Scarborough Protects First-Half Lead, Defends Home Court Against Calgary

August 1, 2025
Teru Ikeda

Terquavion Smith had been killing Calgary’s momentum all night, answering with buckets and stopping them from establishing a lead.

But it was his game-winning stepback jumper that halted the Surge and helped the Scarborough Shooting Stars escape with a narrow 93-89 win over Calgary in the Ends.


“Them having the confidence in me, gave me the confidence to make shots like that,” Smith said about the Target Score Winner after Jameer Nelson Jr.’s three-pointer made it a two-point game in Target Time. Smith had a team-high 21 points.


When the two teams last played each other in June, there was no Smith on Scarborough. Tonight was payback for a 94-80 blow that Scarborough took at WinSport Event Centre.


Scarborough faced an uphill battle in the fourth quarter after Cat Barber – dubbed as one of the creamsicle twins by commentator Rod Black due to the matching shoe colours with Smith – twisted his knee.


Barber had just started to heat up, hitting a triple that gave Scarborough their biggest 12-point lead. But the Shooting Stars relied on the strength of its pack to protect home court today. Five players scored in double digits.


Kobe Elvis came in to replace Barber and instantly hit a corner three to build a nine-point fourth quarter lead.


Aaron Best killed as much of the opposing team’s momentum as Smith. He had 19 points on an efficient eight-for-13 shooting and made three of his five threes.


And in only Michael Foster’s second game, still without a name on the back of his jersey, he made his presence felt as soon as he stepped on the floor. He had a running sky hook, a block on Greg Brown III that fueled Smith’s transition lay-up, and then leaked out after a missed three-pointer by Brown and flushed it down with two hands. His put back after Best’s missed shot in Target Time was a much needed bucket too.

Donovan Williams had a quiet night with 10 points, but stepped up when it mattered most – hitting the wide-open three off a shovel pass by Smith. Williams surpassed 500 regular-season career points in the game.


When a Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore turnaround fadeway jumper helped Calgary inch within three points in the third quarter, it was Khalil Miller who answered.


Scarborough established a narrow lead at the end of the first quarter and though they never built a comfortable lead, they also never gave it up either.


Scarborough head coach De Giorgio spoke about “hitting first” at the start of the game and stuck to plan. Throughout the game, Scarborough kept going inside – they were plus-fourteen in points in the paint and shot 60% from the two-point field.


“They made some tough shots but we need to know who we’re guarding,” said De Giorgio about his team’s defence in Target Time. “Some of the guards are big-time shooters and we need to get up to them, make them put the ball on the ground, and get all the way to the rim instead of giving them three-point shots."


Though both teams have already clinched the playoffs, it had the intensity of a championship game.


“I just love how we battled. I just love how we stuck together,” said Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales. “We did a lot of good things, but just came up short,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders.


Nelson led all scorers with 30 points, shooting five-for-seven from downtown.


Miller-Moore, a Toronto native, also gave his hometown team a scare. The third quarter was near parity, and he scored in every imaginable way: a mid-range jumper, back-handed dunk, transition lay-up, turnaround fadeway, and inside the paint. He brought Calgary within three points.


Another Toronto native, Gabe Osabuohien, also had an 11-rebound, 11-assist, double-double performance.


Calgary came off a one-point loss to Winnipeg prior to this game, and have lost three games in July. Consistency has eluded Scarborough this season, but a win against a championship contender is a promising sign as the CEBL heats up for the playoffs.


“We knew this was going to be a hard road trip, starting tonight,” said Canales during the game. “Every game is hard. Every game is a playoff game.”


Box score


https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600670


Up next for both teams


Scarborough (10-11) hosts the 2024 CEBL champion Niagara River Lions (14-6) on Sunday, August 3. Calgary (13-7) heads further east to face the Ottawa BlackJacks (10-10) at TD Place on Saturday, August 2.


Next CEBL action


There will be three games to kick off August as playoffs quickly approach. Tomorrow, the Montreal Alliance (7-12) host the Brampton Honey Badgers (5-16) at Verdun Auditorium. The Championship Weekend host Winnipeg Sea Bears (8-11) will defend home court against the visiting Saskatchewan Rattlers (5-14) at Canada Life Centre. The Edmonton Stingers (12-7) are coming off last Friday’s thrilling Target Time ending, and will host the league-best Vancouver Bandits (15-5) at Edmonton EXPO Centre.


For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games.


- CEBL -

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