Surge Add NBA-Experienced Swingman Pickett

The American forward averaged 16.8 points and 9.7 rebounds in six games with Saskatchewan last summer

Copeland returns to Vancouver after averaging 15.0 points and 3.3 assists in 22 games with the Bandits last season

T he Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) are pleased to announce that they will be celebrating the career achievements and community initiatives of Michael Linklater on July 5 when the team hosts the Ottawa BlackJacks at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, proudly presented by Sheron Lau of Research Capital Group. In collaboration with the Province of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Rattlers declare July 5 as “Michael Linklater Day” in Saskatchewan. Linklater is a leader for indigenous youth, basketball, and community in Saskatchewan; his work has expanded world-wide, and he continues to develop and foster community through Sohkisiwin Solutions . As the co-founder of Sohkisiwin Solutions, they bridge the gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous groups. “This is unbelievable! I am truly humbled and extremely grateful by this incredible recognition,” said Michael Linklater. “I give thanks to my grandparents, Maria and late Walter Linklater for inspiring me to always help others through their lifetime of supporting those in need. I am grateful to my children for continuously making me a better person. I want to share this recognition with the entire community who work tirelessly to make this world a better place. Thank you!” Linklater is a Nehiyaw (Cree) father, descending from the Thunderchild First Nation, located in Treaty 6 Territory. He won the first ever National Championship for both the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Rattlers in the inaugural season of the CEBL. He played for the Canadian National team at the FIBA 3X3 World Cup. Michael is the Recipient of numerous awards which include; Inductee into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame and the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal, Indspire Laureate, the National Tom Longboat Award, Canadian Sport Award for Inclusion, and the Saskatchewan CBC Future 40 under 40. Outside of basketball, he is the Founder of the International Campaign Boys with Braids. Michael was invited by Dr. Jill Biden to attend the first ever Reception at the White House that celebrated Native American Heritage month. He is the Co-chair of the Early Learning Equal Start Campaign, which aims to raise $20M for early childhood education. He also serves as a member of the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame selection committee, Toronto Raptors Indigenous advisory circle, also served on the FIBA 3X3 Commission. Linklater is a professional speaker with over 24 years of experience. Most recently, Linklater appeared as an analyst during the 2024 Paris Olympics for 3x3 Basketball where he appeared alongside numerous indigenous voices during the Summer Olympics. As contestants of Amazing Race Canada, Linklater and his son, Amari, competed across Canada representing Thunderchild First Nation. “Thrilled to share in honouring Michael Linklater and all of his accomplishments,” said Rattlers President, Lee Genier. “He is truly a great inspiration to us all. We very much look forward to celebrating Michael Linklater Day.” The Rattlers look to celebrate Michael Linklater’s career and the work that he continues to do for the community for “Michael Linklater Night” on Saturday July 5 at SaskTel Centre which will feature appearances from his colleagues, peers, and community members. The event will happen about a week after the Rattlers “First Nations Night” presented by Dakota Dunes Community Development Corporation on Thursday June 26 at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The Rattlers have hosted an indigenous celebration night every season since their inaugural season in 2019. Tickets for “First Nations Night” on June 26 and “Michael Linklater Night” on July 5 are available now through Ticketmaster starting at $20 for single game tickets, with additional group pricing discounts available through bulk purchases. Premium seat options are available including VIP tables, Luxury Suites, and the Rattlers Courtside Lounge. All tickets options can also be purchased through the Rattlers Front Office in Downtown Saskatoon (306) 244-2181, Saskatchewan Rattlers website , or via Ticketmaster . For more seating options, and partnership opportunities; fans can contact a member of the Rattlers Front Office . The 2025 schedule has been released, which features a new 24-game slate. The 2025 CEBL Playoffs are scheduled to begin Thursday, August 14 with the Conference Play-In games, followed by the Conference Semifinals on Saturday, August 16. The winners will advance to CW25 to join the Winnipeg Sea Bears (host team) and the top-ranked team from the Eastern Conference who are automatically seeded into the Conference Finals. The full playoff schedule with tipoff times will be announced at a later date. General public and returning season ticket members can claim their seats for the entire Rattlers 2025 season by using Account Manager . All tickets can also be purchased through the Rattlers Front Office (306) 244-2181, Saskatchewan Rattlers website , or via Ticketmaster . Flex Ticket Bundles can be purchased online or at the Rattlers Front Office , which features a minimum of four-tickets in any section with a bonus gift card to Moxies. Single game tickets are available now via Ticketmaster . For more seating options, suites, and group rates; fans can contact an account executive . ### About the Saskatchewan Rattlers The Saskatchewan Rattlers are Saskatchewan’s professional basketball team, one of the six original teams in the CEBL – the Rattlers won the 2019 inaugural season championship. Playing out of SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – the Rattlers offer an entertainment-focused environment surrounded by some of the world’s top professional athletes. The Rattlers are a community-first organization and take pride in their ability to bring communities together while making sport more accessible to the province.

