American Guard Hollis Returns to Vancouver

Le vétéran apporte son expérience européenne à Montréal

Veteran floor general brings European pedigree to Montréal

The Calgary Surge ended the Vancouver Bandits’ undefeated start and jumped to the top of the CEBL standings on Sunday (June 1). Calgary led for almost the entire game in a comprehensive 95-80 win over Vancouver at Langley Events Centre. Surge guard Sean Miller-Moore dropped a game-high 22 points, including the game-winning layup, while hitting a major milestone. “Rugzy” became the sixth player in CEBL history to score 1,000 total points, including the regular season and playoffs. “It’s just a testament to [the] work I put in… it feels good,” Miller-Moore said. Miller-Moore was proud of Calgary’s resilience down the stretch when Vancouver cut the deficit to just four points after trailing by 21 in the third. “They were at the top of the west … so of course, it was a statement win,” he said. “But I'm just proud of how we showed our composure at the end there when they went on a run.” Greg Brown III also had a massive impact on Sunday despite early foul trouble. The NBA-experienced forward notched a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Jameer Nelson Jr. continued to contribute on both ends for Calgary as well, with 15 points, eight assists, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. The Surge defence laid the foundation for its transition offence on Sunday, outscoring the Bandits 24-6 on the fast break. Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales has emphasized the defence to offence formula throughout the season. After a 5-1 start, Canales said the Surge are a great group to battle with every night. “The togetherness, the communication on and off the floor, the chemistry – they just love being around each other, and we love coaching them,” he said. Meanwhile, the Bandits picked up their first loss after a 5-0 start. Head coach Kyle Julius said the Bandits need to take it on the chin after they “flat out got beat”. “To be honest, we got a lot of wide open shots .. I think we got more wide open shots today than any other game we've played. I think we just didn't make them,” Julius said. Mitch Creek led the Bandits in scoring once again with 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds. Curtis Hollis also had a big night off the bench for Vancouver, scoring 17 points and sparking a 17-3 run in the fourth quarter. “The ball just finally hit my hands a couple times. I've been looking for it all game – sometimes it goes like that. We have a really deep team, so once it came to me I just stayed aggressive, and I started making [shots],” Hollis said. Vancouver started the game with a pair of quick buckets before Calgary seized control with a 10-0 run. The Surge locked in defensively, limiting Vancouver to 23 per cent shooting from the field in the opening 10 minutes and 0-6 from beyond the arc. The duo of Khyri Thomas and Stefan Jankovic led Calgary on another run to close the quarter, and the Surge carried a 26-13 advantage into the second. Miller-Moore showed off his offensive versatility in the second quarter, fading from the short corner, forcing a Vancouver timeout with a fastbreak layup, and burying a pair of triples to slow momentum. Vancouver responded by attacking the paint, sparking a late-half run that featured several highlight-reel finishes—including a massive transition poster dunk by Kyle Mangas. The Bandits closed the gap to 47-40 heading into halftime. After a pair of mid-range finishes from Izaiah Brockington early in the third cut into the deficit, Calgary took a stranglehold on the lead. The Surge went on an 18-2 run and led by as much as 21 before free throws from Mangas made it 71-52 heading into the fourth. Hollis jumpstarted the Vancouver offence in the fourth quarter, drilling three trifectas to lead the Bandits on a 17-3 run. The big run made it a four-point game, but Calgary maintained its poise. Brown III calmed things down with the hoop and the harm, and the teams traded blows until Olumide Adelodun buried a clutch three to give Calgary an 85-77 lead ahead of Target Score Time. Nelson Jr. drilled a triple of his own to open scoring in the final stretch. Brown III inched Calgary closer with a floater before Miller-Moore ended Vancouver’s undefeated start with back-to-back buckets. The Surge and Bandits meet again later this month on June 22 at WinSport Event Centre. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600592 Up next for both teams Both teams are back in action next Friday (June 6) when Vancouver continues its home-stand against the Ottawa BlackJacks and Calgary welcomes the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers search for their first win of the season in a morning matchup with the Montréal Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .  - CEBL -

Après un départ lent, les BlackJacks d’Ottawa ont explosé avec une séquence de 21-2 au deuxième quart, prenant le contrôle du match pour finalement l’emporter 88-73 contre les Sea Bears de Winnipeg samedi soir.  Deng Adel a mené la charge pour Ottawa avec 20 points, un sommet pour son équipe. Il a marqué des paniers clés à chaque quart. Lors du premier quart, il a réussi un tir du centre-ville pour ramener les siens à trois points. Lors du deuxième quart, il a enchaîné avec deux autres tirs de trois points, donnant aux BlackJacks des avances de sept, puis de dix points. Au troisième quart, il a réussi un gros bloc sur Terry Roberts, ce qui a permis à Ottawa de conserver une avance de huit points, avant de profiter d’un avantage physique sous le panier pour inscrire deux points faciles. Contrairement à Winnipeg, qui s’est appuyé presque exclusivement sur son duo Tevian Jones (meilleur pointeur du match avec 32 points) et Jaylin Williams (16 points), Ottawa a pu compter sur une contribution plus équilibrée de l’ensemble de son alignement. Ottawa n’a réussi que 5 de ses 19 tirs de trois points en première demie, mais a commencé la deuxième demie avec deux trois points rapides. À l’intérieur, c’est le pivot Meshak Lufile qui a dominé la clef, pendant que le tir de mi-distance de Deng Adel a forcé un temps mort. Au quatrième quart, Christian Rohlehr a réussi un dunk qui a redonné une avance de sept points aux siens. Rohlehr a eu un gros impact en sortie de banc, ajoutant 10 points près du cercle. « Je pense que notre banc a fait un travail remarquable aujourd’hui, ils ont su prendre les choses en main et nous ramener au calme quand ça brassait un peu », a déclaré l’entraîneur-chef d’Ottawa, Dave DeAveiro. « Sans notre banc ce soir, on ne repart pas avec la victoire. » Le duo explosif de Jaylin Williams et Tevian Jones a gardé Ottawa sur le qui-vive toute la soirée. Williams a contré un tir de Deng au troisième quart, menant à une contre-attaque conclue par un lay-up de Jones. Winnipeg s’est ainsi rapprochée à deux points. Puis, en quatrième, Jones a capté un rebond défensif, a traversé le terrain et a conservé la possession sur une remise en jeu en ligne de fond. Cette séquence a mené au tir du coin gauche de Solomon Young, un trois points qui a réduit l’écart à seulement deux points. Ce soir, 8 374 partisans se sont déplacés au Centre Canada Life dans l’espoir de voir les Sea Bears décrocher une deuxième victoire cette saison. Mais l’histoire s’est répétée : Winnipeg n’a encore jamais mené contre Ottawa à la mi-temps, et pour la première fois, l’équipe encaisse une troisième défaite consécutive à domicile. Malgré tout, la vedette des Sea Bears, Tevian Jones, affirme que lui et ses coéquipiers gardent la tête haute et l’ambiance positive dans le vestiaire. « Je pense qu’on fait du bon travail à ce niveau-là. Je suis un gagnant, personnellement, et je pense que les autres gars le sont aussi », a-t-il dit avec assurance. « On veut tous gagner. » Le Centre Canada Life accueillera le week-end du Championnat cette année, et l’intensité démontrée par Winnipeg ce soir donne aux partisans de bonnes raisons d’y croire. Terry Roberts, malgré des douleurs à la hanche, a été particulièrement solide au troisième quart. Son entraîneur, Mike Taylor, l’a d’ailleurs félicité pour son énorme effort sur ses 34 minutes de jeu. Feuille de match Consultez les statistiques complètes ici À venir pour les deux équipes Winnipeg (1-4) se rendra au CAA Centre le vendredi 6 juin pour y affronter les Honey Badgers de Brampton (0-5). Ottawa poursuivra son voyage vers l’Ouest et affrontera les Bandits de Vancouver (5-0), encore invaincus, le même soir au Langley Events Centre. Prochain match dans la LECB Les Bandits de Vancouver accueilleront le Surge de Calgary (4-1) demain au Langley Events Centre. Avec une fiche parfaite de 5-0, Vancouver tentera de rester invaincu, tandis que Calgary espère être la première équipe à les faire tomber. Pour consulter l’horaire complet de la saison 2025 et les résultats à jour, visitez le site : cebl.ca/games. - LECB -

Despite a slow start for the Ottawa Blackjacks, they went on a 21-2 run in the second quarter and never looked back, winning 88-73 against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Saturday night. Ottawa’s Deng Adel (team-high 20 points) hit key shots throughout the game. In the first quarter, he hit a triple to inch within three points, and in the second, he hit a pair of threes to give Ottawa a seven-point and 10-point lead, respectively. In the third, he had a huge block on Terry Roberts, which helped Ottawa maintain an eight-point lead, and he exploited a mismatch down low for two easy points. Ottawa, however, relied on contributions from the rest of the team unlike Winnipeg’s overreliance on the one-two punch of Tevian Jones (game-high 32 points) and Jaylin Williams (16 points). Ottawa shot 5-for-19 from downtown in the first half, but instantly hit two threes in the second half. Ottawa relied on big man Meshak Lufile when scoring deep inside the paint and Deng’s mid-range forced a timeout. In the fourth quarter, Christian Rohlehr’s dunk gave them a seven-point buffer, and Rohlehr had a huge impact off the bench today, pouring in 10 points down low. “I thought our bench did a tremendous job today, stepping up and settling us down when things got a little chaotic,” said Ottawa’s head coach Dave DeAveiro. “We don’t get a win without our bench tonight.” The Jaylin Williams-Tevin Jones one-two punch kept Ottawa on their toes throughout the game. Williams’ block on Deng in the third quarter fueled a transition lay-up to Jones, and Winnipeg inched within two points. In the fourth, Jones ripped down a defensive rebound, took the ball coast-to-coast, and regained possession of the ball on a baseline out of bounds play. That led to Solomon Young’s left corner triple that made it a two-point game. 8,374 fans came to Canada Life Centre tonight, hoping to see the Sea Bears get their second victory of the season. History repeated itself as Winnipeg has never led against Ottawa going into halftime, and for the first time, Winnipeg have lost three-straight home games. But Winnipeg’s star Jones says he and his team remain unphased, keeping the vibes high in the locker room. “I think we’re doing a good job of that. I’m a winner personally and I think the rest of the guys are winners as well,” Jones said calmly. “We all wanna win.” Canada Life Centre will host the Championship Weekend this year, and the spirited effort by Winnipeg gives fans lots to be hopeful for. Terry Roberts came alive in the third quarter despite issues with his hip, and Taylor complimented him on his tremendous effort throughout 34 minutes. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600589 Up next for both teams Winnipeg (1-4) will head to the CAA Centre on Friday, June 6th to play against the Brampton Honey Badgers (0-5). Ottawa will continue to travel further west to play the undefeated Vancouver Bandits (5-0) on Friday, June 6 at Langley Events Centre. Next CEBL action The Vancouver Bandits will host the Calgary Surge (4-1) tomorrow at Langley Events Centre. Vancouver has a perfect 5-0 record, and Calgary will be looking to be the first team to topple their undefeated record. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

The Vancouver Bandits weathered a late push from the Edmonton Stingers to remain undefeated on Friday night (May 30). Mitch Creek and Kyle Mangas combined for 10 trifectas and 53 points to drive the Bandits to a 104-95 victory. Both Bandits impacted the game as playmakers as well. Mangas scored an efficient 27 points on eight-of-11 shooting, including the game-winning triple, to go along with eight assists. Creek tallied 26 points while dishing seven assists and snagging six rebounds. “I really tried to get my teammates involved and just make the right play,” Mangas said. “Basketball is fun when everyone's involved out there and touching the ball. If I have a shot, I'm going to take it – my team expects me to do that – but I'm trying to get others involved too.” With the win, the Bandits became the second team in the history of the CEBL to start 5-0. Edmonton was the only other franchise to do it, with its 7-0 start in 2021 remaining the standard. Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said his team looked tired as they wrap up a two-game road trip. “I thought they showed really good fight. I thought our leadership really showed out there, and we got great contributions,” Julius said. Through one half of basketball, the Stingers looked poised for a tight finish with the Bandits. But offensive struggles in the third quarter allowed Vancouver to seize control. “It was just our defensive game plan. I thought we were off it in the first [half] – we were missing some of our key assignments,” Julius said. “Then we were better with that in the second half and I thought the bench was really good in the second half.” Friday’s matchup at Edmonton Expo Centre was the second meeting between the two squads in less than a week. The Bandits routed the Stingers in the previous contest 109-79. Edmonton head coach Jordan Baker said the team isn’t satisfied with the loss but can come away with some positives compared to the previous game. “We're still early in the season and we want to learn from our experiences and learn from every game. So we definitely have some things to clean up but the guys showed some resilience and some effort after getting down early,” Baker said. Despite the loss, Edmonton’s Sean East II, Scottie Lindsey and Nick Hornsby all had stellar performances. East tied Mangas with a game-high 27 points, while Hornsby tallied 17 points and nine rebounds. Meanwhile, Lindsey dropped 20 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter in an effort to crawl back into the game. East said the Bandits had more execution and attention to detail down the stretch. “I got to do better. We got to do better as a team, and we just got to keep fighting and keep building towards something special,” he said. To open the game, Vancouver pounced with an 11-0 run that forced a Baker timeout. The Stingers went the opening four minutes without a field goal when East drained a triple to end the drought. From there, Edmonton dominated the remainder of the quarter. The Stingers finished the frame on a 19-4 run to take a three-point lead into the second. After a quarter defined by big runs, the second was more tightly contested with Edmonton getting into foul trouble early. Creek and East showcased their capabilities, duelling throughout the quarter. Back-to-back buckets from Creek late in the half regained the lead for the Bandits and Vancouver headed into the locker room with a 48-46 advantage. East finished the first half with 17 points, while Creek was close behind with 16. Creek’s playmaking helped Vancouver maintain its lead early in the third. A transition three from Mangas gave the Bandits their biggest lead of the quarter and forced the Stingers into a timeout. Mangas stayed hot out of the timeout and buried another trifecta. A contact finish from Curtis Hollis added to the run and Vancouver carried a 77-65 lead into the fourth despite a late push from Edmonton. Lindsey started the final frame on fire with back-to-back threes, cutting the deficit to six points. Unfortunately for the Stingers, Mangas stayed just as hot. The Indiana native connected on a pair of and-one trifectas before Creek joined the action with a three of his own. The Stingers closed the gap slightly before Target Score Time, but Vancouver headed into the final stretch ahead 14 with their sights on the 103-point mark. Lindsey almost single-handedly pulled the Stingers back into the game with 10 points in Target Score Time, but the duo of Creek and Mangas were steady for the Bandits. Creek scored Vancouver’s first five points of Target Time with a killer dropstep and a contested three. Meanwhile, Mangas netted the final five points with a pair at the charity stripe and a catch-and-shoot three to ice it. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600586 Up next for both teams Vancouver hosts the red-hot Calgary Surge on Sunday at Langley Events Centre, while Edmonton heads east to face the Montréal Alliance next Friday (June 6). Next CEBL action The Winnipeg Sea Bears battle the Ottawa BlackJacks on Saturday (May 31) in the lone game of the day. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

An instant classic unfolded at Niagara’s Meridian Centre on Friday — but, for the first time since 2023, the home side did not come out on top. The Saskatchewan Rattlers pulled out an 89-87 victory over the reigning champion River Lions (2-3), earning their first win in five games this season and snapping Niagara’s 15-game home winning streak that dated back nearly two years. Both teams had multiple chances to emerge victorious during a wild, back-and-forth Target Score Time. Saskatchewan (1-4) held a 79-77 lead when the clock stopped. But two things were working against the Rattlers — they’ve struggled all season in these situations, and the River Lions were welcoming back Khalil Ahmad, the two-time Clutch Player of the Year. Yet after multiple swings, a flurry of missed free throws, some vintage Ahmad play and a dose of controversy, the Rattlers’ Jordan Bowden sent the crowd home sad when he followed a transition attempt and cleaned up a rebound to give Saskatchewan the hard-earned win. “It's kind of the weight off our shoulders. When you get you have a bunch of close ones that maybe slip away, and you get another close one like tonight, you fear guys are going to maybe tighten up under the weight of it. And you know what? They battled through, they fought through, and I think this may be gives us some confidence the next time we're in the situation,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said. In Target Score Time, Ahmad immediately tied the game with a floater, but the Rattlers’ Nate Pierre-Louis responded with a monstrous slam, converting the and-one to give his side a three-point lead. Ahmad replied with a dunk of his own to cut the Niagara deficit back to one. A debatable three-shot foul against the River Lions’ Ron Curry then sent Pierre-Louis to the line, but he missed all three attempts and Ahmad took advantage with a layup on the other end, handing the River Lions their first advantage of Target Score Time. Eventually, the River Lions extended their lead to 86-83 with possession. Following a timeout from head coach Victor Raso, Ahmad received the ball with everyone in the building expecting him to end the game — to the point that even when he missed, the celebratory lights went off in the home arena. That’s when Niagara went cold, allowing Saskatchewan to take an 87-86 lead and setting up a next-bucket-wins scenario with the River Lions getting the ball. Ahmad missed a desperation three-pointer at the end of the shot clock but flew in for the offensive rebound and was fouled on the putback attempt, giving him a chance to win the game at the line. But he missed the second, leaving both teams within one. Then, controversy struck — an Elijah Ifejeh attempt rattled on top of the rim and was knocked away above the cylinder by the River Lions’ Guillaume Boucard. The refs initially called it goaltending — which would have ended the game — but convened and overturned the call, giving possession back to the River Lions. “I don't think I've ever seen a basket called back. Just a number of situations that were probably first for me and I've been in this league a while now. So, I think the fans got their money's worth,” Magdanz said. After more misses by each team, Pierre-Louis came up with a steal and ran the other way. When he missed, Bowden was there to clean up. And that was the ballgame. “It's been a tough week here where we've had a number of close ones that haven't bounced our way. So to see us continue to fight through [Target Score Time] and find a way to make the ball bounce the right way, credit to our guys,” Magdanz said. Meanwhile, Ahmad described the game’s final possessions as “intense.” “You gotta get stops [or] you're gonna lose, and that showed today, but we'll figure it out,” he said. Australian big man Grant Anticevich led the Rattlers with 25 points, including five makes from deep, while nearing a double-double with nine rebounds. Jamir Chaplin added 22 points while Cody John contributed 16 points off the bench. “Credit to my teammates, they give me a lot of confidence,” Anticevich said. “They get me open shots … they get draw a lot of help, a lot of attention from the defence and get me open. I was able to get a bit of a rhythm, I guess, tonight, and knock down some shots.” Ahmad led the way for the River Lions without looking like he missed a step. The star guard scored 36 points — one off his personal career high and River Lions record — including 20 in the first half alone, while also hauling in nine rebounds and dishing six assists. Canadian Nathan Cayo, also making his season debut, was the only other River Lion in double digits with 14 points. “Obviously we're a new group, there's a lot we gotta figure out, but we're very capable. Just a matter of practice and getting experience together,” Ahmad said. Ahmad, the 28-year-old from Corona, Calif., returned to the River Lions after missing the first four games of the season while finishing his pro season in Italy. Despite the eventual loss, he said it was “amazing” to make his CEBL return on the heels of last year’s championship. “Especially to be at home, the crowd is amazing, the city's amazing, the team's amazing. So it's all love,” Ahmad said. After falling into an early 15-6 hole, the River Lions responded with a 17-0 run and took a 29-19 lead into the second quarter. But Saskatchewan fought back, cutting the Niagara lead to 45-41 at halftime. Led by Anticevich, the Rattlers kept rolling in the third quarter, retook the lead and entered the final frame up 66-63. Then the end-of-game chaos ensued. Yet it wasn’t the home-dominant, defending champion River Lions that were able to keep composed and pull out the win. Instead, the Rattlers emerged victorious, busting their slump and ending Niagara’s Meridian Centre run. Anticevich said the win was “a great feeling.” “We've had a bit of trouble closing the game up and we've had leads before Target Score [Time]. So to be able to close that out and fix our mistakes … hopefully we can use that momentum moving forward.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600583 Up Next Both teams are off until next Friday when the River Lions host the Scarborough Shooting Stars and the Rattlers visit the Calgary Surge. Next CEBL Action Just one game is set for Saturday as the Winnipeg Sea Bears host the Ottawa BlackJacks with both teams looking for their second win of the season. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Despite missing 20 free throws, the Calgary Surge came through at the line when it mattered most. During Target Score Time, six free throws and three putbacks vaulted the Surge to a comeback win. Calgary trailed by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter, but fought back in a slower-paced game to earn its third-straight victory. Surge guard Jameer Nelson Jr. said staying resilient and focusing on each possession led to the turnaround. “We just kept checking each other in the timeouts and just saying, ‘Nobody else is gonna do it’. The guys we got on the floor – we got nobody else with us – so we just had to make it happen,” Nelson Jr. said. Physicality was the story of the game, with frequent whistles and opportunities at the line for both teams. Five players – including four Brampton starters – fouled out in the second half. Brampton was efficient from the free-throw line at 73 per cent while Calgary struggled at 51 per cent, but the Honey Badgers only outscored their opponents by one point at the stripe. Despite Brampton’s efforts to slow the pace and make it harder on Calgary in the paint, the Surge still won the paint battle 40-28 and the fast break battle 11-0. Second-chance points also made a difference, with a 12-4 advantage for Calgary, including six in Target Score Time. The trio of Nelson Jr., Sean Miller-Moore and Greg Brown III continued to fuel the Surge attack. Nelson Jr. netted a game-high 24 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to help lead the comeback. Miller-Moore scored 19 on an off night from the field, adding seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. Brown III showcased his two-way prowess with 17 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Meanwhile, the top three scorers for Brampton all had their nights cut short after fouling out. Quinndary Weatherspoon was on pace for an incredible evening with 18 points and eight assists when he picked up his fifth foul in the third quarter. Amari Kelly and Koby McEwen both fouled out in Target Score Time, with 17 and 14 points respectively. The loss drops Brampton’s record to 0-5 early in the season. Brampton head coach Sheldon Cassimy said the wins will come if the team continues to play at the same level as Thursday. “When we play with execution in mind and follow the gameplan and stick together we did today, I’m sure the result will be different,” Cassimy said. To open the game, both teams struggled from long range and shot a combined one-for-11 from three. Calgary led by as many as seven but Brampton made a run late in the quarter to close the gap to 21-18 after 10 minutes. The second quarter turned into a foul-heavy defensive battle featuring five lead changes and three ties, before the Honey Badgers protected the paint and sparked an 11–3 run. Brampton maintained a lead for the majority of the frame, but Calgary fought back with a late 6-2 run to head into the locker room tied at 41. The physicality continued into the third quarter but Brampton emerged with a comfortable lead. The referees were busy and both teams were frequent visitors to the free-throw line. The Honey Badgers went on a 15-4 run to open the half, powered by threes from McEwen and Weatherspoon. The Surge seized momentum after a scuffle midway through the quarter that led to an unsportsmanlike foul, ending Prince Oduro’s night. Calgary went on a 7-0 run after the unsportsmanlike, but three consecutive trips to the charity stripe for the Honey Badgers slowed the momentum. Brampton held a 10-point lead heading into the fourth. McEwen and Muenkat helped the Honey Badgers extend the lead to 15 early in the fourth, but the Surge stayed resilient. A timely 8–2 run before Target Score Time, highlighted by clutch threes from Nelson Jr. and Gabe Osabuohien made it a five-point game. It set the stage for a tense Target Score Time finish. Osabuohien and Kelly both fouled out early in Target Score Time, including a foul on a Brown III putback. McEwen made an acrobatic finish to get Brampton’s first bucket in the final stretch, before fouling out on the other end. The next eight combined points all came at the free throw line, before a Miller-Moore putback and a corner three from Brown III put Calgary one point away from victory. After a contested attempt at the rim from Miller-Moore, Osayi Osifo snagged the rebound and sealed the comeback with a putback layup. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600582 Up next for both teams Brampton returns home after the Alberta road trip to face the Montréal Alliance on Wednesday (June 4), while Calgary sets its sights on the Vancouver Bandits at Langley Events Centre this Sunday (June 1). Next CEBL action Saskatchewan searches for its first win of the campaign in a rematch with Niagara on Friday, while the undefeated Vancouver Bandits visit the Edmonton Stingers. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Once the dust settled on a game that saw 17 lead changes and neither team lead by more than eight points, it was the Scarborough Shooting Stars who walked away with their perfect record intact. The East-leading squad improved to 3-0 after a 91-84 victory on Thursday over the visiting Saskatchewan Rattlers (0-4) at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Spearheading that effort was Donovan Williams, who finished with a CEBL career-high of 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field and five made triples. Yuri Collins did his part as well, chipping in 18 points, eight assists and two steals, while Hasan Ward added a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kobe Elvis put up nine points and five assists, finishing as Scarborough’s only bench player with a positive plus-minus (plus-nine). “That’s something we prepare for,” Williams said after the win when asked about the back-and-forth nature of the game. “Being able to get hit and hit back, this is a league full of great players … we understand we’re a gritty team, we have to work hard, so when teams make runs, you just weather the storm.” On the other side, Saskatchewan was led by recent-signee Jordan Bowden. The import finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting off the bench in his Rattlers debut, reminding fans why he ranked top 15 in scoring last season with the Montreal Alliance. Cody John wasn’t far behind as the Mississauga, Ont. native put up 18 points and four assists, albeit struggling efficiency wise, going 6-of-15 from the field. Grant Anticevich and Nate-Pierre Louis chipped in 12 and 11 points respectively, while Jaden Bediako scored nine to go with his game-high 14 rebounds. Entering the game, Shooting Stars head coach Mike De Giorgio’s message to his team was simple. “We have to come out and punch first,” the first-year CEBL bench boss said pre-game. “Get ourselves going and hopefully sustain it for 40 minutes.” And count that message received, specifically by Williams, who proved to be the tone-setter for Scarborough early on. The UNLV product made five of his first six shots as he scored 12 points in the opening frame while the Shooting Stars carved out a slim 22-21 lead — showcasing why he now leads the league in scoring with 25.3 points per game. “That’s his challenge every night,” De Giorgio said of Williams post-game. “He’s our leader, our best player, he’s the dude we’re relying on to do a whole lot of different things, not just score. So when he can do that for us, we’re going to be tough to beat.” That lead only grew in the second as Williams’ strong play — scoring Scarborough’s first eight points of the quarter and finishing the half with 25, the last three of which came on an off-balance triple right before the buzzer — was coupled with some sloppy ball handling by the Rattlers. Saskatchewan racked up 10 turnovers through the first 20 minutes, giving up 15 points off those giveaways as they trailed 48-43 at the break. An uncharacteristic showing from a Rattlers team that averaged 15.3 turnovers per game entering the day — finishing the loss with a total of 19. “It’s frustrating and you get sick of silver linings,” Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said post-game of his team’s winless start. “But we’ve lost a game by two, four and seven … we’re right there and we know we’re right there. Just have to put together the final couple pieces.” And while the Rattlers did respond coming out of halftime, winning the third quarter (26-22) and briefly taking the lead thanks to a 7-2 run toward the end of the frame, consecutive buckets from Kobe Elvis and Williams put the Shootings Stars back up 70-69 ahead of the fourth quarter. Scarborough pushed that lead up to five (82-77) going into Target Score time before ultimately walking away with a seven-point victory. And just like he did in the Shooting Stars’ first win of the season, Collins closed out the game with a near-identical stepback jumper from the left elbow. The first-year CEBLer is making a strong early case for Clutch Player of the Year as he’s hit all three of Scarborough’s Target time winners this season. “It’s a sense of relief,” Williams said when asked what it’s like playing with Collins in late-game situations. “Understanding games like this where I’m hot throughout the game, teams are focusing in on me, the last three games Yuri has taken advantage of one-on-one matchups, and it feels good to have a guy like that.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600581 Up next The Rattlers will get little time to dwell on the outcome as they’ll visit the Niagara River Lions (3-1) on Friday for the second leg of a GTA back-to-back. It’ll be the second and final meeting between the cross-conference opponents after Saskatchewan narrowly fell 88-86 to the defending champs in their first meeting last Saturday. Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars will get much more rest as they won’t return to the court until next Friday (June 6) when it’ll be their turn to take on the River Lions. Next CEBL action Another East vs. West matchup will wrap up Thursday’s slate, with the 0-4 Honey Badgers visiting the 3-1 Surge. Brampton’s search for a first win resumes in Calgary at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -