River Lions Come Back to Edge Rattlers 88-86

The reigning CEBL Championship Final MVP and two-time CEBL Clutch Player of the Year rejoins the River Lions

Trois victoires dominantes. Deux records de franchise. Une différence de points de +107. On peut dire sans se tromper que les Bandits de Vancouver sont en pleine forme ces temps-ci — et c’est peu dire. « C’est un groupe d’individus très, très talentueux, à la fois ambitieux et altruistes, réunis au bon moment. », a déclaré la vedette des Bandits, Mitch Creek. « Il n’y a pas de recette secrète, à part faire les choses correctement et traiter les joueurs avec respect. » Creek est l’un des trois joueurs des Bandits qui affichent une moyenne de plus de 20 points par match, avec 23,7. Il est accompagné du Canadien Tyrese Samuel (24,3) et de l’Américain Kyle Mangas, spécialiste du tir extérieur (21). En tant qu’équipe, Vancouver affiche une moyenne de 107,7 points par match — soit plus de 10 points de plus que l’équipe en deuxième position, qui a pourtant disputé plusieurs matchs. Mais la véritable mise à l’épreuve commencera cette semaine, avec trois matchs en cinq jours. Les Bandits entament un voyage qui les mènera d’abord à Winnipeg pour affronter les Sea Bears mercredi, puis à Edmonton contre les Stingers vendredi, avant de revenir à la maison pour accueillir le Surge de Calgary dimanche. L’un des nouveaux défis liés au calendrier élargi de la LECB cette saison est la gestion de cette charge de travail — surtout avec des effectifs qui évoluent constamment. L’entraîneur Julius affirme toutefois que son équipe est prête à affronter tout ce qui se présentera. « Tu peux battre une équipe de 20 points un soir, puis l’affronter à nouveau cinq jours plus tard avec un cinq partant complètement différent… Je pense que le mieux, c’est d’y aller jour après jour, possession par possession », a-t-il déclaré. Et les adversaires des Bandits ne sont pas à prendre à la légère. Avec une fiche de 1-2, Winnipeg n’a pas connu le départ espéré cette saison — et voudra sans doute défendre son terrain avec ardeur après avoir subi une correction contre le Surge dimanche. Une autre équipe en quête de revanche attend les Bandits à Edmonton vendredi. Les Stingers (1-3) voudront rebondir après avoir encaissé une défaite de 30 points à Vancouver samedi. Ils sont restés compétitifs pendant un quart-temps, mais n’ont pas réussi à suivre le rythme offensif effréné des Bandits. Cela dit, les trois autres matchs d’Edmonton se sont terminés avec un écart de trois points ou moins. Le débutant Sean East II, combiné à l’ancien Sea Bear Scottie Lindsey, mène une attaque offensive solide. Calgary semble être, en ce début de saison, la plus grande menace des Bandits dans l’Ouest. Le Surge (3-1) vient de remporter deux matchs consécutifs contre les Sea Bears, et sa seule défaite a été concédée de justesse, par seulement quatre points, contre les champions en titre, les River Lions de Niagara. Du côté du Surge, le meneur Jameer Nelson Jr. s’impose déjà comme l’une des révélations de ce début de saison. Mais la véritable histoire de ce début de saison, c’est Vancouver. Après trois matchs, les Bandits sont invaincus. Mais après trois autres cette semaine, on en saura beaucoup plus à leur sujet. Scarborough accueille les écoles Les Shooting Stars ont été les derniers à faire leurs débuts cette saison, amorçant leur campagne avec une victoire de 90-76 contre les Honey Badgers de Brampton dimanche. Ils sont maintenant de retour à la maison pour deux matchs qui promettent d’être électrisants. Les Shooting Stars entament leur série de matchs au Pan Am Sports Centre de Toronto avec deux rencontres scolaires cette semaine : mardi contre les BlackJacks d’Ottawa, et jeudi contre les Rattlers de Saskatchewan. Les deux matchs débuteront à 11 h (HE). Scarborough a offert une attaque équilibrée lors de son match d’ouverture, avec cinq joueurs qui ont inscrit au moins dix points, menés par Donovan Williams avec 19. Le joueur de la G League Yuri Collins a inscrit 13 points et six passes décisives à sa première apparition dans la LECB. L’entraîneur-chef Mike DeGiorgio a aussi pu compter sur l’ancien Honey Badger David Walker, auteur de 10 points en sortie de banc, alors qu’il tente de guider les Shooting Stars vers un deuxième titre dans l’histoire de la franchise. Ottawa (1-1) cherchera à passer au-dessus de la barre des ,500, tandis que la Saskatchewan (0-3) est toujours à la recherche d’une première victoire cette saison. Horaire de la semaine (neuf matchs) Match #16 – Mardi 27 mai – OTT à SSS – 11 h (HE) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #17 – Mercredi 28 mai – VAN à WPG – 19 h (HAC) / 17 h (HP) / 20 h (HE) – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #18 – Mercredi 28 mai – BHB à EDM – 19 h (HRM) / 21 h (HE) – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #19 – Jeudi 29 mai – SSK à SSS – 11 h (HE) / 9 h (HNC) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #20 – Jeudi 29 mai – BHB à CGY – 19 h 30 (HRM) / 21 h 30 (HE) – WinSport Event Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #21 – Vendredi 30 mai – SSK à NRL – 19 h (HE) / 17 h (HNC) – Meridian Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #22 – Vendredi 30 mai – VAN à EDM – 19 h (HRM) / 18 h (HP) / 21 h (HE) – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #23 – Samedi 31 mai – OTT à WPG – 19 h 30 (HAC) / 20 h 30 (HE) – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #24 – Dimanche 1er juin – CGY à VAN – 17 h (HP) / 18 h (HRM) / 20 h (HE) – Langley Events Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB, visitez le site cebl.ca/games .