La revanche a un goût particulièrement doux pour les Shooting Stars de Scarborough. Après avoir encaissé une défaite de 20 points face à L’Alliance de Montréal la semaine dernière au Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, Scarborough a renversé la vapeur mercredi soir à l’Auditorium de Verdun, l’emportant de manière convaincante par la marque de 101 à 73. Les Shooting Stars (fiche de 5-4) passent maintenant au-dessus de la barre des ,500, tandis que L’Alliance (4-3) subit une troisième défaite de suite. Montréal n’a pas gagné depuis sa victoire contre Scarborough — une séquence qui semble déjà lointaine après un retour à domicile suivant un voyage de trois matchs sur la route (fiche de 1-2). « Il vient d’ouvrir le cœur de Montréal ! » s’est exclamé Moe Khan à la description, alors que Cat Barber a pris Kevin Osawe de vitesse en 1 contre 1 pour terminer au cercle, sans aucune contestation. Malcolm Duvivier ne pouvait pas aider, trop préoccupé par Terquavion Smith, qui faisait ses débuts avec Scarborough. Anthony Walker est resté campé dans la clé, trop loin dans la zone restreinte. Ce panier a porté l’avance à 19 points. Ce tir de Barber au troisième quart a été le début de la fin : l’écart a gonflé jusqu’à 30 points lors du dernier quart. L’Alliance est demeurée sans point pendant les quatre dernières minutes et 20 secondes du troisième quart. C’est à ce moment que Scarborough a entamé sa dissection à cœur ouvert, recevant des contributions importantes du banc, notamment de Khalil Miller. « C’est une victoire d’équipe. Tout le monde a contribué en attaque comme en défense, » a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef Mike De Giorgio. « Quand tu réussis un match comme ça, surtout sur la route, tu peux être fier. » Miller a inscrit 14 points en réussissant six de ses neuf tirs. Il a marqué un tir en suspension à mi-distance, suivi d’un tir de trois points de Barber qui a donné huit points d’avance aux Shooting Stars. Un peu plus tard, Miller a marqué sur une coupe de fond pour porter l’écart à 12. En défense, il a réussi un énorme bloc en aide du côté faible, puis a enchaîné avec un tir de trois points du coin, creusant l’écart à 15. De Giorgio avait presque prédit la suite à la mi-temps : « Il faut gérer nos propres séquences et les faire durer aussi longtemps que possible. On doit garder notre énergie bien haute. » Cette énergie a propulsé Scarborough vers une domination totale dans la deuxième moitié du troisième quart. Joirdon Nicholas est devenu le cinquième joueur des Shooting Stars à atteindre la dizaine de points, avec 11 points parfaits (5 en 5) et six rebonds. Manny Diressa a marqué deux tirs de trois points, punissant Tavian Dunn-Martin pour être passé sous l’écran, et son deuxième tir longue distance a poussé l’avance à 26 points, après que Dunn-Martin ait eu du mal à suivre à travers les écrans. Le trio composé de Barber, Hason Ward et Terquavion Smith a été le moteur des Shooting Stars. Barber et Ward ont chacun terminé avec un doublé : Barber avec 12 points et 11 passes décisives, Ward avec 16 points et 10 rebonds. Smith a été le meilleur marqueur du match avec 26 points. Malgré l’écart final, L’Alliance a offert à plus de 2 500 partisans une première demie divertissante, ponctuée de jeux spectaculaires en début de troisième quart. Tavian Dunn-Martin, discret en première demie, a démontré pourquoi on l’appelle parfois Tavian Doesn’t Miss. Il a livré le jeu le plus électrisant de la soirée : une percée fulgurante dans la clé, suivie d’un pirouette-spin et d’un panier qui a réduit l’écart à trois points. Un peu plus tard, il a battu Danilo Djuricic avec un changement de direction avant de finir du revers de la main droite, côté gauche du panier, pour encore s’approcher à trois points. Quincy Guerrier a été une présence fiable (14 points, six rebonds), avec notamment un bloc en poursuite impressionnant pendant que Dunn-Martin devait défendre à un 3 contre 1, mais les jeux spectaculaires de Dunn-Martin ont été de courte durée, et l’élan s’est rapidement éteint. L’Alliance avait pourtant entamé une poussée de 9-0 au deuxième quart pour effacer un retard, atteignant la mi-temps presque à égalité. Mais dès que Scarborough a lancé sa plus grosse séquence de la soirée, Montréal a goûté à la médecine qu’il avait lui-même administrée une semaine plus tôt. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600597 Prochains matchs pour les deux équipes L’Alliance de Montréal prendra la route vers l’Ouest pour un court voyage d’un match, alors qu’elle affrontera les River Lions de Niagara (fiche de 6-3) ce vendredi 20 juin. Les Shooting Stars de Scarborough (5-4), de leur côté, seront de retour à la maison pour accueillir les BlackJacks d’Ottawa (2-6), également vendredi. Prochains affrontements dans la LECB Le Surge de Calgary (7-2), deuxième meilleure équipe de la LECB, recevra ses rivaux provinciaux, les Stingers d’Edmonton (4-6), au Westerner Park Centrium demain. Edmonton voudra prendre sa revanche, après une défaite crève-cœur de 86-84 subie lors du match d’ouverture de la saison au Edmonton EXPO Centre. Pour consulter l’horaire complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB et les résultats à jour, visitez le site cebl.ca/games . - LECB -

Revenge is the sweetest joy for Scarborough. They lost to Montreal by 20 points at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre last week, but then beat them by 28 points on Wednesday night at Verdun Auditorium. 101-73 was the final score. The Scarborough Shooting Stars now sit above .500 with a 5-4 record. Montreal (4-3) has now lost three straight games, and have not won a game since it defeated Scarborough. They recently came back from a 1-2 road trip. “He just opened up the heart of Montreal!” said play-by-play commentator Moe Khan emphatically as Scarborough’s Cat Barber took Montreal’s point-of-attack defender Kevin Osawe off the dribble and nobody could contest his lay-up. Malcolm Duviver couldn’t tag as he had to keep a close eye on Scarborough’s Terquavion Smith, who had his debut game today. Montreal’s Anthony Walker stayed home, too far deep into the restricted area, and that bucket pushed the lead to 19 points. Barber’s third quarter lay-up was the beginning of the end as the lead ballooned to 30 points in the final frame. Montreal went scoreless in the last four minutes and 20 seconds of the third quarter. That’s when Scarborough started its open heart surgical procedure, seeing contributions from bench player Khalil Miller. “That was a team win. Everybody contributed offensively and defensively,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said. “When you can put something like that, especially on the road, you gotta feel proud of that.” In the third, Miller, who had 14 points on six-for-nine shooting, hit a mid-range jumper, followed by Cat Barber’s three-pointer, which pushed the lead up to eight. Miller scoring later on baseline cut pushed the lead up to 12 points. On the defensive end, he had a huge block as a backline help defender, and then hit a corner three to make it a 15-point game. De Giorgio showed clairvoyance as he uttered these words at halftime. “We gotta weather our own runs and sustain them for as long as we can,” he said. “So we gotta keep our energy up nice and high.” Scarborough’s run in the second half of the third quarter propelled them to a huge victory. Joirdon Nicholas was the fifth Shooting Star to score in double digits (11 points on a perfect five-for-five shooting and six boards). Manny Diressa hit two triples – he made Tavian Dunn-Martin pay for going under on the screen, and his second one pushed the lead to 26 after Dunn-Martin had a hard time chasing him around the screen. The tripartite of Barber, Hason Ward, and Smith was the centrepiece of Scarborough’s win. Barber and Ward finished with a double-double; Barber with 12 points and 11 assists, and Ward with 16 points and 10 boards. Smith led all scorers with 26 points. While the final score showed a lopsided performance, Montreal gave its 2,500-plus fans an entertaining first half with some highlight reel plays at the start of the third quarter. Despite a slow first half for Dunn-Martin, he showed why he’s Tavian Doesn’t Miss. He had the night’s most electrifying play – blazing into the lane, spinning like a pirouette, and scoring to inch within three points. He later crossed over Danilo Djuricic and finished a right-handed lay-up on the left side of the bucket to inch within three again. Quincy Guerrier was a reliable presence (game total 14 points and six boards), and had a big chase down block while Dunn-Martin was left to guard 3-on-1. But Dunn-Martin’s highlight plays were a flash in the pan, and the momentum quickly fizzled out. Montreal spent the second quarter catching up after letting their lead slide. They went on a 9-0 run, and at halftime, the game was near parity. However, once they got punched in the mouth in Scarborough's biggest run of the game, Montreal was getting a taste of what it gave Scarborough last week. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600597 Up next for both teams Montreal will head back out west for a one-game road trip to face the Niagara River Lions (6-3) on Friday, June 20th. Scarborough (5-4) will return back to the Ends to host the Ottawa BlackJacks (2-6) on the same day. Next CEBL action The second-best team in the CEBL, Calgary Surge (7-2), will host their provincial rivals, Edmonton Stingers (4-6), at Westerner Park Centrium tomorrow. Edmonton will be looking for revenge as Calgary took home the victory, 86-84, at Edmonton EXPO Centre in the season opener. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

The Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday that they have signed American point guard Terquavion Smith. The 6-foot-4 guard most recently played with Rip City during the 2023–24 season, where he appeared in 16 games and averaged 3.3 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in just 5.3 minutes per game. Smith scored a season-high 17 points against the Long Island Nets on February 3, 2024, shooting 45.5% from the field and 37.1% from three. A product of North Carolina State University, Smith played two seasons for the Wolfpack, averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 32.6 minutes per game through 66 collegiate contests. In his freshman year (2021–22), he posted 16.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and notched 11 performances with 20+ points, including a 34-point showing against North Carolina. As a sophomore, Smith added three 30-point games to his resume and recorded over 30 double-digit scoring efforts, displaying dynamic playmaking and two-way ability. Smith brings NCAA and pro-level experience and will look to provide energy and scoring off the bench as Scarborough pushes into the heart of the 2025 campaign. The Scarborough Shooting Stars recently completed a two-game road trip, falling to Calgary 94–80 on June 15 after earning a 101–93 victory over Saskatchewan on June 13. They face Montreal on the road tonight (June 18) before returning home to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre for two special games this weekend. On Friday, June 20 at 7:30 PM, the team hosts the Ottawa BlackJacks for Scarborough Business Association Night, which will feature a pre-game mixer open to ticket holders who RSVP. Then on Sunday, June 22 at 2:00 PM, the Shooting Stars take on the Niagara River Lions for Filipinos in the 6ix’s Mabuhay Cup Celebration. Visit scarboroughshootingstars.ca for tickets, schedule, and team information. About the CEBL A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its rosters being Canadian and more than 10 players with NBA game experience in 2025. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. More than 20 players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by Tonybet, TSN , TSN+ , RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube . ###

The University of Texas product and Canadian National Team guard appeared in six games last summer with Vancouver.

Les partisans de basketball à Red Deer, Alberta, auront droit à tout un spectacle jeudi. La Bataille de l’Alberta se transporte au centre de la province alors que les Stingers d’Edmonton affrontent le Surge de Calgary au Westerner Park Centrium de Red Deer (19 h 30 HR / 21 h 30 HE, LECB+, TSN+). Il s’agit du tout premier match de la LECB disputé à Red Deer, et tout indique que ce sera un affrontement électrisant. Les Stingers arrivent forts de deux victoires à leurs trois derniers matchs, propulsés par un duo de meneurs en feu : Sean East II et Scottie Lindsey. East II, recrue de la LECB, s’impose déjà comme un sérieux candidat au titre de joueur par excellence. Il occupe le troisième rang au chapitre des points par match (24,4) tout en menant la ligue avec un impressionnant 52,8 % de réussite au tir de trois points (minimum de sept tentatives). De son côté, Lindsey, vétéran de trois saisons dans la ligue, commence à trouver son rythme à Edmonton. À 29 ans, il a enchaîné trois matchs consécutifs de 20 points, après un début de saison plus discret. Durant cette séquence, il a réussi 13 de ses 29 tirs de trois points, offrant ainsi une option offensive complémentaire à East II. Malgré tout, avec une fiche de quatre victoires et six défaites, les Stingers sont déjà engagés dans une lutte serrée pour une place en séries éliminatoires dans l’Ouest, surtout que le Surge de Calgary trônent parmi les deux premières positions avec une fiche de sept victoires et deux défaites. Calgary se classe troisième au classement général pour les points marqués et concédés, tout en dominant la ligue au chapitre des rebonds et des vols par match; des indicateurs d’une équipe bien équilibrée. Tout comme les Stingers, le Surge s’appuient sur un duo formé d’un jeune et d’un vétéran : Greg Brown III et Sean Miller-Moore. Brown III, à sa première saison dans la LECB, mène son équipe avec 20,3 points et 8,1 rebonds par match, tandis que Miller-Moore, à sa troisième saison avec Calgary, le suit de près avec 19,6 points par match. Calgary a battu Edmonton 86-84 lors du match d’ouverture, leur seul affrontement en saison régulière cette saison. Le chapitre II se jouera donc à Red Deer. Une autre journée à cinq matchs Le 6 juin, pour la première fois de l’histoire de la LECB, les dix équipes ont joué le même jour. Et voilà que ça se répète, un peu plus de deux semaines plus tard. Le dimanche promet d’être spectaculaire avec cinq matchs au programme, dont deux duels très attendus entre puissances de conférence. Les River Lions de Niagara, champions en titre et meneurs dans l’Est, accueilleront les Shooting Stars de Scarborough (fiche de 4-4) pour lancer cette journée de basketball. La défense du titre des River Lions de Niagara connaît un départ irrégulier, entre succès serrés et revers marquants, un écart global de moins 30 points en témoigne. Mais l’équipe semble se stabiliser avec le retour récent de Jahvon Blair, pendant que Khalil Ahmad maintient un niveau de jeu de calibre MVP et que Ahmed Hill, meilleur marqueur de l’histoire de la LECB, retrouve peu à peu son tir. Scarborough, après un départ canon de trois victoires en trois matchs, a perdu quatre de ses cinq derniers affrontements. Ce match à domicile contre Niagara pourrait être un tournant de saison : une victoire pourrait raviver l’élan, tandis qu’une autre défaite soulèverait davantage de doutes. Plus tard dans la journée, les deux meilleures formations de l’Ouest se retrouveront alors que le Surge de Calgary recevra les Bandits de Vancouver Calgary est la seule équipe à avoir battu Vancouver cette saison, avec une victoire dont l’écart de 15 points a surpris bien des gens. Attendez-vous donc à ce que les Bandits arrivent prêts pour la revanche. Le centre australien Mitch Creek continue de mener Vancouver, mais il est bien épaulé par l’ailier Tyrese Samuel, natif de LaSalle (Québec), qui affiche une moyenne de doublé avec 19,3 points et 10,5 rebonds par match. Horaire de la semaine (11 matchs) Match #45 – Mercredi 18 juin – SSS à MTL – 19 h 30 HE – Auditorium de Verdun (Game+, RDS, LECB+, TSN+) Match #46 – Jeudi 19 juin – EDM à CGY – 19 h 30 HR / 21 h 30 HE – Westerner Park Centrium (LECB+, TSN+) Match #47 – Vendredi 20 juin – MTL à NRL – 11 h HE – Meridian Centre (LECB+, TSN+) Match #48 – Vendredi 20 juin – OTT à SSS – 19 h 30 HE – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (LECB+, TSN+) Match #49 – Vendredi 20 juin – SSK à BHB – 20 h HE / 18 h HC – CAA Centre (Game+, LECB+, TSN+) Match #50 – Vendredi 20 juin – WPG à VAN – 19 h HP / 21 h HAC / 22 h HE – Langley Events Centre (LECB+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #51 – Dimanche 22 juin – NRL à SSS – 14 h HE – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (LECB+, TSN+) Match #52 – Dimanche 22 juin – OTT à BHB – 14 h 30 HE – CAA Centre (LECB+, TSN+) Match #53 – Dimanche 22 juin – SSK à MTL – 15 h HE / 13 h HC – Auditorium de Verdun (LECB+, TSN+, RDS.ca) Match #54 – Dimanche 22 juin – VAN à CGY – 14 h HR / 13 h HP / 16 h HE – WinSport Event Centre (LECB+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #55 – Dimanche 22 juin – WPG à EDM – 16 h HR / 17 h HAC / 18 h HE – Edmonton EXPO Centre (LECB+, TSN+) Pour consulter l’horaire complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB, visitez lecb.ca/games.

Basketball fans in Red Deer, Alta., are in for a treat on Thursday. The Battle of Alberta will meet in the middle as the Edmonton Stingers face the Calgary Surge at Red Deer’s Westerner Park Centrium (7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET, CEBL+, TSN+). It’s the first time a CEBL game will take place in the Alberta city, and it promises to be a good one. The Stingers enter having won two of their past three games and with an offence that is heating up on the backs of guard duo Sean East II and Scottie Lindsey. East II, the CEBL rookie, has established himself as an early MVP contender, sitting third at 24.4 points per game while leading the league with a 52.8 three-point percentage (minimum seven attempts). Lindsey, meanwhile, is a three-year CEBL veteran who is beginning to find his footing in Edmonton. The 29-year-old has put up three straight 20-point games after a slow start to the season while making 13 of 29 three-point attempts over that span to provide a secondary scoring jolt next to East II. But at 4-6, the Stingers find themselves in an early dogfight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference — especially as the 7-2 Surge sit comfortably in the top two. Calgary stands third overall in points for and against while leading the league in both rebounds and steals per game — all signs of a well-rounded team. Like the Stingers, the Surge have been buoyed by a rookie and a veteran in Greg Brown III and Sean Miller-Moore. In his first CEBL season, Brown III leads the team with 20.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, while Miller-Moore — in his third season with the Surge — is second in scoring at 19.6 points per game. Calgary beat Edmonton 86-84 in a season-opening thriller — the lone matchup between the Alberta rivals this season. Now, they’ll take Part II to Red Deer. Another Five-Game Day On June 6, for the first time in CEBL history, all 10 teams played on the same day. Now, just over two weeks later, it’ll happen again. Sunday’s quintuple-header is highlighted by a pair of high-powered conference showdowns. The defending champion and East-leading Niagara River Lions host the 4-4 Scarborough Shooting Stars to tip off the full day of basketball. Niagara’s start to its title defence has been uneven, mixing close wins with big losses as evidenced by its minus-30 point differential. But it could begin to round into form with the recent return of Jahvon Blair. Meanwhile, Khalil Ahmad continues to perform at an MVP-like level and CEBL all-time leading scorer Ahmed Hill appears to be finding his stroke over the past few games. Scarborough, on the other hand, opened its season 3-0 but has since lost four of five. The home game against the River Lions could be pivotal for the Shooting Stars’ season — with a win a launching point for success and a loss further creating doubt. Later, the top two teams in the West will duke it out when the Surge host the Bandits. Calgary handed Vancouver its lone loss of the season — a somewhat stunning 15-point romp — and so the Bandits can be expected to come out firing in the rematch. Australian big man Mitch Creek has once again led the way for the Bandits, but fellow forward Tyrese Samuel of LaSalle, Que., has aided the cause by averaging a double-double of 19.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per contest. Other contests on Sunday’s five-game slate include Ottawa (2-6) at Brampton (2-7), Saskatchewan (2-7) at Montreal (4-2) and Winnipeg (4-5) at Edmonton (4-6). Buckle up. Weekly schedule (11 games) Game #45 – Wednesday, June 18 - SSS at MTL – 7:30 p.m. ET – Verdun Auditorium (Game+, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #46 – Thursday, June 19 – EDM at CGY – 7:30 p.m. MT / 9:30 p.m. ET – Westerner Park Centrium (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #47 – Friday, June 20 – MTL at NRL – 11 a.m. ET – Meridian Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #48 – Friday, June 20 – OTT at SSS – 7:30 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #49 – Friday, June 20 – SSK at BHB – 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CST – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #50 – Friday, June 20 – WPG at VAN – 7 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. CDT / 10 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #51 – Sunday, June 22 – NRL at SSS – 2 p.m. ET – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #52 – Sunday, June 22 – OTT at BHB – 2:30 p.m. ET – CAA Centre Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #53 – Sunday, June 22 – SSK at MTL – 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. CST – Verdun Auditorium (CEBL+, TSN+, RDS.ca) Game #54 – Sunday, June 22 – VAN at CGY – 2 p.m. MT / 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #55 – Sunday, June 22 – WPG at EDM – 4 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. ET – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .