Don’t call it a learning curve. Call it an arrival. The Edmonton Stingers travelled to Polideportivo, Alexis Aguello, Nicaragua to represent the CEBL and Canada and pulled off the upset in their Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA) debut with an 84-81 victory over Real Estelí.
Trahson Burrell led the Stingers in scoring, rebounding and playmaking with a team-high 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Ismael Romero countered for Estelí with a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds.
“We’ve only been together for about maybe a week practicing and we just clashed together like we’ve been together all season. I just think it’s an amazing thing for us. Tomorrow we’ll come out with the same energy and same intensity,” Burrell said.
Celebrations will need to be short lived as the Stingers are back in action tomorrow against Cangrejeros from Puerto Rico. Despite the quick turnaround, Monday’s victory marks a momentous feat in Canadian basketball history. With the win, the Stingers became the first Canadian professional basketball team to win a BCLA contest for the CEBL.
The Stingers were facing tough opponents in Real Estelí, who became Liga Superio De Baloncesto (LSB) champions after emerging as BCLA finalists last year. Not only were the Stingers playing in front of a raucous hometown crowd, but shortly prior to tip-off it was announced that former New Jersey Nets starter and 2006 NBA draft selection Josh Boone had suffered a groin injury in warmup that would prevent him from playing.
Despite having less than a week of training camp, being comprised of eight newcomers to the Stingers, and being down a centre in Boone, Edmonton came out firing. Former Hamilton Honey Badger Murphy Burnatowski registered the first points in the Stingers’ BCLA history by calmly stroking a left-handed corner three-pointer, only to hit another two three-pointers in the opening quarter to help Edmonton wage an early 21-15 lead.
Keeping pace for Estelí was Romero, who quickly made an impression on Canadians watching from abroad on CEBL+ , cbcsports.ca and CBC Gem by hammering home dunk after dunk throughout the first half.
The Stingers committed 14 turnovers in the contest. Throughout the game, it seemed like anytime Estelí got out on the fast-break that the hometown favourites might have a shot at regaining the lead, but poor shooting from three-point territory limited the effectiveness of the Nicaraguan powerhouse. Estelí shot just 3-of-12 from three in the first-half, which helped a short-handed Stingers roster take a 42-38 lead into the second half.
However, Estelí would not go quietly. Former NBA journeyman Renaldo Balkman feasted on the offensive glass, corralling seven offensive boards in support of his game-high 13 rebounds. Burnatowski, 2021 Ottawa BlackJacks centre, Chad Posthumus and Guelph Nighthawks vet Olu Famutimi inherited the tall task of trying to contain Romero.
The bruising forward was a force to be reckoned with and the only saving grace for the Stingers was his poor free throw shooting. Romero hit just 7-of-12 from the line, while Burnatowski, Famutimi and Posthumus all managed to remain in the game with four fouls each.
Roughly two months shy of his 38th birthday, Famutimi came up big for Stingers head coach and general manager Jermaine Small. A former Canada Basketball mainstay, Famutimi scored the final five points of the third quarter for the Stingers, just as marksman Javier Mojica was finding his groove.
“We knew it was going to be a close game. Possession by possession, we fought through some adversity and I said to the guys that they should expect it to be that kind of game,” Small said. “I thought that everyone contributed. Also, I thought we bent a little bit, but we never broke and I think that’s very important in a game like this.”
Famutimi contributed 17 crucial minutes off the bench and scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
The game’s closing moments were not without its share of drama. Estelí clawed back to within two-points following a late three-pointer by Mojica. Burrell stepped to the line with a chance to ice the game for the Stingers, only to go 0-for-2 from the stripe under the pressure of thousands of fans ushering their team to a potential comeback.
Despite the fanfare, Estelí was unable to inch out a victory after Jezreel De Jesus was unable to hit a potential game-tying three-pointer.
The Stingers take on Cangrejeros tomorrow, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. CT (8:30 p.m. ET). Estelí will meet Cangrejeros in its next matchup on Dec. 15.