Three dominant wins. Two franchise records. A point differential of plus-107. It’s safe to say the Vancouver Bandits are firing on all cylinders right now — and even that might be underselling things. “It’s a bunch of very, very talented, unselfish selfish individuals at the right time,” Bandits star Mitch Creek said. “There is no secret sauce apart from doing it the right way and treating players with respect.” Creek is one of three Bandits averaging over 20 points per game at 23.7, along with Canadian big man Tyrese Samuel (24.3) and American sharpshooter Kyle Mangas (21). Vancouver as a team is averaging 107.7 points per game — over 10 points more than the second-place team that’s played multiple games to date. But Vancouver will face its biggest test this week with three games in five days as it hits the road to face the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Wednesday and Edmonton Stingers on Friday before returning home to greet the Calgary Surge on Sunday. One of the emerging challenges of the CEBL’s expanded schedule this season will be managing that workload — especially as players come and go. Julius said his team is prepared for whatever comes its way. “You might beat a team by 20 one night and then you go play them five days later and their starting lineup is different. … I just think day by day, possession by possession, that’s the best way to go about it,” he said. And the Bandits’ slate of opponents are no slouches themselves. At 1-2, Winnipeg hasn’t had an ideal start to the season — and may be extra hungry to protect its homecourt as it looks to shake off a beatdown by the Surge on Sunday. Another angry opponent in Edmonton will surely enter the Friday matchup with a chip on its shoulder following a 30-point drubbing in Vancouver on Saturday. The Stingers (1-3) kept things close through one quarter, but ultimately could not keep up with the Bandits’ offensive onslaught. Still, the Stingers’ three other games have all ended within three points, and league rookie Sean East II has combined with ex-Sea Bear Scottie Lindsey to lead a strong offensive attack. Calgary, in the early going, appears to be the Bandits’ biggest threat in the West. The Surge (3-1) just won back-to-back games against the Sea Bears, and their only loss of the season came by just four against the defending champion Niagara River Lions. Surge guard Jameer Nelson Jr., meanwhile, is looking like one of the season’s early breakout stars. But the story of the young season is Vancouver. Through three games, the Bandits have been unbeatable. But after three more this week, we’ll know a lot more about them. School days in Scarborough The Shooting Stars were the last team to debut when they opened their season with a 90-76 win over the Brampton Honey Badgers on Sunday. Now, they return home for a pair of games that promise to be electric. The Shooting Stars begin their Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre slate with two school day games this week on Tuesday against the Ottawa BlackJacks and Thursday against the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Both games begin at 11 a.m. ET. Scarborough featured a balanced offensive attack in its opener with five players in double digits, led by Donovan Williams with 19. G Leaguer Yuri Collins put up 13 points and six assists in his CEBL debut. Head coach Mike DeGiorgio also saw former Honey Badger David Walker add 10 points off the bench as he attempts to lead the Shooting Stars to their second title in franchise history. Ottawa (1-1) comes in looking to move above .500, while Saskatchewan (0-3) is still looking for its first victory of the season.  Weekly schedule (nine games) Game #16 - Tuesday, May 27 - OTT at SSS – 11 a.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #17 – Wednesday, May 28 – VAN at WPG – 7 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #18 – Wednesday, May 28 – BHB at EDM – 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #19 – Thursday, May 29 – SSK at SSS – 11 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. CST – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #20 – Thursday, May 29 – BHB at CGY – 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #21 – Friday, May 30 – SSK at NRL – 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CST – Meridian Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #22 – Friday, May 30 – VAN at EDM – 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #23 – Saturday, May 31 – OTT at WPG – 7:30 p.m. CDT / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #24 – Sunday, June 1 – CGY at VAN – 5 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (Game+ CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

La Classique Estivale de la LECB - Éclipse : Match sous les étoiles a été reportée à la mi-temps en raison de problèmes techniques causés par les conditions météorologiques défavorables. La sécurité des joueurs, des partisans et du personnel est toujours notre priorité absolue, et la décision d'arrêter le match a été prise par mesure de précaution. Selon les règles de la FIBA, lorsqu'un match est interrompu en raison de circonstances exceptionnelles, la décision sur la marche à suivre est référée à l'organisme organisateur. Ainsi, la LECB déterminera le résultat officiel du match dans les prochains jours. -LECB-

The CEBL Summer Classic: Éclipse – Match Sous les Étoiles was postponed at halftime due to technical issues related to event staging caused by inclement weather. The safety of players, fans, and staff is always our top priority, and the decision to halt play was made out of an abundance of caution. Under FIBA rules, when a game is interrupted due to exceptional circumstances, the decision on how to proceed is referred to the organizing body. As such, the CEBL league office will determine the official outcome of the game in the coming days. - CEBL -

The Calgary Surge are clicking early in the season. They routed the Winnipeg Sea Bears 93–61 on Sunday (May 25), assisting on 69 percent of their field goals. Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said every little step—on and off the court—has helped build chemistry early. “They're a great practice group and we've been just carrying that over to the game,” Canales said. It was also strong defensively, holding the Sea Bears to 61 points. Winnipeg was limited to 30 per cent shooting from the field, 17 per cent from three, and 50 per cent from the free-throw line. Calgary dominated inside as well, outscoring Winnipeg 46-28 in the paint. The Surge attack featured an array of high-flying finishes in transition, including alley-oop connections and a between-the-legs showstopper from Greg Brown III in the third quarter. “I was like, ‘Finally I got an open break’... I was a little far back but thought I could get [the dunk] off,” Brown III said of the highlight. The victory at WinSport Event Centre was the back half of a home-and-home, with Calgary winning the first contest on Friday 98-86. Canales said the team is building on the foundation of turning defence into offence. “It's never going to be perfect but we're moulding it the right way,” he said. Brown III netted a game-high 22 points in the victory to go along with nine rebounds. Sean Miller-Moore followed up a career-best performance on Friday with another solid outing on Sunday. He scored 20 points, hauled in 10 rebounds, dished out six assists and drilled the game-winning free throw. The six assists pushed Miller-Moore to 200 for his CEBL career. Meanwhile, Jameer Nelson Jr. also left a mark on both ends. He set a team record with seven steals in the win, while contributing 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. On the other side, Terry Roberts was a bright spot for the Sea Bears offensively. The Georgia alumnus led the team in scoring, rebounding and passing with 21 points, 10 boards, and seven assists. Roberts said the Sea Bears need to be tougher moving forward. “I think the defense dictated our offense. We [weren’t] playing good defensively, and it made us ultimately struggle offensively. So I think we have to lock in more defensively and we'll be alright,” Roberts said. Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor credited Calgary for effort, rebounding, speed and physicality. He attributed offensive struggles to the Sea Bears’ fast break. “I think we did not space the floor as quickly as we needed to. And then again, we did not take advantage of the opportunities that the game gave us. We had some mismatches in the post we didn't take advantage of and we had some opportunities in transition we didn't take advantage of,” Taylor said. To open the game, both teams started hot from beyond the arc. Roberts directed the Sea Bears’ offence in the first quarter, scoring or assisting on 14 of the team’s 17 points. However, the Surge pushed the pace leading to a pair of alley-oops in transition. Calgary seized control, closing the quarter on a 12-1 run and taking a 23-17 advantage into the second quarter. The Surge continued to dictate the tempo as Winnipeg’s offence stalled. The Sea Bears went roughly seven minutes without a field goal stretching back to the first quarter and Calgary capitalized with a 21-3 run during that span. Winnipeg began to find some rhythm midway through the frame, but Calgary quickly shut the door with a 13-4 run—taking a 49-31 lead into the break. Coming out of the locker room, Winnipeg started to push the pace as well. The Sea Bears scored six early points but Brown III killed the momentum with an audacious between-the-legs breakaway slam. Brown III kept the highlight reel rolling as the Surge entered the fourth quarter up 71-48. Winnipeg didn’t connect on a field goal for the first four minutes of the quarter and trailed by 30 heading into Target Score Time. Winnipeg opened Target Time with a 7-2 burst, but Nelson Jr. responded with a personal 6-0 run to bring Calgary within one. Miller-Moore iced it at the line, sealing Calgary’s 50th win in franchise history. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600577 Up next for both teams Winnipeg returns to Canada Life Centre for a meeting with the red-hot Vancouver Bandits on Wednesday (May 28), while Calgary hosts Brampton on Thursday (May 29) at WinSport Event Centre. Next CEBL action The Ottawa BlackJacks travel to Scarborough on Tuesday (May 27) for an Eastern Conference battle with the Shooting Stars. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

The Scarborough Shooting Stars (1-0) opened their campaign on a high note, picking up a 90-76 win on Sunday to spoil the Brampton Honey Badgers' (0-3) home debut. Donovon Williams spearheaded the winning effort, finishing with a team-high 19 points along with six rebounds and two steals. The import guard picked up where he left off last season when his 17.7 points per game were top 10 in the CEBL. Behind Williams was another pair of Scarborough returnees in Jaden Campbell and Danilo Djuricic, who each scored 12 points. Meanwhile, CEBL debutant Yuri Collins added 13 points (including the game-winner), six assists and three steals. The still-winless Honey Badgers were led by Koby McEwen, as the reigning Canadian Player of the Year racked up a game-high 22 points to go with three assists and three steals. Rounding out Brampton’s double-digit scoring efforts was the frontcourt pair of Prince Oduro (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Amari Kelly (10 points, 12 rebounds), who each chipped in double-doubles. Quinndary Weatherspoon — coming off a stellar 29-point debut — struggled as he finished with 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting with six rebounds and three turnovers. The Shooting Stars came out flying to start their season, carving out a double-digit lead in less than seven minutes. Scarborough led 29-13 after the first quarter thanks to a pair of 7-0 runs and some overwhelming defence. Donovan Williams led that charge, bookending the first of those runs with a triple and a transition slam. Meanwhile, their ball pressure forced six Honey Badgers’ turnovers (for 10 points) while Scarborough held Brampton to just 6-of-22 shooting from the field in the first 10 minutes. Ball security has become a recurring concern for the Honey Badgers this season, their 19.7 turnovers per game are tops in the CEBL. Brampton finished the contest with 16 giveaways, which led to 23 extra points for Scarborough (plus-eight). The runs didn’t stop there as the Shooting Stars went on a 16-0 run between the end of the first and start of the second, their lead growing as large as 23 points in the first half. The Honey Badgers did respond, however, ending the second quarter on a 17-4 run that brought their deficit to 44-34 at the break. Brampton's turnaround came in part thanks to the interior effort of Oduro, who racked up nine rebounds (five offensive) in the first 20 minutes to go with eight points. The Honey Badgers' veteran spearheaded a 28-21 rebounding edge for Brampton at halftime. The Honey Badgers chipped into the lead even more in the third as they cut the deficit to as low as six points, but couldn’t bring it closer as back-to-back triples from Williams and David Walker kept the Shooting Stars ahead 64-55 by the end of the frame. Proficiency from distance appears to be a strength for the team yet again, after leading the CEBL with 12.7 three-point makes per game in 2024. The Shooting Stars finished Sunday’s win with 12 made triples on a 35 per cent clip, a touch below their 36.8 conversion rate from last season. Scarborough’s momentum kept up from there as it began the fourth on an 8-2 run en route to an 80-70 lead when Target Score time got underway. The Shooting Stars' defence did the heavy lifting from there, holding the Honey Badgers to just one made field goal in the closing stretch, before Collins called his own number and nailed a stepback jumper from the left elbow to walk away victorious. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600576 Up next The Shooting Stars now prepare for their home-opener on Tuesday as they’ll host the Ottawa BlackJacks — it’ll be Scarborough’s second of three games in five days. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers start a two-game road trip on Wednesday by visiting the 1-3 Edmonton Stingers. Next CEBL action Sunday’s triple-header slate continues with the 1-1 Winnipeg Sea Bears visiting the 2-1 Calgary Surge for their home-opener (4 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. local), followed by the 1-0 Montreal Alliance hosting the 1-1 BlackJacks in the first-ever 5x5 outdoor professional basketball game in Canada (7:30 p.m. ET). For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL - 

A well-oiled machine continues to hum along in Vancouver. The Bandits won their third straight game to open the season, routing the Edmonton Stingers 109-79 on Saturday at Langley Events Centre. Vancouver (3-0) had already kicked off its campaign with 40- and 37-point blowouts prior to its latest 30-point romp. Now, the Bandits have scored 107 more points than their opponents — and their players have twice set franchise scoring records, with Mitch Creek’s 36 points matching the mark Tyrese Samuel established just last week. Head coach Kyle Julius said his group is among the best he’s ever worked with. “These guys are just great guys. Every time I come in the gym, they’re there early, they stay late, they care. … They allow you to push them and they allow you to coach them and they’re just great kids. The whole group of them is really high character,” Julius said. Vancouver led 100-70 heading into Target Score Time, and while Edmonton (1-3) showed some fight, the Bandits made relatively quick work of their West rival. Rookie Kyle Mangas capped the victory with a pair of three-pointers. Julius added that the dominant start to the season is a result of the synergy between his coaching style and his players. “I really need guys to genuinely care about this like it’s life and death. That’s what it is for me. In this business, I lose five games in a row, I could be fired, and so I approach every possession with that passion. When I have players that care about it like that … that’s kinda like the core root to this whole thing,” he said.\ Creek, who burst onto the CEBL scene last season when he averaged 26 points per game and led Vancouver to the Finals, enjoyed a breakout night offensively. The big Aussie’s 36 points represented a season- and game-high, and he also added seven rebounds and five assists. “It’s a bunch of very, very talented, unselfish selfish individuals at the right time,” Creek said of the team’s early success. “Three days ago, I didn’t have a big game but maybe my impact was just as impactful as it was tonight. Just because I put some points on the board doesn’t mean that’s the reason that we won.” Mangas, 26, poured in 23 points while shooting seven-for-12 from beyond the arc, Canadian big man Tyrese Samuel added 17 points and point guard Shamar Givance had five points and 15 assists. Creek said Julius recently shared a video with him that resonated about this Bandits team. “It was an NHL player who said, ‘When you walk in the locker room and don’t know who the best player is, that’s when you know you have a championship-calibre team,’ and that’s what we have right now and it’s really fun playing on a team like that,” Creek said. Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said the Bandits’ depth of scoring options makes them difficult to contain. “You gotta give credit to Vancouver. They played well, they shot the ball well, they executed well and we did basically the opposite,” he said. For Edmonton, Cameron McGriff led the way with 18 points and six rebounds off the bench while Sean East II added 16 points, three assists and three steals. Edmonton became the second team in CEBL history to score 10,000 points (including playoffs) when Nick Hornsby – the team’s active all-time scoring leader – converted an and-one in the second quarter. But Hornsby said the team needs to go back to the drawing board following the 30-point defeat. “I feel like a lot of the stuff was on us. Like I said, they’re a good team, they run their plays well, they’re physical and do the things they need to do to win,” Hornsby said. The Bandits held an early 22-10 lead, but the Stingers fought back to narrow their deficit to 24-20 after the first quarter. Vancouver fought back to take a 51-40 advantage into halftime. The Bandits extended their lead to 80-63 following the third quarter, and the blowout was on. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600575 Up Next Both teams are back in action Wednesday as the Bandits visit the Winnipeg Sea Bears while the Stingers host the Brampton Honey Badgers. Next CEBL Action Sunday’s slate is highlighted by the CEBL’s first-ever outdoor game with the Montreal Alliance hosting the Ottawa BlackJacks at IGA Stadium. Earlier in the day, the Scarborough Shooting Stars open their season with a trip to face the Honey Badgers and the Calgary Surge welcome the Sea Bears. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

The visiting Calgary Surge (2-1) outscored the Winnipeg Sea Bears (1-1) 33-14 in the third quarter and rode that effort to a 98-86 win to end their season-opening three-game road trip on a high note. Calgary's playstyle in the early season has been clear: push the pace and generate high-quality looks. Count both those boxes checked after Friday as the Surge ran roughshod over the Sea Bears for a 22-3 edge in fast-break scoring as part of a whopping 58 points in the paint (plus-20). Leading that rim-running onslaught was Sean Miller-Moore, who finished with a CEBL career-high 29 points to go with six assists, one steal and one block. “It’s a huge part of our identity,” the fourth-year guard said of his team’s fast-break effectiveness. “If we can get stops and run, that’s exactly what we want to do. No plays … just get out and run.” Right behind Miller-Moore was Jameer Nelson Jr., chipping in 25 points on 8-of-12 shooting along with seven rebounds and three steals as he finished a game-high plus-27. Meanwhile, Khyri Thomas had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his first CEBL double-double. On the other side, Jaylin Williams led the Sea Bears in their first loss of the season as he scored a team-high 21 points to go with six rebounds and four assists. Terry Roberts did his part as well, putting up 15 points, 11 assists and three steals. The import guard is quickly building a reputation as one of the league’s top playmakers, his 9.5 average assists are the third-most in the CEBL. Tevian Jones and Emmanuel Akot rounded out Winnipeg’s double-digit scoring efforts on the night as the pair added 16 and 10 points, respectively. As the saying goes, basketball is a game of runs. And Friday’s contest was no exception. The first momentum-swing came in the opening frame when the Surge turned what was an early 8-4 deficit and flipped it into a 27-14 lead after 10 minutes. It was Calgary’s defence that did the heavy lifting as it limited Winnipeg to just two made field goals after the 7:42 mark of the first quarter as part of a 23-6 run. “When you create deficits like that, it’s always hard to win games,” Williams said post-game of Winnipeg falling behind. “I think we just have to start our quarters better.” The Sea Bears showed some resilience, however, punching right back in the second quarter with a 15-5 run spearheaded by some timely three-point shooting and Williams’ individual brilliance. Winnipeg started the game a paltry 1-of-7 from distance, but ended the half shooting 8-of-20 and made six triples in the second quarter. All the while, Williams went on an individual 8-3 to finish the second as part of 12 points in the frame, helping cut the Surge’s lead to just 48-47 through 20 minutes. “I was really proud of the way we battled back in the second quarter,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said after the game. “They punched us in the mouth early … I think it took us a while to get going.” But that was when the third quarter happened. What proved to be the defining frame of the ball game, Calgary opened the second half on a 20-4 run and never looked back. Underscoring that effort was a defence that forced five turnovers throughout the quarter as part of 15 Sea Bears’ giveaways for 27 points on the night. “We knew the more disciplined team was going to win,” Miller-Moore said of the Surge’s response in the third quarter. “We tried to do what we’re good at it worked.” While Winnipeg did make things interesting for parts of the final quarter, namely a 10-2 run to start the fourth, the comeback didn’t get much closer. Calgary took an 89-74 lead into Target Score time and the duo of Miller-Moore and Nelson got to work. The pair scored all nine of the Surge’s points to end the contest, including three straight buckets from Miller-Moore before Nelson split a pair of free throws to seal the deal. “I love our fight,” Calgary head coach Dave Canales said. “I love our competitive endurance. We knew we were coming into a play a great-coached team and I’m just proud of the group.” The Surge’s win improved the franchise to 6-2 all-time against the Sea Bears, which also includes a Play-In win last season. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600573 Up next The Surge and Sea Bears will waste no time before a rematch as the pair will face off Sunday in Calgary’s home-opener for their second of four contests this season. “You got us tonight, but we have a chance to respond Sunday,” Taylor said. Next CEBL action The 0-2 Saskatchewan Rattlers' search for a first win continues on Saturday as they’ll host the defending champion Niagara River Lions (2-1), who’ll be looking to bounce back from their first defeat this season. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -