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

The Ottawa BlackJacks entered Thursday’s game against the Niagara River Lions desperate for a win. Javonte Smart made sure they got it. Smart scored a season-high and franchise-record 44 points, including a miraculous game-winner, to send the BlackJacks past the River Lions 96-93 on Thursday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Ottawa moved to 10-10 as it pursues second place in the East and a bye to the conference semifinals. “I'm really proud of our guys, man. Shorthanded like that, and fighting through everything, the adversity we've been going through. And so to come out like that with a big win on the road against a really good team like this, I'm really proud of our group,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said. Niagara, meanwhile, saw its franchise-record seven-game winning streak come to an end as it fell to 14-6 on the season. In the early going, Ottawa looked like the team with way more to play for as it built a 17-point lead midway through the first quarter. But the River Lions ended the frame on a 10-0 run, then slowly chipped away. After Niagara went up as many as nine points in the fourth, however, it was Ottawa’s turn to fight back. The BlackJacks led 87-86 entering Target Score Time after River Lions guard Kimbal Mackenzie drew a three-point foul when Ottawa tried to initiate a whistle and the final stage of the game. With the clock off, the teams traded scores until both were within three points at 93-all. Then, Ottawa called a timeout, ostensibly to draw up some sort of play. Smart had other ideas. “I told coach nah, I want the ball. It’s game time, I feel like winning,” he told sideline reporter Dhanung Bulsara after the game. “So that’s what I did.” Smart received the ball following an inbounds play well beyond the arc on the left wing. He took one dribble toward River Lions defender Ron Curry, stepped back and launched a three-point heave from his left hip. And in the 100th game of their existence, the BlackJacks picked up perhaps their most thrilling victory. “Smart played a ridiculous game, made a ridiculous shot,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said. DeAveiro added that it was a confidence-boosting win for his troops. “Anytime you [can] play in Niagara and be successful at Niagara, it's quite the accomplishment, so it just gives us more confidence that we can go on the road and be successful on the road. We have to go on the road in the playoffs, so we have to be ready,” DeAveiro said. Smart, who entered the game as the league’s leading scorer with 27 points per game in his first season in the CEBL, now has the Ottawa single-game record — a mark held at 37 solely by teammate Deng Adel since 2022 before Smart tied it himself on July 1. Now, it’s Smart’s all alone. An easy choice as the league’s top newcomer, Smart, the 26-year-old from Baton Rouge, La., played 18 NBA games with the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers before coming to the CEBL this season. The LSU product only joined Ottawa on June 20, but has quickly made his presence known, adding 6.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in addition to his prolific scoring. On Thursday, Smart collected eight assists alongside his 44 points while shooting an efficient 13-for-19 from the field, including six-for-nine from beyond the arc. “I feel good. I feel like everything I put up was going on, so that's the work I put in here [showing],” Smart said. Big man Zane Waterman also pitched in with 20 points and five rebounds, while Tyrrel Tate contributed 12 points off the bench. The game grew increasingly chippy as the minutes wore on, with both teams seemingly unhappy with the officiating. DeAveiro was ejected late in the third quarter after arguing a non-call against Waterman, who also picked up a technical foul on the play. Assistant Matt MacLean took over from DeAveiro on the bench. “I thought there was a lot of fouls today where they weren't being called,” DeAveiro said. “I just had to protect my guys. I was frustrated. You know, I got to be a little bit more mature on that situation, but I was just frustrated.” For Niagara, meanwhile, the game represented its first since clinching the No. 1 seed in the East — and a trip to Championship Weekend — thanks to the BlackJacks’ Tuesday win against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. Yet after falling behind early, the River Lions still fought back. “I mean, did we play with the championship calibre mindset? No, I thought we were a little loose and that's the task that we have in front of us,” head coach Victor Raso said. “That's really difficult right now is that we have to approach these games as if they are as important to us.” Curry paced the River Lions with 23 points, including five triples, to go with four assists. Leading scorer Khalil Ahmad was held relatively in check by a fierce BlackJacks defence, managing just three points in the first half and 12 for the game. Ahmad, who missed all eight of his three-point attempts on the rare off night, became a facilitator instead with seven assists. Mackenzie added 14 points and six rebounds, while forward Nathan Cayo neared a double-double with 13 points and nine boards. Ahmed Hill became the first player in league history with 1,500 regular-season points when he nailed a corner triple late in the first quarter. He finished the game with nine points, four assists and three rebounds. Curry said his team must stay locked in through its final four games of the season. “We just got to be hungry, man. They wanted it a little bit more today. We can't get complacent. We got to stay hungry,” Curry said. The BlackJacks led 26-19 after the first quarter, but by halftime, Ottawa’s lead had shrunk to 44-42. Niagara then took control in the third quarter and claimed a 72-64 advantage heading into the fourth. But Ottawa’s comeback was mounted midway through the final frame as Smart refused to be denied. Then, he put the exclamation point on the win in Target Score Time. Now, the BlackJacks are in the driver’s seat to join Niagara in Winnipeg. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600667 Up Next Ottawa returns home to host the Calgary Surge on Saturday, while Niagara begins a season-ending four-game road trip with a trip to the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Sunday. Next CEBL Action A triple-header Friday begins with an East battle between Brampton and Montreal before a pair of Western Conference matchups including Saskatchewan at Winnipeg and Vancouver at Edmonton. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .  - CEBL -

De retour au jeu après une absence en raison d’une blessure, Zane Waterman n’a rien perdu de son rythme, menant les BlackJacks d’Ottawa à une victoire cruciale de 100-93 contre les Shooting Stars de Scarborough. Cette victoire permet aux BlackJacks de remporter le bris d’égalité face à leurs rivaux provinciaux, un avantage important dans la course à la deuxième place et au droit d’accueillir la demi-finale de conférence de l’Est. Le résultat de mardi confirme également que les River Lions de Niagara termineront premiers dans l’Est et décrocheront automatiquement un laissez-passer pour le week-end du Championnat. Waterman a réussi 14 de ses 17 tirs du match pour conclure la soirée avec 36 points — à un seul point du record de franchise détenu par ses coéquipiers Deng Adel et Javonte Smart. Adel a inscrit cinq points et ajouté 10 passes décisives, tandis que Smart a récolté 22 points et 10 passes décisives pour enregistrer un doublé, en plus de réussir le tir de trois points victorieux pendant la période du pointage cible. Tyrell Tate a également contribué avec 14 points, dont quatre tirs de trois points. « J’avais beaucoup d’énergie parce que j’étais à l’écart depuis un moment, a déclaré Zane Waterman. J’étais un peu essoufflé en première demie, mais beaucoup de crédit revient à mes coéquipiers qui m’ont trouvé sur le terrain. Deng et Javonte ont chacun obtenu 10 passes décisives, donc on a vraiment bien fait circuler le ballon. J’ai juste eu la chance d’être celui qui en a profité ce soir. » Cette performance ne pouvait pas mieux tomber pour les BlackJacks, qui se sont retrouvés à court d’effectif dès la fin du premier quart. Une pièce maîtresse de la défensive, Shakur Daniel, a quitté le match en raison d’une blessure au pied après seulement quelques minutes de jeu, tandis que le meilleur rebondeur de la ligue et deuxième meilleur marqueur de l’équipe, Isaih Moore, a été expulsé après avoir écopé de deux fautes techniques en fin de quart. « On a battu une équipe de qualité aujourd’hui, même avec des joueurs en moins, a souligné l’entraîneur-chef des BlackJacks, Dave DeAveiro. On a retrouvé Zane – c’est un morceau important de notre équipe. Vous avez vu ce qu’il est capable de faire pour nous. Tate a été spectaculaire ce soir. Deng a récolté 10 passes décisives et seulement deux pertes de ballon. Je suis vraiment fier des gars et de la façon dont ils se sont battus, malgré les absences. Les grands joueurs font de grandes actions, et c’est pour ça qu’ils sont dans cette ligue. » Les tirs de trois points ont joué un rôle crucial dans le début de match explosif des BlackJacks d’Ottawa, qui ont commencé la rencontre en feu. Ils ont réussi 61,8 % de leurs tirs en première demie, dont 10 tirs de trois points. Scarborough, de son côté, a connu un départ plus lent, ne réussissant qu’un seul de ses sept premiers tirs de trois points et affichant un pourcentage global de seulement 40,5 % en première demie. Malgré cette différence au niveau de l’efficacité offensive, le match est resté serré pendant une bonne partie de la première demie jusqu’à ce qu’Ottawa enchaîne une séquence de 14-2 pour creuser l’écart en fin de quart et retraiter au vestiaire avec une avance de 58-47. Les Shooting Stars ont répliqué au troisième quart grâce à leurs lancers de trois points. Ils ont réussi cinq de leurs huit tirs de trois points pendant cette période, ce qui leur a permis d’effacer complètement le déficit et de ramener le pointage à égalité avant le quart décisif. Les deux équipes se sont échangé les coups jusqu’à ce qu’Ottawa entre dans la période du pointage cible avec une légère avance de 90-89. C’est alors que Javonte Smart a pris le contrôle du match, inscrivant sept des 10 derniers points de son équipe pour sceller cette importante victoire. « C’était un match très offensif. Je trouve que les deux équipes ont bien joué en attaque, a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef des Shooting Stars, Mike De Giorgio. Il y a eu de grosses performances individuelles. Zane était tout simplement hors de ce monde ce soir. Chapeau à lui, c’était une performance de très haut niveau. Je trouve que notre effort défensif en première demie a été insuffisant. En deuxième, on s’est ajustés. Il y a eu beaucoup de tirs réussis dans ce match, mais ils en ont mis plus que nous en fin de rencontre. » « Il faut garder la tête haute, a-t-il ajouté. Il faut toujours penser au prochain match, à la prochaine action. On ne peut pas rester accrochés à ce qui vient de se passer. On joue de nouveau jeudi. On reprend la route demain et il faut être prêts à jouer contre le Surge de Calgary jeudi soir. C’est une bonne équipe qui s’en vient. On va enfin enfin être de retour à notre domicile. Ça fait un moment qu’on n’a pas joué à la maison. Il faut être prêts pour ce match. » Scarborough a été mené par Donovan Williams, qui a inscrit 29 points, dont cinq tirs de trois points. Aaron Best a ajouté 20 points et sept passes décisives, tandis que le nouveau venu Michael Foster Jr. a enregistré 12 points et 12 rebonds pour un doublé. Terquavion Smith — qui occupait le deuxième rang des meilleurs marqueurs de la ligue derrière Javonte Smart avant la rencontre — a été limité à 14 points, mais a tout de même contribué avec neuf passes décisives. L’un des éléments intrigants avant le match était la présence sur le terrain des trois meilleurs marqueurs de la LECB : Smart, Smith et Williams. Ce dernier a d’ailleurs admis que c’était une motivation supplémentaire en entrant sur le terrain. « Je suis un compétiteur, a affirmé Williams, qui vient tout juste de réintégrer l’équipe après un passage dans la NBA Summer League. Je ne cours pas après les statistiques, mais j’aime toujours les confrontations contre des gars talentueux. Donc j’attendais ce duel avec impatience aujourd’hui. Dommage qu’on ait perdu. » Peu importe l’issue du match de mardi, les deux équipes savaient qu’il était très possible qu’elles se recroisent en séries cette saison. Et même si Dave DeAveiro était heureux de l’emporter cette fois-ci, il n’a pas caché qu’il attendait la prochaine rencontre avec impatience. « Chaque fois qu’on affronte Scarborough, c’est une vraie bataille, a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef des BlackJacks d’Ottawa. Ils sont bien dirigés, ils peuvent marquer beaucoup de points. Mais je reste convaincu que lorsque notre équipe est complète, on est une équipe difficile à battre. C’est probablement plus facile de les affronter à domicile que sur la route. C’est toujours un affrontement de haut niveau. » Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600664 À venir pour les deux équipes Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa prendront la route pour affronter les River Lions de Niagara, leaders de l’Est, le 31 juillet. Les Shooting Stars de Scarborough retournent à la maison pour recevoir le Surge de Calgary, le même jour, dans un match qui lancera une série de quatre rencontres à domicile pour terminer leur saison. Prochain match dans la LECB Les River Lions de Niagara recevront les BlackJacks d’Ottawa lors de leur dernier match à domicile de la saison, le 31 juillet. La rencontre sera diffusée en direct sur CEBL+ et TSN+. Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la LECB 2025 ainsi que les résultats à jour, veuillez visiter cebl.ca/games . - LECB -

Freshly back from a stint on the injured list, Zane Waterman didn’t miss a beat as he led the Ottawa BlackJacks to a crucial 100-93 victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The win clinches the head-to-head tiebreaker for the BlackJacks, giving them a leg up on their provincial rivals in the race for second place and the right to host the Eastern Conference Semifinal. Tuesday’s result also ensures that the Niagara River Lions will finish first in the East and claim the conference’s automatic bye to Championship Weekend. Waterman made 14-of-17 field goals on the night to finish with 36 points – one shy of the franchise record held by teammates Deng Adel and Javonte Smart. The former had five points and 10 assists against Scarborough, while the latter scored 22 points to go with his 10 assists for the double-double, and made the game winning three-pointer in Target Time. Tyrell Tate chipped in with 14 points including four three-pointers. “I had a lot of energy because I was off for a while,” said Waterman. “I kind of lost my wind in the first half, but a lot of the credit goes to my teammates because they found me. Both Deng and Javonte had 10 assists, so we really moved the ball well. I was just lucky to be the one who took advantage of it tonight.” The performance couldn’t have come at a better time for the BlackJacks, who found themselves shorthanded coming out of the first quarter. Key defensive piece Shakur Daniel left with a foot injury just minutes into the game, while league-leading rebounder and the team’s second leading scorer Isaih Moore was ejected with two technical fouls late in the period. “We beat a quality opponent today, shorthanded,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said of his team’s performance. “We had Zane back – he’s a big piece for our team. You saw tonight what Zane can do for us. Tate was spectacular tonight. Deng had 10 assists and two turnovers. Really proud of the guys and the way they competed shorthanded. Big players make big plays, and that’s why they’re in this league.” Three-point shooting was paramount to Ottawa’s early success as they came out shooting red hot. They made 61.8-percent of their field goals in the first half, including 10 shots from beyond the arc. Scarborough was colder out of the gate, only make one of their first seven three-pointers and shooting just 40.5-percent in the first half. Despite the disparity in shooting numbers, it was a tight game for most of the first half until the BlackJacks went on a 14-2 run to pull away late and eventually take a 58-47 lead into halftime. The Shooting Stars made a push in the third quarter thanks to their three-point attack finding some life in the period. They shot 5-of-8 from deep in the quarter to help erase the deficit completely and bring a tie game into the final and deciding quarter. The teams traded blows until Ottawa entered Target Time with the slight 90-89 edge. From there, Smart took over the game, scoring seven of his teams 10 points to secure the big win. “Very offensive game. Both teams I thought played well offensively,” Shooting Stars head coach Mike De Giorgio said. “Some big-time performances. Zane was out of this world tonight. Kudos to him, that’s a big-time game from him. I thought our defensive effort in the first half was poor. Second half we did a better job. A lot of shot making in that game and they made more shots than we did down the stretch.” “You have to keep your head up,” he added. “It’s always next game, next play. You can’t dwell on what happened tonight – we got another game Thursday. We have to drive home tomorrow and be ready to play Thursday night against Calgary. That’s a good team coming in. We’ll finally be back at home. We haven’t been home in a while. So we have to come ready to play that game on Thursday night.” Scarborough was led by Donovan Williams, who had 29 points and five made threes. Aaron Best added 20 points and seven assists, while new addition Michael Foster Jr. had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the double-double. Terquavion Smith – who came into the game second behind Smart in league scoring – was held to 14 points, though he did add nine assists. One of the intriguing headlines coming into the game was the inclusion of the CEBL’s top three scorers in Smart, Smith and Williams. The latter said that was front of mind as he took to the court. “I’m a competitive guy,” said Williams, who recently rejoined the team after a stint in the NBA Summer League. “I’m not stat hunting, but I always like matchups where the guy across from me is really good. So I was looking forward to this matchup today. Just sucks that we lost.” Regardless of what’s Tuesday’s outcome was, both teams knew there was a real possibility that they would eventually meet against this season come playoff time. While DeAveiro was happy to come out on top this time, he said he was looking forward to meeting Scarborough again. “Every time we play Scarborough it’s a battle,” the Ottawa coach said. “They’re well coached, they can score a lot of points. But I still feel confident that anytime we have our full roster, we’re hard to beat. It’s probably a lot easier to play them at home than to play them on the road. It’s always going to be a good matchup.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600664 Up next for both teams The Ottawa BlackJacks hit the road to take on the East-leading Niagara River Lions on July 31. The Scarborough Shooting Stars return home to face the Calgary Surge on July 31 in a game that marks the beginning of their season-ending four game homestand. Next CEBL action The Niagara River Lions play host to the Ottawa BlackJacks in their final home game of the season on July 31. The game will stream live on CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

(Aperçu: Semaine 13) Le 22 août prochain, au Centre Canada Life de Winnipeg, quatre équipes se disputeront une place en grande finale de la LECB 2025. Avec deux semaines restantes à la saison régulière, le portrait des séries commence à se préciser. Sept des huit places en séries sont déjà assurées — mais rappelons que seulement quatre formations atteindront le week-end du Championnat. La dernière place encore disponible est celle dans l’Est, convoitée par les Honey Badgers de Brampton et l’Alliance de Montréal. Tous les signes pointent vers Montréal : leur chiffre magique est un. Une victoire de l’Alliance ou une défaite de Brampton, et les Montréalais seront officiellement en séries. Hasard ou non, les deux clubs s’affrontent justement vendredi à Montréal. L’Alliance arrive à ce match crucial en difficulté, après avoir perdu deux matchs d’affilée et neuf de ses dix derniers. Malgré une brève accalmie en mettant fin à une séquence de sept revers, l’équipe de Jermaine Small semblait avoir repris le rythme vendredi dernier, menant les River Lions de Niagara par huit points durant la période du pointage cible, à seulement deux points de la victoire. Mais les champions en titre ont répliqué avec une séquence de 10-0 pour renverser le match — et Montréal a enchaîné avec une autre défaite contre les Shooting Stars de Scarborough, incapable de convertir dans les dernières possessions. Les Honey Badgers vivent une histoire similaire : ils viennent tout juste d’échapper un match après avoir mené par 23 points… face aux mêmes River Lions. Brampton affiche une fiche de 0-9 sur la route cette saison — et devra absolument gagner à l’étranger pour garder espoir. La semaine s’ouvre mardi avec un affrontement entre Scarborough et les BlackJacks d’Ottawa — un avant-goût potentiel de la demi-finale de l’Est. Bien qu’aucune de ces deux équipes n’ait connu une constance irréprochable, elles ont été plus stables que Montréal et Brampton. Cela dit, ni Ottawa ni Scarborough n’a atteint les sommets des River Lions de Niagara. Une défaite des Shooting Stars mardi assurerait officiellement le premier rang aux champions en titre, qui surfent présentement sur une séquence record de sept victoires. Le véritable défi pour Niagara, désormais, sera de garder cette forme jusqu’à Winnipeg. Une autre victoire — ou une défaite de Scarborough — leur garantirait leur place au week-end du Championnat. Dans l’Ouest, les Bandits de Vancouver, premiers au classement, n’ont pas la vie facile avec les Stingers d’Edmonton et le Surge de Calgary à leurs trousses. Le Surge, surtout, est une vraie bête noire pour les Bandits, ayant remporté les trois duels entre les deux équipes cette saison, y compris une victoire serrée de 98-96 vendredi. Vancouver n’a pourtant que cinq défaites au total cette saison. Mais si Vancouver se faisait rattraper, ce serait tout de même une surprise. Les Bandits peuvent éteindre les minces espoirs d’Edmonton avec une victoire vendredi. Pendant ce temps, Calgary entame une série de trois matchs à l'Est contre Scarborough, Ottawa et Montréal, un véritable test pour évaluer la suprématie de l'Ouest. Un balayage du Surge maintiendrait la pression sur Vancouver, mais une défaite pourrait réduire l'enjeu de la dernière semaine. Winnipeg, quatrième dans l'Ouest, aura également une semaine importante avec des matchs contre les Rattlers de la Saskatchewan (derniers) et les Bandits (premiers de l'Ouest). Les Sea Bears espèrent se positionner comme un prétendant sérieux au titre, plus proche du niveau des Bandits que de celui des Rattlers. Le match contre Vancouver pourrait même offrir un avant-goût de la finale de la conférence de l’Ouest — une place pour la grande finale serait alors en jeu. La fin de la saison se précise, mais comme les remontées spectaculaires de la semaine dernière l'ont prouvé, rien n'est gagné d’avance dans la LECB. Et le week-end du Championnat approche à grands pas. Si les séries débutaient aujourd’hui… Niagara et Winnipeg seraient automatiquement qualifiés pour le week-end du Championnat à titre de têtes de série Vancouver accueillerait la demi-finale de l’Ouest contre le gagnant d’un duel tout albertain (Calgary c. Edmonton) Dans l’Est, Scarborough attendrait le gagnant du match éliminatoire entre Ottawa et Montréal Des records à surveiller Quelques chiffres marquants de la semaine : 2 – Après un match de 26 points dimanche, Ahmed Hill (River Lions) n’est qu’à deux points de devenir le premier joueur de l’histoire de la LECB à atteindre 1 500 points en saison régulière. 7 – Niagara a établi un record de franchise avec sept victoires consécutives. 14 – Scottie Lindsey (Edmonton) a besoin de 14 tirs de trois points en cinq matchs pour battre le record de saison, présentement partagé par Teddy Allen (Winnipeg) et Justin Wright-Foreman (Saskatchewan) depuis 2023. 20 – Jaden Bediako (Saskatchewan) a capté 20 rebonds samedi, égalant le record de la LECB pour un seul match, établi l’an dernier par Treveon Graham (Montréal). 46 – Jameer Nelson Jr. (Calgary) a établi un nouveau record de la ligue avec son 46e vol de la saison. Horaire hebdomadaire (11 matchs) Match #98 – Mardi 29 juillet – SSS à OTT – 19 h 30 (HE) – Aréna de la Place TD (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #99 – Jeudi 31 juillet – OTT à NRL – 19 h (HE) – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #100 – Jeudi 31 juillet – CGY à SSS – 19 h 30 (HE) / 17 h 30 (HR) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #101 – Vendredi 1er août – BHB à MTL – 19 h 30 (HE) – Auditorium de Verdun (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #102 – Vendredi 1er août – SSK à WPG – 19 h 30 (HAC) / 18 h 30 (HNC) / 20 h 30 (HE) – Canada Life Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #103 – Vendredi 1er août – VAN à EDM – 19 h (HR) / 18 h (HP) / 21 h (HE) – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #104 – Samedi 2 août – CGY à OTT – 14 h (HE) / midi (HR) – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #105 – Dimanche 3 août – NRL à SSS – 14 h (HE) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #106 – Dimanche 3 août – SSK à EDM – 16 h (HR/HNC) / 18 h (HE) – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #107 – Dimanche 3 août – WPG à VAN – 17 h (HP) / 19 h (HAC) / 20 h (HE) – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #108 – Lundi 4 août – CGY à MTL – 19 h 30 (HE) / 17 h 30 (HR) – Auditorium de Verdun (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Pour l’horaire complet de la LECB 2025, visitez: cebl.ca/fr-ca/games .

(Preview: Week 13) On Aug. 22 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, four teams will compete for the chance to play in the 2025 CEBL Finals. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, those teams’ identities are starting to come into focus. Seven of eight playoff positions have been locked up — though, of course, only half of those teams will make it all the way to Championship Weekend. Only the East’s final spot is still up for grabs to either the Brampton Honey Badgers or Montreal Alliance. It’s looking like it’ll be the latter — Montreal’s magic number is one, meaning any victory or Brampton loss sends it to the post-season. As it happens, the Alliance’s and Honey Badgers’ next games are against each other on Friday in Montreal. The Alliance enters the matchup reeling, having lost two straight and nine of their last 10. After snapping a seven-game skid, Jermaine Small’s squad looked like it was rounding into form when it led the Niagara River Lions by eight in Target Score Time with just two points left for the win on Friday. Instead, the defending champions stormed back to win on a 10-0 run — and Montreal proceeded to drop its ensuing game against the Scarborough Shooting Stars when it was yet again unable to find a late basket. Brampton’s vibes are similar – the Honey Badgers are coming off a 23-point blown-lead loss to those same River Lions. They have also yet to win on the road, where they are 0-9, and now must do so to keep their hopes alive. The week begins with a Scarborough-Ottawa BlackJacks showdown on Tuesday — a potential preview of the East semifinal. While neither team has managed to sustain momentum, they have been less prone to the valleys of Montreal and Brampton. Then again, their peaks haven’t met those of Niagara either. A Shooting Stars loss in this game would sew up the No. 1 seed for the defending champions, who have won a franchise-record seven straight games. More than anything, the River Lions’ challenge now is to ensure they maintain this form by the time they arrive in Winnipeg — a trip that can be booked with their next win or Scarborough’s next loss. Out west, the top-seeded Vancouver Bandits don’t have it as easy, with the Edmonton Stingers and Calgary Surge each hot on their heels. The Surge, in particular, have been a thorn in the Bandits’ side, sweeping the season series 3-0 after a 98-96 win on Friday. Vancouver has lost just five times all season. Still, it would continue to count as a minor surprise if the Bandits are caught by either Alberta team. The Bandits can stick a dagger in the Stingers’ hopes of a miracle late-season run when they meet on Friday. Meanwhile, Calgary heads east for a three-game road trip against Scarborough, Ottawa and Montreal in what could be a true test of the West’s supremacy. A Surge sweep would keep the pressure on Vancouver, but a stumble could lower the stakes for the final week of the season. Winnipeg, the fourth West playoff team, faces an interesting measuring-stick week itself with games against the last-place Saskatchewan Rattlers and first-place Bandits. The Sea Bears are hoping to emerge feeling closer to the class of the latter than the former. At worst, the Bandits game could provide a sneak peek at a possible West final opponent. If they were to meet again, a trip to the Finals would be on the line. The end game is starting to clarify itself — but, as we saw in multiple wild comebacks over the past week, nothing is guaranteed in the CEBL. And Championship Weekend is drawing ever closer. If the playoffs started today… Niagara would join Winnipeg at Championship Weekend as the top seeds Vancouver would host the West semifinal, facing the winner of a Battle of Alberta play-in game The East’s path to Winnipeg would go through Scarborough after an Ottawa-Montreal play-in game Record breakers Some numbers you should know… 2 – after a 26-point outing Sunday, River Lions guard Ahmed Hill needs just two more to become the first player ever to reach 1,500 for his regular-season career 7 – the River Lions have set a franchise record with their current win streak 14 – Edmonton’s Scottie Lindsey needs two touchdowns’ worth of three-pointers over his final five games to break the single-season record shared by Winnipeg’s Teddy Allen and Saskatchewan’s Justin Wright-Foreman in 2023 20 – Saskatchewan’s Jaden Bediako hauled down 20 rebounds on Saturday to match the CEBL’s single-game record, originally set in 2023 by Montreal’s Treveon Graham 46 – Surge guard Jameer Nelson Jr.’s 46th swipe last week broke the league’s single-season record Weekly schedule (11 games) Game #98 – Tuesday, July 29 – SSS at OTT – 7:30 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #99 – Thursday, July 31 – OTT at NRL – 7 p.m. ET – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #100 – Thursday, July 31 – CGY at SSS – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #101 – Friday, Aug. 1 – BHB at MTL – 7:30 p.m. ET – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #102 – Friday, Aug. 1 – SSK at WPG – 7:30 p.m. CDT / 6:30 p.m. CST / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #103 – Friday, Aug. 1 – VAN at EDM – 7 p.m. MT / 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #104 – Saturday, Aug. 2 – CGY at OTT – 2 p.m. ET / noon MT – The Arena at TD Place (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #105 – Sunday, Aug. 3 – NRL at SSS – 2 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #106 – Sunday, Aug. 3 – SSK at EDM – 4 p.m. MT/CST / 6 p.m. ET – Edmonton Expo Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #107 – Sunday, Aug. 3 – WPG at VAN – 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CDT / 8 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #108 – Monday, Aug. 4 – CGY at MTL – 7:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. MT – Verdun Auditorium (RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .

The former Vancouver and Montreal guard has averaged 12.2 points and 4.3 rebounds over 20 career CEBL games

Donovan Williams s’est enflammé en période du pointage cible pour mener les Shooting Stars de Scarborough à une victoire de 94-89 contre l’Alliance de Montréal, dimanche après-midi. L’Alliance a failli réussir une remontée spectaculaire devant ses partisans à l’Auditorium de Verdun, mais Williams avait gardé ses tirs de trois points pour la fin, réussissant deux tirs consécutifs du centre-ville pour clore la rencontre, dont un tir victorieux en réponse au puissant dunk à deux mains du capitaine montréalais Quincy Guerrier. Guerrier l’a défendu de près, mais le tir confiant de Williams derrière l’arc a permis aux Shooting Stars de l’emporter 94-89, faisant taire la foule montréalaise. Williams a terminé la rencontre avec un sommet d’équipe de 24 points, avec une efficacité de huit en quinze. Ce tir décisif a eu d’autant plus d’impact qu’il permet à Scarborough de dépasser les BlackJacks d’Ottawa au deuxième rang dans l’Est. Plus tôt dans la journée, une défaite de Brampton a officiellement confirmé la place en séries de Scarborough et Ottawa. Les Shooting Stars ont maintenant une fiche de deux victoires et une défaite face à Montréal cette saison. Fait intéressant : Anthony Walker de Scarborough jouait pour Montréal lors de leur dernier affrontement. Scarborough a récemment ajouté Aaron Best et Michael Foster à son effectif. Foster, à son premier match, a inscrit douze points et capté huit rebonds, tout en imposant sa présence dans la clé. « Il est débarqué de l’avion, nous a donné une énergie incroyable… il a été un vrai pilier pour nous en fin de match, a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef Mike De Giorgio. Il a fait tout ce qu’on lui a demandé aujourd’hui. » Le match a tenu les champions NBA Bennedict Mathurin et Lu Dort, présents dans les gradins, au bout de leur siège. Montréal a frappé en premier en prenant une avance de quinze points dès le premier quart. Scarborough a rapidement inversé la tendance, mais l’Alliance a retrouvé son rythme avant la mi-temps. Les choses se sont compliquées pour Montréal au troisième quart, qu’ils ont perdu 28 à 13. Scarborough a alors commencé à attaquer le panier sans relâche, obtenant de nombreuses fautes et séjours sur la ligne des lancers francs. Montréal a réussi quelques arrêts consécutifs et a continué à se battre, mais une pénétration de Walker sur la ligne de fond, suivie d'une passe à Foster qui a coupé vers le panier, a permis au Surge de prendre une avance de neuf points. Terquavion Smith a été un élément clé de cette victoire, terminant le match avec 21 points, huit rebonds et neuf passes décisives. Il a souvent répondu aux efforts de Tavian Dunn-Martin, anéantissant les espoirs de remontée de Montréal. L’entraîneur-chef de l’Alliance, Jermaine Small, a souligné que la dépendance excessive aux tirs de trois points dans le troisième quart leur a coûté cher. « Il ne faut pas se contenter de tirs de trois points. Je pense qu’on en a tenté huit d’affilée, ce n’est clairement pas dans notre plan de match, a-t-il dit. Pour sortir de cette mauvaise séquence, il fallait miser davantage sur notre défense que sur notre attaque. » Même après un tir de trois points de Jaden Campbell et un lay-up de Best qui ont porté l’avance de Scarborough à douze au quatrième quart, Montréal n’a jamais cessé d’y croire. Dans une dernière poussée, Guerrier a réussi un hook shot, un tir de trois points, puis a suivi son propre tir raté de loin pour marquer près du panier. Guerrier et Dunn-Martin ont combiné pour 54 des 89 points de Montréal. TDM (28 points et huit passes décisives) a sauvé son équipe à maintes reprises, mais un tir de trois points tardif de Michael Diggins a permis à l’Alliance de revenir à quatre points avant la période du pointage cible. Scarborough a poussé un soupir de soulagement aujourd’hui, alors qu’ils avaient raté leur chance de se qualifier en séries lors de leur dernier revers contre les Honey Badgers de Brampton. Cette victoire met fin à une séquence de deux défaites consécutives. Montréal, de son côté, présente une fiche d’une victoire et cinq défaites à ses six derniers matchs. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600657 À venir pour les deux équipes Les Shooting Stars de Scarborough (9-10) prendront la route vers l’est pour affronter les BlackJacks d’Ottawa (8-10) à la Place TD dans l’unique match de la LECB présenté mardi, le 29 juillet. L’Alliance de Montréal (7-12) accueillera les Honey Badgers de Brampton (5-15) à l’Auditorium de Verdun le vendredi 1er août. Prochain match dans la LECB Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa (8-10) recevront les Shooting Stars de Scarborough (9-10) à la Place TD dans l’unique match de la LECB présenté mardi, le 29 juillet. Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB ainsi que les résultats à jour, visitez le cebl.ca/games . - LECB -

A dominant performance from Simi Shittu against his former team pushed the Winnipeg Sea Bears past the Calgary Surge 79-78 at WinSport Event Centre on Sunday (July 27). The Winnipeg big man notched 28 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in the defensive battle, including the game-winner and a clutch rejection in Target Score Time. “It was personal,” Shittu said. “They kind of shouted us out in the media … but at the end of the day, we're a whole new team, a whole different vibe, so we wanted to come in and show everybody that we’re here in the CEBL and ready to play.” The final regular-season meeting between the Western Conference rivals yielded a back-and-forth showdown with a playoff atmosphere. Trailing by as much as eight in Target Score Time after entering the final stretch with the lead, Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor credited defensive stops and rebounding with the comeback. “In the beginning [of Target Score Time], we weren't very efficient, and we dug a hole for ourselves. And then it was just no quit,” Taylor said. Calgary had a dozen chances to win the game in Target Score Time, including a pair of free throws, but came away empty-handed and had its four-game winning streak snapped. Head coach Kaleb Canales said it was a “grind-it-out” game that the Surge were in a position to win, but failed to get the job done. “[It’s a] hard lesson, but we got to learn from it, and we got to move on. All these games are important,” Canales said. While Shittu was an interior force for the Sea Bears, Surge big man Greg Brown III battled throughout the game with a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double of his own. Calgary guard Evan Gilyard Jr. was a handful with 26 points as well, while Jameer Nelson Jr. added 14 points and made league history with a pair of steals. In his second game back from NBA Summer League, Nelson Jr. set a CEBL single-season steals record with 46, surpassing Lloyd Pandi’s 44 with Ottawa from last season. Canales said Nelson Jr.’s anticipation and feel for the game have allowed him to reach the milestone. “He cares about playing defence, which is rare … it just speaks to his approach and his professionalism,” Canales said. Calgary struggled offensively on Sunday, finishing at just 35 per cent from the floor and 19 per cent from long range. Winnipeg came away better at 41 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from three, but shot 50 per cent from the free-throw line. The Sea Bears also took advantage of 19 Surge turnovers, outscoring their opponents 22-11 in the points-from-turnovers category. Gilyard Jr. said the energy was off for the Surge on Sunday. “We just got to stay together, stay even keel and … weather the storm to win the game. I don't feel like we did that today,” he said. The Surge and Sea Bears both started the game hot behind the arc. The Western Conference rivals traded trifectas early, with Gilyard and Scott each hitting a pair in the opening 10 minutes. As the first quarter progressed, defence emerged as the focal point and Nelson Jr. snagged his record-breaking steal. Winnipeg took a 22-18 lead into the second quarter, and the game stayed close throughout the frame. Shittu was a force inside for Winnipeg, as well as showcasing his range with a three. The Surge seized the lead and forced Taylor into a timeout after a massive dunk from Brown III, set up by Nelson Jr., who just lost a shoe. In the final minutes of the half, Winnipeg and Calgary traded leads multiple times. A Jalen Harris layup carried the Sea Bears into the locker room with a 42-41 advantage. After Nelson Jr. regained the lead for Calgary with the first bucket of the second half, Winnipeg took control for the bulk of the quarter. Timely threes from the Sea Bears extended their advantage, with a Shittu triple providing Winnipeg its largest lead at nine. However, Gilyard and Brown III willed the Surge back into the game. Gilyard scored six consecutive points for Calgary, highlighted by an ankle-breaking take that resulted in a pair of free throws. Brown III then sparked the Surge defence with a rejection before closing the third with five straight points to tie the game. Shittu and Brown III duelled in the early stages of the fourth, leaving their teams two points apart heading into Target Score Time. Winnipeg had the 70-68 advantage in a race to 79. Calgary looked poised for its fifth straight win early in the final stretch. Gilyard and Brown III led the Surge on a 10-1 run to start Target Score Time, putting the home team one point away from victory. However, the Sea Bears locked in on defence and mounted a comeback. Shittu delivered clutch plays on both ends, rejecting a Sean Miller-Moore dunk attempt to win the game and finishing the game-winning layup on the other end. Winnipeg avoided a regular-season series sweep after losing the first three meetings with Calgary. No more matchups are scheduled between the two teams this season, but Winnipeg hosts Championship Weekend and Calgary is locked into a playoff spot. “We know there’s some great teams in the league. Calgary is one of them – they could very well be at Championship Weekend – they've played like a championship-level team all year,” Taylor said. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600660 Up next for both teams Calgary hits the road for a visit to Scarborough on Thursday (July 31) while Winnipeg returns home for a matchup with Saskatchewan on Friday (Aug. 1). Next CEBL action Scarborough visits Ottawa on Tuesday (July 29) as the two squads jostle for playoff position in the Eastern Conference. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Donovan Williams heated up in Target Time to lead the Scarborough Shooting Stars to a 94-89 win over the Montreal Alliance on Sunday. The Alliance nearly pulled off a comeback in front of their hometown fans at Verdun Auditorium. Williams, however, saved his three-point shooting for the end, hitting back-to-back triples to close out the game, including a game-winning answer to Montreal captain Quincy Guerrier’s emphatic two-handed dunk. Guerrier stuck on him like glue, but Williams’ confident downtown stroke gave Scarborough a 94-89 victory and silenced the Montreal crowd. Williams finished with a team-high 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting. Williams’ game-winning three had an even bigger impact today as it helped Scarborough pull ahead of the Ottawa BlackJacks for second place in the East. A Brampton loss earlier in the day sealed a playoff berth for both Scarborough and Ottawa. Scarborough is 2-1 in their meetings with Montreal this season, and Scarborough’s Anthony Walker played on the opposing team when the two teams last met. Scarborough recently added Aaron Best and Michael Foster. Foster had 12 points and eight rebounds in his debut game and provided inside presence. “He came off the plane, gave us great energy … was a real rock for us down the stretch,” head coach Mike De Giorgio said. “He did everything we asked him to do today.” The exciting Sunday afternoon game kept NBA champions Bennedict Mathurin and Lu Dort - in attendance - on the edge of their seats. Montreal punched first in the game, getting up to an early 15-point lead in the first quarter. Scarborough quickly turned the tide in their favour, but Montreal regained their momentum by halftime. Montreal, however, fell into a hole in the third quarter, losing 28-13. Scarborough started to relentlessly attack the rim, which gave them frequent trips to the free throw line. Montreal got some consecutive stops and kept fighting back, but a baseline drive by Walker and his ensuing pass out to a cutting Foster gave Scarborough a nine-point lead. Terquavion Smith was pivotal, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. He was often an answer to Tavian Dunn-Martin and dashed Montreal’s hopes of a comeback. Montreal head coach Jermaine Small said that overreliance on three-point shooting in the third contributed to them being in a hole. “Not settling for three-pointers. I think we took eight straight, that’s definitely not in the game plan,” he said. He added that the most important part of getting out of that rut was “relying more on our defence than our offense.” Even after a Jaden Campbell three and Best’s layup pushed Scarborough’s lead up to 12 in the fourth, Montreal kept fighting back. In a last-ditch effort, Guerrier made a hook shot, hit a three, followed his own missed three-pointer and scored at the basket. Guerrier and Dunn-Martin combined for 54 of Montreal’s 89 points. TDM (28 points and eight assists) bailed his team out countless times, but Michael Diggins’ three late in the game helped Montreal inch within four points heading into Target Time. Scarborough was relieved today after failing to punch their ticket to the playoffs earlier in a loss against the Brampton Honey Badgers. Their win today ended a two-game losing streak. Montreal is now 1-5 in the last six games. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600657 Up next for both teams The Scarborough Shooting Stars (9-10) head east to face the Ottawa BlackJacks (8-10) at TD Place in CEBL’s lone Tuesday game on July 29. The Montreal Alliance (7-12) host the Brampton Honey Badgers (5-15) at Verdun Auditorium on Friday, August 1. Next CEBL action The Ottawa BlackJacks (8-10) host the Scarborough Shooting Stars (9-10) at TD Place in CEBL’s lone Tuesday game on July 29. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -