…We came out and fought.” Calgary surged back from a 13-point first-half deficit and punched Montreal back in the second half en route to a 107-91 victory. While the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth was happening outside the arena, Calgary gave its 6,954 fans inside the Saddledome a treat on Stampede Night. The game had all the hallmarks of a nationally televised game as Paul Jones and Rod Black – two familiar faces in Canadian basketball – on the broadcast. The game was hyper-competitive with two elite undersized guards. On the big stage, Gilyard proved that what Tavian Dunn-Martin could do, the former could do better. TDM buried five three-pointers in the first half, tossing up shots – and making them – as if he were casually shooting at the park. Calgary, however, instantly punched back after halftime, making a 11-3 run. Gilyard hit a triple, Montreal turned the ball over, and Calgary capitalized by running out and scoring. Though TDM hit his sixth triple in what briefly seemed to be a buffer builder, Gilyard answered back with a triple and Khyri Thomas’ three-pointer forced Montreal to take a timeout. Calgary suddenly trailed by five points. The timeout did little to stop the bleeding as Calgary would dominate the third 39-15, led by Gilyard’s miraculous 21-point third quarter extravaganza on 12-for-23 shooting. He showed the home crowd he was even more electrifying than TDM. After the timeout, Gilyard hit some mid-range jumpers, a triple to inch within two points before Greg Brown (game total 23 points) hit one of his own to give Calgary a one-point lead and the team never looked back. Most notably, the tide had swung so much in Calgary’s favour that Gilyard’s technical after his three-pointer did little to stop his team’s relentless surge. He hit another triple with 1:37 left in the third to give Calgary a six-point lead, a triple as deep as TDM’s second quarter threes. Fan favourite Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore also had a consistent scoring night, finishing the game with 23 points. Montreal tried to punch back towards the end of the game, but it was too little, too late. They got within 10 points by Target Time, but Calgary easily put the game away. Montreal had an extremely strong showing in the second quarter. They pounded the ball inside and went nine-for-13 from downtown in the first half. Before the second half, Calgary Surge head coach Kaleb Canales said, “We just let them get loose. 69 per cent from three is just not a good number for us.” TDM splashed threes from everywhere and even flew out of the paint to hit one as two Surge players came out to the perimeter to contest (Gilyard also made a similar triple in the third quarter as two Alliance players came to blitz him). As Montreal has shown throughout the season, they didn’t have to solely rely on TDM. Newcomer Shamiel Stevenson attacked the hoop and missed, but an offensive board led to a three-pointer by Malcolm Duvivier, who then splashed another one. When so much focus went into stopping TDM, Montreal went to the second-side, swinging the ball to Abdul Mohamed who splashed a triple of his own. Montreal made their surge in the second quarter when Duvivier made a pitch pass to TDM who nailed a deep three, and kept his shooting hand suspended for all in the Saddledome to see. Even Gabe Osabuohien’s outstretched hands didn’t phase him. The score was 52-44, but that lead quickly disappeared in the second half. With TDM out for most of the third, however, Gilyard and the Surge took full advantage and never looked back. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600630 Up next for both teams The Montreal Alliance (6-8) return to Verdun Auditorium and host the league-best Vancouver Bandits (11-3) on Sunday, July 13. The Calgary Surge (10-5) stampede east to face the Saskatchewan Rattlers (4-11) at SaskTel Centre on Tuesday, July 15. Next CEBL action The league-best Vancouver Bandits (11-3) face the best of the East. They head to Meridian Centre tomorrow to play the Niagara River Lions (9-5). For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
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July 9, 2025
While the clouds were outside in the Brampton area on Wednesday, it was raining threes inside the CAA Centre as the Ottawa BlackJacks tied a franchise-record with 17 made triples en route to a 101-73 win over the Honey Badgers. The BlackJacks made 11 of those long-balls in the second half, finishing plus-seven on made triples overall while converting on a 54 per cent clip for the game as they improved to 7-7 on the season — tied with the Scarborough Shooting Stars for second in the East and two games back of the Niagara River Lions. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers fell to 4-11 and remain at the bottom of the conference. Leading Ottawa’s three-point onslaught was Javonte Smart, who finished with a game-high 28 points on 4-of-6 shooting from distance as the team improved to 5-1 since adding the import guard. Behind him was Isaih Moore with 17 points, 13 rebounds and six assists on 8-of-11 from the field. Deng Adel and Zane Waterman (off the bench) each chipped in 17 points as the forward duo also each knocked down five threes, respectively, going a combined 10-of-15. Meanwhile, Keevan Veinot added 12 points and eight assists while going 5-of-7 from the field. “It was a great second half, we obviously shot the ball well, but I think the main difference in the second half was just defending (better),” Adel said after the win. “We did a good job of matching their intensity and stopping their main scorers.” On the other side, David Muenkat’s 16 points and seven rebounds led the way as Brampton lost its third game in a row. Quinndary Weatherspoon added 14 points while Amari Kelly and Bryson Williams rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts with 11 and 10 points apiece. “Ottawa made a lot of threes in the third quarter and that kind of just opened up the game,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said. “Sometimes it was making open shots, other times it was tough shots, they just had it rolling … that was literally the game right there.” Conference rivalry games are never supposed to be easy, especially when one team has taken the first two of four matchups by an average of 17.5 points, like Ottawa had. Something Brampton appeared determined to change on Wednesday, as they kept things much closer early on. The first half between the East rivals saw 12 lead changes as neither team carved out a lead larger than six points, despite the BlackJacks going on an 8-0 run mid-way through the second, to which the Honey Badgers responded with a 10-0 charge of their own. Once the dust settled on an opening half that fittingly saw both teams shoot an identical 51 per cent from the field, and was capped off by an Adel triple right before the buzzer , Brampton held on for a 45-42 lead. That narrow edge was largely thanks to their efforts defensively as the Honey Badgers forced 12 BlackJacks turnovers in the first half, eight in the second quarter alone, from a team that entered the day averaging 14.7 per game. That disruptive play not only won Brampton the first-half possession battle, it also earned it a 14-7 edge on points off turnovers. That trend wouldn’t continue, however, as the BlackJacks only gave the ball away three times the rest of the way. “The two things we talked about at halftime were turning things up on defence, and then taking care of the ball,” Ottawa head coach Dave DeAveiro said post-game. “I thought we did a really good job in those two areas in the second half.” And then the third quarter happened. A frame in which the BlackJacks outscored the Honey Badgers 32-13 after Ottawa caught fire from beyond the arc. The same team that made six threes in the opening half drilled eight triples in the third quarter alone. Leading that charge was Adel, who hit four shots from beyond the arc as he scored 12 points in the third to more than remedy a quiet first half with just three points. “Deng has great self-awareness,” DeAveiro explained. “He had four shots in the first half (he knew) he needed to take more shots … he played with a lot more bounce, a lot more step and let the game come to him.” Right behind him was Waterman, who’s two triples towards the end of the third not only contributed to a 12-0 BlackJacks run en route to a 74-58 lead before the fourth, but also marked his 100th regular-season three-point make all-time. The sharpshooter was just the 15th player in CEBL history to reach that mark. “Our energy kind of died down in the second half,” Muenkat said after the loss. “We weren’t able to have a response to their late-game push … they just really got hot, which kind of tilted the momentum.” Ottawa’s lead only ballooned from that point, leading 92-68 at the start of Target Score Time before Moore wrapped up the Camp Day win in front of the 2,641 in attendance with a make at the charity stripe as part of nine points in the fourth quarter. It won’t be long before the East rivals square off again, as they’ll run it back for their fourth and final regular-season matchup in less than two weeks (July 21) when the BlackJacks host the Honey Badgers with hopes of sweeping the series. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600625 Up next The Honey Badgers stay put in Brampton as they get set to host the West-leading Bandits on Friday — a rematch from Sunday when Vancouver held on for a three-point win. Meanwhile, the BlackJacks get an extended break as they’ll return on July 17 when they host the red-hot Edmonton Stingers, winners of five straight. Next CEBL action Wednesday’s double-header slate resumes with the first-ever Stampede Game at Scotiabank Saddledome as the Montreal Alliance visit the Calgary Surge for a cross-conference clash 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 -

July 8, 2025
The Montréal Alliance is pleased to announce the signing of Canadian forward Shamiel Stevenson. The 6’6” forward from Toronto joins the organization after a productive 2024 CEBL campaign with the Brampton Honey Badgers where he averaged 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 30.8 minutes across 19 games. Most recently, he completed the 2024-25 season with Inter Bratislava in Slovakia, averaging 19.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 32.8 minutes per game. Stevenson brings valuable CEBL experience to Montréal, having played three seasons in the league with both the Ottawa BlackJacks (2022) and the Brampton Honey Badgers (2023-2024). During the 2024 season, he scored in double figures in 11 contests, including four games with 20+ points. His standout performances included a 2024 season-high 24 points against Montréal on June 2 and a dominant 28-point, 10-rebound effort against Scarborough on July 26, 2023. The Toronto native played four years of NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Nebraska, averaging 7.0 points and 3.4 rebounds over 62 games. As a freshman at Pittsburgh in 2017-18, he led the team in field goal percentage (.505) and total rebounds (141). The Alliance also announces the promotion of local players Nate Tshimanga and Blondeau Tchoukuiegno from the practice squad. Tshimanga recently completed his collegiate career at New Mexico State (2024-25), where he appeared in 31 games with nine starts. His college career also included stops at Utah Valley (2023-24) and Troy University (2021-22, 2022-23). Montréal guard Tchoukuiegno also joins the active roster. Tchoukuiegno returns from a season in Croatia with Osijek, where he averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.8 minutes across 11 games. The California Baptist University graduate Both players will be available starting with the Alliance’s next game. The team currently holds a 6-7 record and continues its pursuit of a playoff position.

By Myles Dichter
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July 8, 2025
(Preview: Week 10) In the CEBL, every game can be its own rodeo. Hard-charging opponents barrel toward each other from the opening tip, scores swing wildly in either direction and you never know how Target Score Time is going to end. It’s fitting, then, that the CEBL will be teaming up with the literal rodeo for the first time ever. On Wednesday, the Calgary Surge will host their first Stampede Game at the Scotiabank Saddledome, taking on the visiting Montreal Alliance. Action from the 19,289-seat arena begins at 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET, with tickets available starting at $35 for the upper bowl and $45 for the lower bowl (plus applicable fees and taxes). “The Calgary Stampede is one of the most iconic celebrations in Canada, and it’s only fitting that CEBL basketball will become part of that energy and tradition,” commissioner Mike Morreale said when the game was announced in May. Indeed, this Surge-Alliance matchup should bring the energy. Calgary enters with a chip on its shoulder on the heels of a loss to provincial rival Edmonton. Still, the Surge, who sit second in the West at 9-5, have represented one of the breakout stories of the season. Fueled by a three-headed monster in Sean Miller-Moore, Greg Brown III and Jameer Nelson Jr., the Surge have consistently turned defence into offence, ranking first leaguewide on a per-game basis in steals (10.1), second in rebounds (41.4) and blocks (4.8) and third in points (93.5). Head coach Kaleb Canales has instilled his philosophy quickly and effectively in his first year leading a CEBL squad. The former Portland Trail Blazers bench boss adapted quickly to the league’s quirks — including Target Score Time — and turned the Surge into a well-oiled machine. While Nelson Jr., will miss the Stampede Game as he heads to NBA Summer League (more on that to come), Calgary should not miss a step. Meanwhile, Alliance head coach Jermaine Small referred to his team’s season as a “roller-coaster.” Montreal won its first four games, lost the next four and has gone 2-3 since for a total record of 6-7. The Alliance could enter short-handed, with star forward Quincy Guerrier also off to Summer League while leading scorer Tavian Dunn-Martin missed the team’s last game with an injury. Reinforcements could be on the way ahead of Wednesday’s game. Stay tuned. As a team, Montreal has made and attempted the most three-pointers per game while leading the league in assists per game. Its swift ball movement — even with some new players — could present a challenge for Calgary’s opportunistic defence in a battle of strengths. Giddy up. Championship rematch 2.0 Any time Niagara and Vancouver face off these days, it’s a treat. Not only will Thursday’s matchup in St. Catharines, Ont., feature last year’s Finals combatants, but it also could be a preview of this year’s championship game with both teams currently atop their conferences — and riding winning streaks, to boot. The season hasn’t been all smooth-sailing for the River Lions, whose current two-game surge comes after a two-game skid. Niagara has won ugly at times — see Sunday’s victory over Montreal for proof of that — and its minus-61 point differential does not portend confidence. But Khalil Ahmad has provided his usual Target Time heroics, and players like Nathan Cayo — who scored a team-high 18 points in his hometown — have stepped up in support. In Vancouver, the Bandits carry a league high plus-154 point differential and 11-3 record, with two of three losses coming at the hands of the Surge. They are rolling once more now with a three-game winning streak. While sharpshooter Kyle Mangas and Canadian Tyrese Samuel are off at Summer League, leading scorer Mitch Creek should continue to carry the load at both ends alongside CEBL vet Corey Davis Jr., for Kyle Julius’s squad. The Bandits crushed the River Lions 109-72 in their first matchup of the season in May, but Niagara’s squad is much improved from then — and now they’re at home, too. It all adds up to what should be a fascinating measuring-stick game for both sides. Record number of players headed to Summer League The CEBL just continues to churn out talent. Now, a record 15 players will temporarily leave their teams to compete at NBA Summer Leagues. Calgary’s Nelson Jr., the son of longtime NBAer Jameer Nelson, is already with the San Antonio Spurs alongside the Bandits’ Mangas. Both have been crucial parts of their teams, with Nelson Jr., an early favourite to win Defensive Player of the Year and Mangas knocking down triples at a team-high rate of 3.7 per game. Calgary forward Osayi Osifo is also set to be on the Spurs' Summer League roster, having played about 15 minutes per contest for the Surge off the bench. Elsewhere, the Raptors will feature the Canadian Guerrier, who was second on Montreal in scoring and first rebounds. Guerrier played for Toronto’s G League affiliate Raptors 905 last season. Brooklyn will feature Vancouver’s Samuel and Winnipeg’s Terry Roberts. And Scarborough has lost second-leading scorer Donovan Williams, who is averaging 24.3 points per contest but is off to play for the Denver Nuggets. Other players headed to Summer League include Jaylin Williams (Dallas), Izaiah Brockington (New Orleans), Jaden Campbell (New York), Hason Ward (Oklahoma City), Cam McGriff (Utah) and Jalen Gainey (Utah). Weekly schedule (Eight games) Game #72 -- Wednesday, July 9 – OTT at BHB – 12:30 p.m. ET– CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #73 – Wednesday, July 9 – MTL at CGY – 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET – Scotiabank Saddledome (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #74 – Thursday, July 10 – VAN at NRL – 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #75 – Friday, July 11 – EDM at SSS – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #76 – Friday, July 11 – VAN at BHB – 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #77 – Friday, July 11 – WPG at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST / 8:30 p.m. CDT / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #78 – Sunday, July 13 – BHB at SSS – 2 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #79 – Sunday, July 13 – VAN at MTL – 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .

By Myles Dichter
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July 7, 2025
During his first year in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, Calgary Surge head coach Kaleb Canales has had to watch his mouth. “I'm used to using the word 48 minutes, right?” Canales said recently, in reference to the length of an NBA game. Of course, in the CEBL, games are 40 minutes — or thereabouts, depending on how Target Score Time goes. And so it’s safe to say that the league has been an adjustment for Canales, whose long NBA career includes 23 games as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He is the first former NBA head coach to come to the CEBL. “With Target Score and having strategy when it comes to that, when the clock stops, we want to execute certain things. But no, listen, I think from a coaching perspective, it probably keeps me up at night. But from a fan perspective, I think it's pretty cool,” Canales said. Canales, the 46-year-old from Laredo, Texas, moved north of the border in May in pursuit of furthering his coaching career. He has spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Texas Legends — the Dallas Mavericks’ G League affiliate — but was ready to move back into a lead role. “I felt strongly about taking this step to lead an organization, to lead a team to a championship, to have the challenge of leading a team to a championship. And so we took it head on,” Canales said. Canales’s rise up the coaching ladder was swift. He was a high-school assistant for two years, spent one season at the NCAA level and then jumped to the NBA, where he spent four years as a Blazers assistant. In 2012, after head coach Nate McMillan was fired by Portland, Canales took over for the final stretch of the season, becoming the youngest head coach in the NBA and the first ever of Mexican-American descent. But since his brief stint in Portland, Canales had not returned to the lead chair until joining the Surge. “Any opportunity to lead a franchise and lead an organization is a big step in my development as a coach. So I wanted to continue to grow as a coach like players continue to grow as players,” he said. “In my coaching journey where I was at, I think everything matched and it was a blessing for me to get this opportunity. And I also wanna get better, and obviously this was a great opportunity for my career and to help my growth as a coach.” It was also an opportunity for Canales to help expand his coaching creativity. While he was familiar with Target Score endings since the G League uses them in overtime, the rules are slightly different. Plus, the run of game before the clock turns off in the CEBL is much shorter. Other rule differences — such as the maximum three imports allowed on the floor per team — create new situations, too. “I have a lot of respect for other coaches in this league. There's a lot of good coaches, a lot of good players. And I felt, right when I started studying the league, it's a young dynamic league that's growing and it's going to continue to explode here in the next couple of years,” Canales. Canales has found plenty of success in the early going with Calgary. At 9-5, the Surge are second in the West, having handed the first-place Vancouver Bandits (11-3) two of their three losses. Statistically, the Surge score the third-most points per game in the league and allow the fourth fewest. They lead the CEBL in steals per game and sit second in blocks — essential parts of Canales’ coaching philosophy. “I love our team. I love our squad. I love that our identity is defence to offence and staying in an attack mindset throughout the game. I've just been really proud of the group,” Canales said. Sean Miller-Moore, who’s played four CEBL seasons for the Surge franchise under four different coaches, said Canales’s energy stands out. “He’s one of those coaches that makes me want to play for him because of how energetic he is and how focused he is. And obviously he knows what it takes to win a championship because he’s been at the NBA level before,” Miller-Moore said. Canales isn’t the only NBA-experienced coach in the league. Nathaniel Mitchell, a former assistant for three teams including the Toronto Raptors, recently signed with the Brampton Honey Badgers as a coaching consultant. Meanwhile, longtime CEBL head coaches like Vancouver’s Kyle Julius and Niagara’s Victor Raso have proven their chops year after year in the league. Now, Canales is looking to chart his own path through the CEBL and up the NBA ranks — just like his players. “One of our main goals going into the season is to help these players develop and to have them have a great summer of development to put them in a great position in their careers heading into next season,” Canales said. Miller-Moore said Canales allows him to be himself on the court — to “play without thinking.” “He’s like a player’s coach. He makes me want to take shots that I might not usually take and he instills confidence in me,” he said. Together, Canales and the Surge could be ascending toward a CEBL title — and potentially beyond. - CEBL -

By Alex Lough
•
July 7, 2025
While the game was contested between two teams on either side of the standings, you never would have guessed it by what took place on the court. The Vancouver Bandits and Brampton Honey Badgers traded power punches until the very end, but it was the home team that managed to come on late and take the 87-84 victory in front of their fans. Mitch Creek led the game with 30 points for the Bandits, including 15 in the pivotal third quarter. Zach Copeland added 20 points for Vancouver, while Corey Davis Jr. had 15 points to go along with 11 assists. Vancouver was able to pick up the win despite missing a number of players as they attend NBA camps and participate in the NBA Summer League. Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius was proud of the way his team performed despite the roster turnover. “We weren’t that composed today, but I think that’s part of the process,” he said post-game. “We’re in a messy time right now with personnel changes, and I’m really proud of the fact we were able to win a game missing some key pieces, and it was a messy game at that.” “Our leadership; we have really good leadership,” he said when asked how the team was able to perform despite the personnel changes. “But there isn’t consistency. We had a completely different rotation today. Our sub pattern was wacky, and we found a way to win at the end. We have to find a way to grind through this time until our main pieces get back.” The Bandits struck first, getting off to a 12-4 lead before the visitors called a timeout. The Honey Badgers cam back strong, going on a 16-6 run out of the break to take a momentary lead before the Bandits were able to bring a 23-22 lead into the first break. A big part of the Brampton comeback was thanks to Quinndary Weatherspoon. The former Golden State Warrior had 11 of his 22 first half points in the quarter, ensuring his team was able to stay in the game. “We need these performances from (Weatherspoon),” teammate Amari Kelly said afterwards. “They’re big and they help keep us going. He’s a big factor for our team and kind of our leading guy, so we always want nights like this from him.” Things kept rolling for Weatherspoon in the second quarter, as he and David Muenkat started the period off with back-to-back three-pointers to take a lead that their team would carry into halftime, leading 44-40 – with the former NBA champion accounting for half his team’s points. In the second half, it was time for the Bandits’ star play to answer. Creek scored nine of his team’s first 15 points in the third quarter, and the team made three consecutive three-pointers to cap off a 12-2 run for a 61-56 lead. But the road team refused to go down quietly, rebounding with an 11-2 run off their own to go ahead leading into the final quarter. Weatherspoon was held to just three points in the third. A 9-0 Honey Badgers run to start the fourth had them up by as many as 10, but a pair of Copeland threes kickstarted a streak of 11 straight points for the team. The Honey Badgers led 78-77 at the start of Target Time, but another nine-point run from the Bandits put things out of reach, and they eventually took the win off a Duane Notice free throw. “They did a good job of making shots,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said of the opposition. “They made some tough shots that gave them a lead and then we were going through one of our droughts where we’re trying to execute, we’re looking for our mismatches or their rotations to break down. But they were solid in their rotations and we had a couple of turnovers.” Weatherspoon led his team with 27 points, though just five of them came in the second half. Kelly carried the load of the offense in the final two quarters, where he scored 12 of his 16 points. He also grabbed 10 rebounds for the game. Marcus Carr and Bryson Williams had strong performances off the bench, as both finished with 12 points. “One of the things we’re struggling with is winning on the road,” Cassimy said. “Early on, we had a lot of games on the road, so that’s part of the reason for the struggle. We have to find a way to put together wins on the road. I think once we do that we’ll be fine.” Brampton got off to a tough start on the season, boasting just a 1-7 record early on. The team had won three of their last five and were looking to continue their improved play against the top team in the CEBL. Despite coming out on the losing end, Cassimy was happy with his team’s performance and what it means for them going forward. “Just being together, trusting each other, and being able to execute and cut down on our turnovers,” he said about what his team needs to continue to work on in the second half of the season. “In the first half we were good with our turnovers, but in the second half, not so great. Once we’re trusting each other and cutting down on turnovers, then I think we’ll be fine.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600624 Up next for both teams The west leading Vancouver Bandits will head on the road to take on the east leading Niagara River Lions only July 10 in a championship rematch. The Brampton Honey Badgers will head home for a pair of games, starting with a contest against the Ottawa BlackJacks on July 9. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers will host the Ottawa BlackJacks in a special Camp Day game on July 9, streaming live at 12:30PM ET on CEBL+, TSN+ and Game+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
July 7, 2025
The always entertaining Battle of Alberta has come to an end for the time being. With a 113-90 victory over the Calgary Surge on Sunday, the Edmonton Stingers not only took the inter-province season series 2-1, but they also extended their league-best win streak to five consecutive games. Edmonton improved to 9-6 with the win, now just half a game back of Calgary, who fell to 9-5, for second place in the West. Leading that charge for the Stingers, as they hit a new season-high in scoring and the largest Target Score mark of any team this season, was Scottie Lindsey with 29 points on 7-for-11 from beyond the arc. Behind him was Sean East II, who chipped in 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists, and Nick Hornsby, who added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists as part of five different Edmonton players to reach double figures in scoring. “We’re in a groove,” Lindsey said after Edmonton extended its win streak. “We took a tough loss to Montreal, and even since then, we've been locked in, in a different way.” Meanwhile, Olumide Adelodun led the way for the Surge as he finished with 25 points on 6-of-10 shooting from distance off the bench. Greg Brown III and Jamarko Pickett each scored 16 and 12 points, respectively. “We allowed their runs to affect us,” Adelodun said post-game. “We let play after play roll over, and we didn’t fight back after that … just too much for us to come back.” The lopsided outcome was a surprise considering both of the previous two Battle of Alberta matchups this season had been decided by a combined five points — the first half of Sunday’s contest proving similar. Neither team went ahead by more than 10 points through the first 20 minutes as Calgary led 43-40 at halftime. But then the third quarter happened. Edmonton opened the second half on a 17-0 run en route to a league-record 42 points in the third quarter, one shy of the most points scored in any frame all-time. Calgary’s first basket of the second half didn’t come until he 6:08 mark of the third, a Sean Miller-Moore triple, to which Edmonton immediately replied with an 11-0 run as it carved out an 82-64 lead ahead of the fourth. “We had two close games with (Calgary) already this season, so we knew them well,” Lindsey explained. “We just wanted to come out and protect home court, and we did that in the second half.” The Stingers built that lead as high as 29 points throughout the final frame, ultimately carrying a 103-79 edge into Target Score Time. “Great third quarter,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said on what made the difference in the win. “We felt the energy in this building from the fans, and it was easy to get on a run.” Underscoring Edmonton’s CEBL-record second-half scoring output of 73 points was a drastic turnaround from beyond the arc. The League’s No. 1 three-point percentage (37.7) team entering Sunday, starting the contest just 1-for-14. Yet they caught fire as the game went on, making 10 of their next 16 attempts from distance — fittingly ending the ball game on a Lindsey triple from the right wing. “We didn’t play our brand of defence or our brand of basketball,” Surge head coach Caleb Canales said after the loss. “Which led to us not playing efficient offence … just have to give them credit, they had a great game today.” Meanwhile, the Stingers also did plenty of damage inside the arc, outscoring the Surge 60-32 in the paint as Edmonton shot 57 per cent on two-pointers to Calgary’s 36 per cent. Much of which was predicated on the Stingers' commitment to ball movement as they finished with 27 assists (plus-16) on as many turnovers (12) as the Surge. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600641 Up next The Surge head back to Calgary as they prepare to host the Montreal Alliance on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Stingers head east as they get set to begin a four-game road trip by visiting the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Friday. Next CEBL action The West-leading Vancouver Bandits host the Brampton Honey Badgers at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. local to wrap up Sunday’s triple-header slate. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Myles Dichter
•
July 6, 2025
It was a momentous return to Montreal for Ahmed Hill and the Niagara River Lions. Hill, the former Alliance member, scored 12 points to become the first player to pass the 1,500-point plateau in league history (including playoffs), and the River Lions won 77-73 on Sunday at Verdun Auditorium — the site of their championship victory last season. The win marked a second straight for East-leading Niagara (9-5), while Montreal dropped under .500 at 6-7 with the loss. “It was just a war. It felt like a playoff game a little bit,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said of a game in which the teams combined to shoot just 21 per cent from beyond the arc and 60 per cent from the free-throw line. After the River Lions controlled much of the contest, building an 11-point lead, a spirited Alliance comeback gave the home side a one-point advantage at the 5:16 mark. But the Verdun frenzy was short-lived as the River Lions responded with an 8-0 run. When the clock turned off for Target Score Time, Niagara led 68-61. The Alliance tightened their deficit to as little as three, but a raft of missed free throws prevented them from getting any closer. In the end, the game ended the same way Niagara’s last Montreal contest — the 2024 Finals — did, as Khalil Ahmad nailed the game-winner, this time from the free-throw line. Raso said the win wasn’t necessarily a pretty one. “It just became a slugfest. We did not shoot the ball well from three, but a couple guys stepped up,” he said. For Hill — the CEBL’s all-time leading scorer — it was a milestone night in one of the CEBL cities he once called home. The 30-year-old from Fort Valley, Ga., was competing in his 90th career game, which ranks third all-time and first among international players. Hill joined the CEBL in 2021 and spent two seasons with the Guelph Nighthawks before moving to Montreal for two more. He’s now in his first season as a River Lion, where he joined the reigning champions in search of his first career title. On Sunday, he came off the bench for the second straight game, making four of 10 field-goal attempts. “Truly blessed to be on a couple teams with great coaches, great teammates, who let me be me and shine,” Hill said. “Credit to everybody I played with and the organizations. And shout out to the CEBL.” Montreal native Nathan Cayo paced the River Lions in his hometown, scoring 18 points to go with six rebounds. Ron Curry, who recently returned to Niagara after a five-game absence, added 16 points, six rebounds and four assists. Forward Eddie Ekiyor contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, it was a strangely quiet night for reigning Finals MVP and River Lions leading scorer Ahmad, who struggled with his shot en route to just six points on one-for-10 shooting. He also had seven assists. Still, his teammates picked up the slack. “It’s becoming not always about Khalil. We have guys who can make plays, we have guys who can score. We haven’t had guys healthy to do that for a while so for Khalil it’s kind of reassuring that he doesn’t have to score the ball as much,” Raso said. For a short-handed Montreal squad, a strong start fizzled quickly as the offence went dry. The Alliance made just six of 27 three-point attempts (22 per cent) and 19 of 31 free-throw tries (61 per cent) overall. Still, head coach Jermaine Small said he was proud of his team’s resolve. “You miss all those free throws, I’m a little bit frustrated about that, but I’m proud of the effort overall,” Small said. Leading scorer Tavian Dunn-Martin missed the game with an injury, while forwards O.D. Anosike and Michael Diggins Jr. were also absent. In their place, Canadian Quincy Guerrier — in his last game with the team before heading to NBA Summer League with the Toronto Raptors — led the way with a whopping 19-point, 15-rebound double-double. Day 1 Alliance member Alain Louis scored 15 points to go with five rebounds and five assists in the losing cause. Guerrier said the missing players could have made a difference, but the team needed to adjust accordingly. “I think defensively we were way better than the last four or five games. They’re a championship team, they’re a really good team. Our free-throw [misses] at the end, that was crucial,” he said. NBA champion and Montreal native Luguentz Dort was in the house to take in the game between his hometown Alliance and the defending CEBL champions. Montreal raced out of the gates with its game-opening 7-0 run and led 19-13 by the end of the first quarter. But Niagara took control in the second frame as a 7-0 run of its own powered it to a 41-34 halftime lead. In the third quarter, the River Lions stretched their lead to 11 and threatened to run away with things, but the Alliance cut their deficit back to six points entering the final frame. After a tightly fought fourth quarter, it was the River Lions who, familiarly, emerged victorious in Montreal. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600639 Up Next Montreal visits the Calgary Surge on Wednesday, while Niagara returns home for a championship rematch against the Vancouver Bandits on Thursday. Next CEBL Action Players hit the court next on Wednesday, when the Brampton Honey Badgers host the Ottawa BlackJacks in addition to the Alliance-Surge contest. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL –

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
July 6, 2025
Jordan Bowden’s CEBL career-high 40 points led the Saskatchewan Rattlers’ furious fourth-quarter rally as they picked up a 93-90 win over the Ottawa BlackJacks on Saturday night. The Rattlers improved to 4-11 on the season despite entering the fourth quarter down by 14 points and trailing 82-71 at the start of Target Score Time — outscoring the BlackJacks 35-18 in the decisive final frame. Meanwhile, the loss dropped Ottawa to 6-7 and snapped a four-game win streak that was tied for best in the league entering Saturday. “We’re some dogs,” Bowden said after the comeback victory. “We came together, got stops when we needed them, and got the shots we wanted at the end … we fight and we can play with anybody in the CEBL.” Bowden’s big night was largely thanks to a stellar showing from beyond the arc, going 9-of-14 to set a new Rattlers franchise record for made three-pointers in a single game. He wasn’t the only one to reach a new milestone, however, as teammate Nate Pierre-Louis set a new single-game assists record for Saskatchewan with 14 to go with his 12 points. The import ranked third in the league entering the night, averaging 7.4 assists per game. Behind them was Grant Anticevich, who chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds, and Devonté Bandoo, who scored 13 points off the bench. “Our defensive intensity in the fourth and our will to continue to compete allowed us to come back,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said post-game. “I thought we took good shots in the first half, but they just didn’t fall, so huge credit to our guys, they just continued to battle … and give themselves an opportunity.” On the other side, Javonte Smart led the way with his 31 points on 13-of-21 shooting and five made triples, in what was the BlackJacks' first loss with him in the lineup. Ottawa’s only other starter to reach double-figures for scoring was Deng Adel, who added 13 points and 11 assists. Meanwhile, Zane Waterman chipped in 20 points off the pine on 5-of-10 shooting from distance. “I was disappointed in the way we finished the game,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAviero said after his team’s first loss in nearly three weeks. “But give credit to them. Bowden had a huge game, he made some tough shots, and they were much better than us in the Target Score ending.” Entering the matchup, the Rattlers' story this season was one of resilience, but with ultimately little success to show for it — nine of their 11 losses coming by single digits. And much of Saturday’s contest appeared to be a repeat of that tale as Saskatchewan and Ottawa remained neck-and-neck early — neither team leading by more than eight points in the first 20 minutes of play — and just one more made field goal by the BlackJacks in the first half being the difference as they led 41-39 at the break. “I don’t know if there’s any secret sauce that allowed us to (win a close game), other than we’ve continued to battle every single game,” Magdanz explained. “Sometimes the ball isn’t going to bounce in our favour, but when we compete this hard … we give ourselves an opportunity.” All the while, that slim deficit for the Rattlers was largely thanks to Bowden (a continuous trend on the night), who put up a game-high 15 first-half points, including a transition layup at the 2:04 mark that capped an 11-0 run. That basket also briefly allowed Saskatchewan to retake the lead before a Waterman triple in the final minute of the half put Ottawa back up. The BlackJacks completely seized the momentum coming out of halftime, however, as they opened the third on a 12-0 run and took the game’s first double-digit lead. That burst was thanks to some lights-out shooting as all four of Ottawa’s makes in that stretch came from beyond the arc, matching its first-half total for made triples (4-of-13) in less than three minutes into the third. Ottawa ultimately made seven threes in the third quarter en route to a 72-58 lead after 30 minutes. A more characteristic showing from a BlackJacks squad that entered the night ranked third in three-point percentage (35.7), finishing the game 13-for-30 (43 per cent). But unlike all season, the Rattlers' story on Saturday didn’t end with a comeback ultimately fizzling out once more. Saskatchewan outscored Ottawa 22-8 in Target Score Time, using stops on defence to fuel transition offence (27-16 for fastbreak points) — including a game-ending 8-0 run — led primarily by the duo of Bowden and Anticevich, who scored 14 and 12 points each once the clock stopped. The pair also capped off the double-digit rally with back-to-back threes, first Bowden and then Anticevich from the left wing to seal the stunning victory. “I think it was just the want,” Bowden explained when asked what clicked for Saskatchewan in the win. “Just the details were losing us games … but today we wanted to win and we went and got it.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600637 Up next The BlackJacks wrap up a quick two-game road trip on Wednesday as they visit the Brampton Honey Badgers for an Eastern Conference clash. Meanwhile, the Rattlers continue a four-game homestand on Friday as they host the Winnipeg Sea Bears for the second of three Banjo Bowl rivalry matchups this regular season. Next CEBL action A triple-header slate on Sunday resumes league-wide action, starting with the defending champion Niagara River Lions visiting the Montreal Alliance at 4 p.m. ET. The Edmonton Stingers will then host the Calgary Surge for the latest Battle of Alberta at 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. local, followed by the Honey Badgers visiting the West-leading Vancouver Bandits at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. local. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Myles Dichter
•
July 5, 2025
In the battle between struggling Niagara and Winnipeg, one team was assured of a get-right win. The River Lions made sure it was them. Niagara dispatched of the Sea Bears 93-82 on Friday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont., snapping its two-game skid and padding its lead atop the Eastern Conference. Winnipeg, meanwhile, suffered its fourth consecutive loss. Niagara now sits at 8-5, while Winnipeg falls to 5-9. “I mean, it was the bounceback that we needed,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said. “I thought we played hard the entirety of the game. We played better basketball than we have been in the past, so that was a big step in the right direction.” The River Lions controlled most of the game, leading by double digits much of the way, until the Sea Bears injected a scare with a fourth-quarter run that cut their deficit to five. It was as close as they would get. Niagara led 83-74 when the clock stopped for Target Score Time, which began explosively. After Jalen Harris hit a two-pointer to start the proceedings, the teams traded three-pointers on four straight possessions with Khalil Ahmad and Ron Curry hitting for Niagara, while Harris hit both for Winnipeg. Shortly after, Ahmad reinforced yet again why he has become known as the Target Score King, splashing home a step-back three-pointer to seal the River Lions victory. “it's all about continuity and putting together that game after game after game after game, so if we can stay continuous, then we'll be alright,” Ahmad said. For Niagara, the long-awaited win came on the back of its defence. The River Lions entered Friday’s action allowing the most points against per game in the league and having given up a combined 193 points in its two losses. But on Friday, they held the Sea Bears to just 34 points in the middle two quarters and forced 19 total turnovers. “We defended really well, especially for the first three quarters up in the game, really up until the points of the game where Jalen Harris started making shots, I thought we were defending quite well,” Raso said. Ahmad led the way for Niagara with 26 points to go with four assists and three rebounds. He made nine of 17 field-goal attempts, and two of his three triples came during Target Score Time. Elijah Lufile came off the bench for a near-double-double of 10 points and nine rebounds, while do-it-all guard Kimbal Mackenzie contributed 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. Ahmed Hill, the CEBL’s all-time leading scorer, had 12 points to move within five of becoming the first player in league history to reach the 1,500-point plateau (including playoffs). Ron Curry returned for the River Lions after a five-game absence, scoring eight points and dishing three assists. But Ahmad also credited his team’s defence for the win. “Defensive toughness, defensive intensity, just being together on defence because offence isn't really our problem. We just got to stay consistent defensively,” he said. On the flip side, Winnipeg’s defence — which entered just one-tenth of a point better than Niagara per game and will exit with the dubious title of league’s worst defence — continued to struggle. Niagara’s offence made 45 per cent of its three-point attempts and five different players scored in double digits. Head coach Mike Taylor pinpointed focus as the reason for his team’s losing streak. “We really had a spirited comeback, put ourselves in a good position, but there were too many possessions in the early part of the game where we kind of got in our own way. And it's been a theme at times. We've been inconsistent,” he said. “And today that put us behind the eight ball to 19 turnovers. We've been a team that's taken care of the basketball really well all year. Unfortunately, today, we were a little bit disorganized.” Sea Bears leading scorer Simi Shittu was ejected from the game early in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth personal foul. In his place, Winnipeg native Emmanuel Akot paced his squad with 22 points to go with six rebounds and two assists. Harris ended with 21 points after his Target Time splurge. Akot said Winnipeg let Niagara build too big of an early lead, but he was happy with his team’s spirit to fight back. “But at the end of the day, winning is what matters, and we just got to go back to the office and figure things out,” Akot said. Canadian Olympian Dillon Brooks, who was recently traded from the NBA’s Houston Rockets to the Phoenix Suns, attended the game. The River Lions led 28-24 after a fast-paced first quarter and extended their lead to 51-38 by halftime. They took a 73-58 advantage into the final frame. But in the end, it was Ahmad — as per usual — coming up clutch when it mattered most, and Niagara was able to leave its home arena with a win. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600635 Up Next Niagara heads to Montreal to face the Alliance on Sunday, while Winnipeg wraps its three-game road trip in Saskatchewan against the Rattlers next Friday. Next CEBL Action The surging Ottawa BlackJacks visit the Rattlers in Saturday’s lone contest. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Teru Ikeda
•
July 4, 2025
No Dunn-Martin? No problem. Quincy Guerrier and the Montreal Alliance (6-6) stepped up in crunch time without their leading scorer in the lineup Thursday night to erase a 13-point deficit and stun Saskatchewan (3-11) in a Target Time thriller. It appeared that Saskatchewan was in the driver’s seat for their second victory on home court this season until a Malcolm Duvivier triple made it a one-point game late in the third quarter. It was a deja-vu of the first quarter, where the Rattlers were neck-and-neck with the visiting Alliance. Isaac Simon’s first-half scoring outburst catapulted Saskatchewan to a 13-point lead going into the second half, but they quickly let their lead slip through their hands. Montreal made five three-pointers in the third quarter, the last coming from Duvivier. By the start of the fourth, it was anyone’s game — and Montreal’s captain, Quincy Guerrier, knocked down three more from deep in the final frame. This game was a coin flIp as Saskatchewan only had a three-point lead going into Target Time, and the game was tied at 80 apiece with the Target Score set at 81. “I’d rather win ugly than lose pretty. It’s very tough to get wins,” reflected Montreal head coach Jermaine Small after the game. “I think it was a very character game for us. We didn’t have our best player in the game today. Moving forward, we can build on this momentum because it was a character win. I’m very proud of our guys.” Montreal was missing their star in Tavian Dunn-Martin and they will soon miss Guerrier as he heads to Summer League with the Toronto Raptors. Guerrier’s last triple gave Montreal a two-point buffer, and their 5-0 lead in Target Time gave them a two-point lead. “I think they did a great job moving the basketball. I think it came down to their offensive rebounding,” admitted Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz. “They did a good job getting the offensive rebound, kicking out. It’s always difficult to recover off an offensive rebound.” Over the last seven days, Montreal came into this game leading the league in offensive rebounds with 16.5 per game (through two games) despite a 0-2 record. Tonight, they had 20 offensive boards and were +14 compared to Saskatchewan. It’s a disappointing loss for Saskatchewan, who now have the league-worst 3-11 record. Before tonight, they lost 97-85 against the league-best Vancouver Bandits after giving up a lead. Saskatchewan repeated its own history day. However, it was a special night for Developmental Player Isaac Simon and Nate Pierre-Louis. Simon, the University of Alberta Golden Bears player, scored his career-high 19 points on eight-for-13 shooting. At halftime, he talked about being aggressive and he did exactly that throughout the entire game. He made mince meat out of Ben Stevens on an iso play mid-way through the third quarter, stepping back on a mid-range jumper to make it a 17-point game. He even drew an offensive foul from former Developmental Player Alain Louis down low in the fourth quarter. Pierre-Louis notched over 100 assists this season after game-highs in 25 points and 13 assists. He came into this game being the second assist-leader in the league with 6.9 per game. “It’s a blessing. Just really grateful,” Pierre-Louis said. “I have great teammates.” Montreal’s Small and his team were equally grateful to walk away with a late-game comeback win tonight. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600633 Up next for both teams The Saskatchewan Rattlers (3-11) host the Ottawa BlackJacks (6-6) at SaskTel Centre on Saturday, July 5th. The Montreal Alliance (6-6) head back home to host the Niagara River Lions (7-5) at Verdun Auditorium on Sunday, July 6th. Next CEBL action The Winnipeg Sea Bears (5-8) head to Meridian Centre to face the Niagara River Lions (7-5) on Friday, July 4th. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
July 4, 2025
There might be a new star trio in the CEBL. Facing the prospect of blowing what was once a 22-point lead, up by just six in Target Score Time following a furious rally, the threesome of Evan Gilyard Jr., Sean Miller-Moore and Greg Brown III, who combined for 60 points, connected to deliver one final dagger as the Calgary Surge held on for a 94-85 win over the home Brampton Honey Badgers on Thursday. Gilyard brought the ball up and worked into a dribble-handoff with Moore, who snaked through the lane and kicked it to Brown in the right corner for the team’s 10th and final triple of the game. The basket was vital as it stopped what was a 13-2 Brampton charge once the clocks had stopped and gave Calgary the breathing room it needed to carve out a victory, now 9-4 on the season and just one game back of the Vancouver Bandits atop the West. “Unbelievable for us,” Surge head coach Caleb Canales said of the leading trio post-game. “Rugzy has been unbelievable for us from the first game, Greg too, and Evan has immediately just fit right in.” Leading that charge was Gilyard, who finished with a game-high 25 points on four-of-nine shooting from distance to go with four assists and three steals in his impressive CEBL debut. Meanwhile, Brown chipped in 19 points, 10 assists and three blocks, while Miller-Moore added 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks as the trio accounted for over 60 per cent of Calgary’s offensive production on a night they were missing their second-leading scorer in Jameer Nelson Jr. On the other side, Marcus Carr scored a team-high 20 points to go with six rebounds and seven assists in 31 minutes off the bench. Behind him were Amari Kelly (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Prince Oduro (12 points, 12 rebounds) with a pair of double-doubles, while Quinndary Weatherspoon and Bryson Williams each chipped in 13 points, respectively. The loss dropped the Honey Badgers to 4-9, remaining in last place in the East. While Calgary got multiple contributions on the night, none were as immediate or as notable as the energy Gilyard provided. The Surge debutant had a 90-second stretch to open the game that included six points, a steal, and a charge that almost single-handedly sparked a 10-0 run that helped his team carve out a 27-11 lead following the first quarter. Talk about a first impression. “It was great,” Gilyard said of his first taste of CEBL basketball. “I played some pretty good defence, helped my teammates out and made things easy for them … control the game in every aspect.” Meanwhile, underscoring that early effort was Calgary’s dominance inside, holding Brampton to 3-of-14 shooting (21 per cent) on two-pointers for a 16-4 edge on paint points after 10 minutes. The trend continued till the end as the Honey Badgers finished 19-of-55 (34 per cent) inside the arc, as the Surge finished plus-10 for points in the paint. And although it seemed as though the Surge simply wouldn’t relinquish their momentum, going on an 8-0 run in the second — capped with back-to-back triples — to lead by as many as 20 points, the Honey Badgers did show some resilience, to their credit. They responded with an 11-3 charge to cut that deficit as low as 12 points before ultimately trailing 52-37 at halftime. Leading that comeback effort for Brampton was Carr, who scored 11 points in the second to lead all scorers at the break with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting. “Calgary came out ready to play,” the Toronto native said post-game. “The way we started the game … we did kind of a good job towards the end, we kept fighting, but at the end of the day, we dug ourselves too deep into a hole. The Honey Badgers kept chipping from there, using an 8-2 run following Quinndary Weatherspoon’s first basket of the game mid-way through the third, a transition triple, to cut Brampton’s deficit back down to single digits for the first time since the 2:09 mark of the first. However, it was Calgary’s turn to respond to adversity, or rather, Brown’s turn, as the forward scored seven straight points as part of a 15-2 run en route to a 72-56 Surge lead after 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Brampton, as it has done for many stretches this season, got in its own way by committing eight turnovers in the third, as part of 23 for the game. All of which afforded Calgary a 30-12 edge on points off those miscues. A trend that’s plagued the Honey Badgers for much of the year as they entered Thursday leading the league with 16.8 turnovers per game. “We played our style of basketball,” Canales said on his team winning the turnover battle and it leading to easy transition points and a 26-9 advantage for fastbreak scoring. “Defence to offence, I thought we did a good job.” Aside from the Surge as a whole, Gabe Osabuohien proved to be a direct beneficiary of those Honey Badger turnovers. The Toronto native corralled an errant Brampton pass and threw it ahead to Brown for a transition triple at the 4:59 mark of the third. The make not only pushed Calgary’s lead back up to 14, but it also marked Osabuohien’s 100th assist all-time in the CEBL (regular season + playoffs). He’s just the 55th player in league history to reach that mark. The Honey Badgers, despite their many miscues, did win the battle on the glass (56-40), and that edge proved vital as they continued to mount comeback efforts. Brampton secured six offensive rebounds in the fourth as part of 20 for the game (plus-11) to score 15 second-chance points. That effort was a catalyst as the Honey Badgers won the final 20 minutes by six points and appeared on the verge of an epic rally for the Brampton faithful in attendance, which included Toronto native and Canadian senior national team member Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Back-to-back triples from the Honey Badgers, followed by a Carr layup, bookended an 8-0 run that had Brampton within striking distance. But it was all for not, as the Surge took care of business to seal the win — Jamarko Pickett credited with the game-winning layup after David Muenkat was called for a goaltend, the final of his nine points on the night. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600631 Up next Both squads return to the court on Sunday, starting with the Surge visiting the Edmonton Stingers for the final Battle of Alberta this regular season. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers depart from Brampton to take on the West-leading Vancouver Bandits. Next CEBL action The Montreal Alliance visit the Saskatchewan Rattlers in a cross-conference class at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local to wrap up Thursday’s double-header slate. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Zulfi Sheikh
•
July 2, 2025
Tie ball game, next basket wins — it doesn’t get better than that in the CEBL. And who better to play hero than Zach Copeland, capping off his return to the lineup and team-high scoring night with a side-step triple to seal a 100-97 Vancouver Bandits victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Tuesday. “Just wanted a little space, that’s all I needed,” Copeland said post-game, reflecting on the game-winner. “I’ve done this before and I just wanted to come through again.” With their second consecutive win, the Bandits improved to 10-3 and extended their lead atop the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars fell to 7-7 and remain in second place behind the Niagara River Lions in the East following a second straight road loss. Copeland finished the game with 28 points and five made threes on a 41 per cent clip, all of which came after he had missed the team’s last 11 contests. Behind him was Bandits' captain Mitch Creek with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Corey Davis Jr., who put up a double-double of 18 points and 12 assists while finishing a game-high plus-15 in the narrow victory. “Easily one of the best point guards I’ve coached,” Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said of Davis’ impact after the game. “Both sides of the ball, no one scores on him one-on-one … he plays with passion, toughness and the guys respect him.” On the other side, Terquavion Smith also put up a team-high 28 points (on 11-of-17 shooting) to go with nine rebounds. Donovan Williams (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Kalif Young (10 points, 11 rebounds) did their part as well with double-double efforts. It was a milestone night for Young, as the big man passed Jordan Baker for the all-time regular season lead in rebounds (523). Rounding out Scarborough’s efforts was Jaden Campbell, who added 17 points off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting. “Our controllables needed to be better down the stretch,” Shooting Stars head coach Mike DeGiorgio said after the loss. “We have to go back to the drawing board … it’s a result-based business.” Tuesday’s contest between the cross-conference opponents was the type of edge-of-your-seat intrigue that the CEBL built itself on when implementing the Target Score ending. It was a game of runs that saw Vancouver lead by as many as 17 points in the first half, using a 13-5 run to open the ball game, and a perfect 3-for-3 start from Samuel, to do so. But as the Montreal native, along with Davis, missed most of the second quarter as both dealt with foul trouble, Scarborough stormed back. Using a 12-4 run sparked by eight straight points from Smith, then a quarter-ending 6-0 charge that was capped off with a Jayden Coke transition slam. It turned the double-digit deficit into a far more manageable 50-43 score in favour of the Bandits headed into halftime. And the Shooting Stars kept that momentum coming out of the break, opening the second half on a 13-4 run to take their first lead of the ball game on a Smith transition layup. Creating that fastbreak opportunity was Cat Barber, who, while struggling to score (three points on 1-of-8 shooting), grabbed two steals to pass the 100 mark — just the third player in CEBL history to do so. “We were all over the glass and it allowed us to hit first,” De Giorgio said when asked how his team took charge in the third, noting his team won the rebounding battle 49-40 on the night. Scarborough wasn’t able to extend that lead to double digits, however, as Vancouver punched back to end the third, using an 8-0 run and hitting three triples in the final two minutes to bring its deficit down to 72-70 before the fourth quarter. The Bandits then re-took the lead by starting the final frame on an 8-0 run, going up by as many as eight points in the fourth before holding onto a 90-89 lead headed into Target Score Time. “You’re not going to win every night by 20 points,” Julis said. “We have to stay poised and execute, and we did a good job of that.” And it was fitting that with the clocks stopped, it remained a back-and-forth affair, both teams trading baskets. Smith tied the ball game at 97 with a free throw, but missed the second intentionally with hopes of scoring a game-winner off it. Instead, he stepped out of bounds while trying to corral the loose ball. All of which set up Copeland to bring the 4,408 in attendance at the Langley Events Centre to their feet with his fifth and final three of the game. The import scored six of Vancouver’s 10 points in Target Score Time. Underscoring the Bandits' victory was a strong effort to win the turnover battle. They forced 21 turnovers off the Shooting Stars, who entered Tuesday averaging 14.9 per game. No player was bothered more by the pressure than Williams who accounted for nine of those turnovers. It resulted in a plus-six margin in points off turnovers that proved to be the difference. “That’s what we do,” Copeland explained on winning the turnover margin. “We want to run off misses or makes, we’re trying to get out in transition … put pressure on the defence.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600629 Up next The Bandits return on Sunday to wrap up a three-game homestand by hosting the Brampton Honey Badgers. Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars head back to Scarborough, getting some time off before returning to take the Edmonton Stingers on July 11 with hopes of avenging a 17-point loss from two weeks prior. Next CEBL action Action resumes on Thursday with four teams taking the court for a double-header slate. Starting with the Honey Badgers hosting the Calgary Surge in cross-conference play at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Montreal Alliance visiting the Saskatchewan Rattlers 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
•
July 2, 2025
Sean East II continues to make his mark in the CEBL — and his Edmonton Stingers just keep rolling. East II scored 35 points as the Stingers downed the Montreal Alliance 94-83 for their fourth straight win on Tuesday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. The MVP candidate also added six assists and four steals as the Stingers improved to 8-6. Montreal, which began the season with four straight wins of its own, fell to 5-6 with the loss. “We’re just now starting to get together, one game at a time, one practice at a time. The sky’s the limit for us,” East II said. The Stingers held an 85-72 advantage when the clocks turned off for Target Score Time, but the Alliance — desperate for a win after their recent slide — came out firing and trimmed the Edmonton lead to 88-81 after back-to-back triples from Chris Smith and Tavian Dunn-Martin. However, after a timeout, Scottie Lindsey responded with his second three-pointer of Target Time to put the Stingers within three points of victory. Three possessions later, East II poked the ball away from Montreal’s Quincy Guerrier and finished the game with a layup on the other end. Stingers head coach Jordan Baker commended East II’s performance. “If he’s not the MVP of the league at the midway point I don’t know who is,” Baker said. “He’s carried us a lot of time and now we’ve got guys playing alongside him that are pretty damn good too.” For East II, the performance against the Alliance was far from a one-off. The Louisville, Kent., native entered Tuesday’s action fourth leaguewide with 23.8 points per game, first with a blistering 52.2 per cent mark from deep (minimum 25 attempts) and second with 36 three-point makes. He helped those stats by splashing five of seven three-point attempts against Montreal — part of an efficient night in which he converted on 14 of 18 field-goal attempts overall. His 35 points were four off the Edmonton franchise record of 39 set by three-time MVP Xavier Moon. “I give the credit to my teammates and my coaching staff. They’re letting me play. My teammates are finding me when I’m open, we’re moving the ball well. We started [the season] out slow … but we finally found our team and I think we’re moving in the right direction,” East II said. It wasn’t just East II fueling the Stingers, however. Canadian Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton contributed a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double while guard Scottie Lindsey added 19 points, including seven in Target Time. Mason Bourcier recorded his 50th career regular-season steal in the first quarter and finished the game with three points, two rebounds and two assists. “Our depth, if we have a couple guys who have a bad night, it doesn’t mean we lose the game. It just means someone else steps into that position and plays well for us,” Baker said. Meanwhile, a scuffling Alliance offence continued to struggle — with one notable exception. Shifty point guard Tavian Dunn-Martin went toe-to-toe with East II, keeping his team afloat with 30 points, including 19 in the first half. Forwards Quincy Guerrier and Brandon Porter had 18 and 16 points, respectively. Dunn-Martin said his team needs to get back into the lab to rediscover its early-season form. “We just need our guys to be more confident. Right now a lot of our guys are overthinking, not playing like they did at the beginning of the season,” he said. With the loss, Montreal remains fourth in the Eastern Conference, trailing the streaking third-place Ottawa BlackJacks, who earned their fourth straight win earlier Tuesday. Meanwhile, the fifth-place Brampton Honey Badgers have shown recent flashes of life with wins in three of four, including a 35-point drubbing of the first-place Niagara River Lions. Alliance head coach Jermaine Small said his team just needs to put a full game together. “I think there’s a lot of self-inflicted wounds. I think we beat ourselves a lot. We had a lead at the beginning. We gotta play a 40-minute game,” Small said. Edmonton raced to an early 10-point lead, but the Alliance responded to cut their deficit to just one point by the end of the first frame. The Stingers found their form late in the second quarter, using a 16-7 run to take a 48-38 lead into halftime. Edmonton mostly held serve in the third quarter and took a 65-57 lead into the fourth. And by the end of the game, Edmonton found itself back in a spot it’s quickly become familiar with — the win column. “Any time you can give 3,000-plus a good show on Canada Day,” Baker said, “it’s a positive.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600628 Up Next Montreal finishes up a three-game road trip against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Thursday, while Edmonton wraps its four-game homestand by hosting the Calgary Surge on Sunday. Next CEBL Action A two-game night on Thursday features the Brampton Honey Badgers hosting the Surge as well as the Alliance-Rattlers contest. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

By Alex Lough
•
July 1, 2025
On a day of celebration in the Nation’s Capital, Javonte Smart gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about, tying the Ottawa BlackJacks franchise record with 37 points in a dominant 104-80 win over the visiting Winnipeg Sea Bears — the team’s fourth straight victory. The crowd had plenty to get behind early as the BlackJacks got off to a 9-0 lead early thanks to the stifling defense they’ve become known for over their winning streak, having now held their last four opponents to 80 points or fewer. It was more of the same from Ottawa in the first quarter, holding Winnipeg to just 6-of-17 shooting from the floor and taking a 29-16 lead into the break. While the BlackJacks got all their points the old-fashioned way in the first quarter – failing to make a three-pointer – they found their shooting stroke in the second, hitting 4-of-6 from deep. For their part, the Sea Bears managed to push the pace and get the home squad to get away from their preferred playing style but were unable to take advantage hitting just nine of their 24 shots. “I thought our guys did a tremendous job,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said following the win. I thought they followed the plan and executed the plan really well. We had the little hiccup in the second quarter where we didn’t lock in defensively. But after that, we just locked in and did a good job making life really tough for their top three guys.” Those three players for Winnipeg – Tevian Jones, Jalen Harris and Simin Shittu – were held to 15, 11 and 11 points, respectively, though Shittu did finish with a franchise record 19 rebounds, just one behind the league record. Emmanuel Akot had 17 points and five rebounds, while Jaylin Williams had 15 and seven rebounds. “The first thing is giving credit to Ottawa” Seas Bears head coach Mike Taylor said. “Javonte was outstanding, they had a great team game. I felt like our defensive effort was inconsistent. I think that we did not pressure the ball and contain the ball like we needed to, and that gave them some easy baskets in transition that got them feeling good. It comes down to the things… on the road you have to work hard, defend, rebound – all the fundamental parts of the game. Today we were a little bit soft with that and Ottawa took advantage. Credit to them, they played a great team game. But especially from our starting five, we expect a little bit more defensive effort.” Winnipeg would make a passionate push early in the third quarter, scoring 14 consecutive points to cut a 58-41 lead down to just three. But Smart would take over once again and the BlackJacks pulled away for the rest of the game. “He’s a scorer. He’s a legitimate scorer,” DeAveiro said. “He’s done this consistently for four games. How many guys can do that consistently for four games when teams are prepping trying to stop you. We’re lucky to have him. He’s also unselfish and will pass the ball to find his teammates to get a good shot. “You put two people on the ball to stop Javonte and you just throw it up and Isaih is athletic enough to go up and finish it. Javonte puts a lot of pressure on teams’ defenses, so you have to come up with strategies to defend Javonte. Any time they put two bodies on him, it’s either a lob up to Isaih or a kick out for a three.” Smart aside, there were a number of impressive performances from the home side. Isaih Moore had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Deng Adel had 14 points, and Tyrell Tate and Zane Waterman both chipped in with 11. The game was the 100 th in the history of the BlackJacks, combing both regular season and postseason games. For a player like Adel, it’s been a great experience seeing the team grown, both on the court and off it, during his extended time with the club. “It’s been dope seeing the fanbase grow each year, people coming out and enjoying themselves,” Adel said. “It’s a great area, and it’s just fun to be a part of. Guys want to come here and play here which has been important, and it’s been good.” On top of being their fourth win in a row, it was also the BlackJacks second win over the Sea Bears this season. For the Sea Bears, it was their third straight loss, and second in as many games giving up 100 points. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600626 Up next for both teams The Ottawa BlackJacks will travel to the prairies on July 5 to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers in the first of their two meetings this season. The Winnipeg Sea Bears continue their three-game road trip as they take on the Niagara River Lions for the first time this season on July 4. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers will host the Calgary Surge on July 3, streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -