Sea Bears escape with 97-93 win over Rattlers, inch closer to playoff berth
July 21, 2024
Zulfi Sheikh
The Winnipeg Sea Bears (8-9) came away victorious Saturday following a nail-biter against the Saskatchewan Rattlers (6-12) to extend their lead for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
With the victory, the Sea Bears are now two games ahead of the Rattlers for the fourth seed in the West. Winnipeg and Saskatchewan tied their season series at two games apiece, but the Rattlers claimed the head-to-head point differential and own the tiebreaker. So, despite being two games down with just two games left, the Rattlers’ playoff hopes aren’t dead just yet.
Leading Winnipeg in the win was Justin Wright-Foreman who finished with 24 points and six assists off the bench. He was helped by Simon Hildebrandt who finished with 19 points on 50 per cent shooting from both the field and distance to go with seven rebounds, and Scottie Lindsey who had a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) in the victory.
“Fortunately, today the will from the team was fantastic,” Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said after his team snapped a four-game losing streak. “We got it done … I love the direction of the team.”
On the other side, Teddy Allen spearheaded a Rattlers starting five that all scored over double digits as he finished with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Backing up the reigning MVP in his return to Winnipeg was Cody John who put up 15 points and James Montgomery who racked up 14 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting effort.
“Playoff implications was our motivation, but obviously it wasn’t enough,” Rattlers head coach Larry Abney said following his team’s third consecutive loss.
Entering the night, it was no secret what a win could do for both teams’ playoff hopes. Which is why the first 10 minutes of the game were as closely contested as many expected.
Both squads shot under 45 per cent from the field as defence appeared to be the focus for two squads that usually rank in the bottom three when it comes to limiting opponents scoring. Had it not been for a buzzer-beating Stephane Ingo layup, that made it 23-19, the Sea Bears would’ve led by just one possession ahead of the second.
Things would stay just as tight throughout the following frame, but it was the Rattlers who ended up on top once the dust settled. Saskatchewan used an 8-0 run to take back the lead, holding on as they went into halftime up 46-44.
Unsurprisingly, it was Allen who sparked the effort as he scored seven points in the second quarter – putting him up to a game-high 12 points at halftime.
“Obviously Teddy is fantastic player,” Hildebrandt said postgame when asked about the emotions playing against his former teammate in Winnipeg for the first time. “He’s obviously a huge part of the game plan, but we tried to treat it like any other game.”
Not to be outdone however, Wright-Foreman led a Sea Bears response coming out of the break. Last year’s scoring champ put up eight points in the third quarter, none more important than a buzzer-beating, half-court triple that tied things up at 70-70 and got a sold-out Canada Life Centre crowd on its feet.
Winnipeg made sure to take advantage of the heroics by their scoring leader, taking an 88-86 lead into Target Score Time, but nearly let things slip away at the end.
After finding themselves within just one basket of the win, it took 10 shot attempts to finally seal the deal. A chaotic sequence that included six rebounds for Winnipeg ended in a Sea Bears victory when Chad Posthumus got a layup to drop right underneath the basket.
Fitting that an intense effort to secure extra possessions on the glass is how Winnipeg ended up with a win, considering it was an area of strength all night.
The Sea Bears finished plus-17 on rebounds, grabbing an impressive 32 (plus-20) on the offensive glass. The result of their effort was 31 second chance points (plus-19) and 18 extra field goal attempts – which ended up making all the difference as Winnipeg eked out a win despite being outshot from the field, distance and charity stripe.
“When you look at a team’s will … 32 offensive rebounds in unbelievable,” Taylor said when reflecting on his team’s effort. “That is a fantastic number, and it just shows these guys wanted it bad, so I’m really proud.”
Up next
The Sea Bears will stay home and host the Calgary Surge on Tuesday for their final contest in front of a Winnipeg crowd this regular season.
For the Rattlers, they’ll visit the BlackJacks on Thursday for the second of a three-game season-ending road trip.
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Les amateurs de basketball canadiens s’apprêtent à vivre quelque chose de jamais vu. L’Alliance de Montréal accueillera vendredi le tout premier match extérieur professionnel cinq contre cinq de l’histoire du basketball canadien, face aux BlackJacks d’Ottawa. La rencontre se tiendra au Stade IGA, avec une couverture en direct dès 20 h (HE) sur TSN, RDS, CEBL+ et TSN+. « Lorsque nous avons lancé l’Alliance, notre objectif était d’offrir quelque chose d’unique à Montréal », a déclaré Joel Anthony, copropriétaire et directeur général de l’équipe. « Ce match sous les étoiles incarne parfaitement cette vision – une expérience qui dépasse le simple cadre du sport, et qui inscrit notre équipe dans l’histoire du basketball canadien. Nous sommes fiers de repousser les limites et d’offrir aux partisans une soirée en hommage à cette ville extraordinaire. » Nommé Éclipse : Match sous les étoiles , l’événement promet un spectacle visuel et sonore hors du commun. Sous les étoiles et les projecteurs, l’Alliance tentera de bâtir sur sa victoire d’ouverture contre les Honey Badgers de Brampton, un match marqué par l’excellente performance de deux nouveaux venus. Le Montréalais Quincy Guerrier, capitaine de l’équipe et ancien joueur des Raptors 905, a brillé avec un doublé de 21 points et 10 rebonds pour son premier match dans la LECB. L’ailier américain Dontay Bassett a ajouté un doublé de 14 points et 11 rebonds. Guerrier, en particulier, incarne un changement de direction à Montréal après qu'Alli-Oop Investments, un groupe local, a racheté l’équipe à la ligue en janvier. Parmi les premières annonces de ce groupe : ce fameux match extérieur, disputé dans le même stade qui accueille chaque année les plus grandes stars du tennis lors de l’Omnium Banque Nationale, et pouvant accueillir jusqu’à 11 500 spectateurs. Montréal a également nommé Jermaine Small, double champion de la LECB, au poste d’entraîneur-chef, et a mis la main sur Guerrier, Bassett, ainsi qu’Anthony Walker, qui a disputé le Final Four 2023 avec les Hurricanes de Miami. Un an après avoir accueilli le week-end du Championnat et s’être inclinée en demi-finale contre les futurs champions, les River Lions de Niagara, l’Alliance semble déjà prête à s’imposer comme une puissance cette saison. Revanche de la finale Avant que les projecteurs ne s’allument à Montréal, tous les regards seront tournés vers Vancouver jeudi soir, pour un affrontement très attendu : la revanche de la dernière finale entre les River Lions et les Bandits. Dans une ligue où les effectifs changent fréquemment, ces deux équipes conservent une bonne partie de leur noyau. Petit rappel : lors de la finale 2024, Niagara menait confortablement avant d’entamer la période du pointage cible avec une avance de 10 points. Puis tout a basculé – les Bandits sont revenus de l’arrière, égalisant à 95-95. Finalement, Khalil Ahmad a inscrit le panier décisif. Ahmad ne sera pas en uniforme jeudi – même si un retour à Niagara cette saison demeure possible – mais plusieurs acteurs clés seront bien présents. Victor Raso, entraîneur-chef de Niagara, est devenu récemment le premier de l’histoire de la LECB à atteindre 100 matchs en saison régulière. Son vis-à-vis, Kyle Julius, continue quant à lui de bâtir un programme solide à Vancouver. Les River Lions pourront compter sur des éléments comme Kimbal Mackenzie, Elijah Lufile et Omari Moore (absent lors du match d’ouverture). Les Bandits, de leur côté, s’appuieront sur le robuste Australien Mitch Creek et le Canadien Duane Notice, bien que le MVP en titre, Tazé Moore, ne soit pas de la partie. Tout est en place pour un duel explosif – à suivre jeudi dès 22 h (HE) / 19 h (HP) sur CEBL+, TSN+ et NLSE. Début de saison pour les Shooting Stars Une seule équipe de la ligue n’a pas encore foulé le terrain : les Shooting Stars de Scarborough. Ce sera chose faite dimanche, alors qu’ils se rendront à Brampton pour affronter leurs rivaux provinciaux. Les champions 2023 reviennent avec un effectif intrigant, comptant plusieurs visages familiers : Hason Ward, Donovan Williams et Danilo Djuricic. À ces noms s’ajoute Yuri Collins, meneur des Warriors de Santa Cruz en G League. Mais l’attraction principale reste sans doute le retour de Cat Barber, deuxième meilleur marqueur de l’histoire de la LECB, capable de faire exploser le pointage à tout moment — comme l’an dernier, où il avait enchaîné 24 points consécutifs dans une rencontre. Avec leur cohésion et leur talent, les Shooting Stars viseront à devenir la deuxième équipe de l’histoire de la ligue à remporter plus d’un championnat. Leur match face aux Honey Badgers est prévu dimanche à 14 h (HE), en direct sur Game+, CEBL+, TSN+ et NLSE. Horaire hebdomadaire (neuf matchs) Match #7 – Mercredi 21 mai – BHB à OTT – 19 h 30 (HE) – L’Aréna de laPlace TD (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #8 – Jeudi 22 mai – EDM à SSK – 19 h 30 (HR) / 21 h 30 (HE) – SaskTel Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #9 – Jeudi 22 mai – NRL à VAN – 19 h (HP) / 22 h (HE) – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #10 – Vendredi 23 mai – OTT à MTL – 20 h (HE) – Stade IGA (TSN, RDS2, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #11 – Vendredi 23 mai – CGY à WPG – 19 h 30 (HC) / 20 h 30 (HE) – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #12 – Samedi 24 mai – NRL à SSK – 19 h 30 (HC) / 21 h 30 (HE) – SaskTel Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #13 – Samedi 24 mai – EDM à VAN – 19 h (HP) / 22 h (HE) – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #14 – Dimanche 25 mai – SSS à BHB – 14 h (HE) – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #15 – Dimanche 25 mai – WPG à CGY – 14 h (HR) / 16 h (HE) – WinSport Event Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB, visitez le site : cebl.ca/fr-ca/games
It promises to be something Canadian basketball fans have never seen before. The Montreal Alliance will host Canada’s first professional five-on-five outdoor basketball game on Friday when they welcome the Ottawa BlackJacks to IGA Stadium. Live coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on TSN, RDS, CEBL+ and TSN+. “When we launched the Alliance, our goal was to bring something unique to Montréal,” said Joel Anthony, the co-owner and general manager of the Alliance. “This game under the stars embodies that—an experience that goes beyond sport, writing our team into the history of Canadian basketball. We are proud to break conventions and offer fans an evening that pays tribute to this incredible city.” Billed in Montreal as Éclipse: Match Sous les Étoiles, the game will be worth tuning into for the unique sights and sounds alone. Under both the stars and the lights, the Alliance will look to build of their season-opening win against the Brampton Honey Badgers in which two newcomers led the way. Montreal native Quincy Guerrier, the team captain who played with Raptors 905 of the G League, posted a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in his league debut, while American forward Dontay Bassett added his own double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Guerrier, in particular, represents a changing of the guard in Montreal after Alli-Oop Investments, a local group, purchased the team from the league in January. Among the group’s first announcements was the outdoor game, which will be played at the same stadium that hosts tennis stars annually at the National Bank Open and has a capacity of 11,500. Then, Montreal brought in two-time CEBL champion Jermaine Small as its head coach and imported the likes of Guerrier, Bassett and Anthony Walker, who played in the 2023 Final Four with the Miami Hurricanes. Now, one year after hosting Championship Weekend and falling just short against the eventual champion Niagara River Lions in the semifinals, the Alliance already seem like a force to be reckoned with this season. Championship rematch Not to be overshadowed by the bright lights in Montreal, Niagara heads to Vancouver one night earlier for a Finals rematch against the Bandits. And in a league where there is constant turnover, both teams enter with much of the same core. First, a quick reminder of how last year’s championship game went down: Niagara led comfortably for most of the contest and took a 10-point lead into Target Score Time. Then, chaos ensued – the Bandits chipped away, eventually tying the game at 95 to leave both team within a basket of the title. Eventually, Khalil Ahmad drove in for the winning bucket. And while Ahmad won’t be on the court on Thursday — though he could still return to Niagara this season — plenty of other key characters will partake in the rematch. Both coaches have become staples of their organizations as Niagara’s Victor Raso recently became the first CEBL coach to ever reach 100 regular season games while Kyle Julius consistently runs a strong ship in Vancouver. The River Lions also return players like Kimbal Mackenzie, Elijah Lufile and Omari Moore (though Moore missed Niagara’s season opener) while the Bandits come armed with big Australian Mitch Creek and Canadian Duane Notice, though reigning MVP Tazé Moore is absent. It all sets up for a fascinating showdown – catch the action Thursday at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET on CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. Shooting Stars tip off Just one team in the league has yet to hit the court: Scarborough. But that will change Sunday with a visit to provincial rival Brampton. The 2023 champion Shooting Stars yet again boast a fascinating roster with returning players such as Hason Ward, Donovan Williams and Danilo Djuricic in addition to newcomer Yuri Collins, who plays for the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors. Perhaps most important, however, is the return of Cat Barber, the CEBL’s second all-time leading scorer and a certified microwave who poured in 24 consecutive points for Scarborough in a game last season. Armed with continuity and talent, the Shooting Stars will aim to become the second CEBL team with multiple championships. They take on the Honey Badgers on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET with live coverage on Game+, CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. Weekly schedule (nine games) Game #7 - Wednesday, May 21 - BHB at OTT – 7:30 p.m. ET – The Arena at TD Place (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #8 – Thursday, May 22 – EDM at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST/MT / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Game #9 – Thursday, May 22 – NRL at VAN – 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #10 – Friday, May 23 – OTT at MTL – 8 p.m. ET – IGA Stadium (TSN, RDS2, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #11 – Friday, May 23 – CGY at WPG – 7:30 p.m. CDT / 6:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #12 – Saturday, May 24 – NRL at SSK – 7:30 p.m. CST / 9:30 p.m. ET – SaskTel Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Game #13 – Saturday, May 24 – EDM at VAN – 7 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. MT / 10 p.m. ET – Langley Events Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #14 – Sunday, May 25 – SSS at BHB – 2 p.m. ET – CAA Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Game #15 – Sunday, May 25 – WPG at CGY – 2 p.m. MT / 3 p.m. CDT / 4 p.m. ET – WinSport Event Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .
L’Alliance de Montréal s’est imposée de façon convaincante dimanche soir à l’Auditorium de Verdun, prenant une avance de 21 points avant l’entrée dans la période du pointage cible pour finalement battre les Honey Badgers de Brampton 88 à 66. À l’exception du meneur Alain Louis, présent depuis les débuts de l’équipe, l’Alliance se présente cette saison avec un effectif entièrement renouvelé et sous une nouvelle direction. Jermaine Small, nouvel entraîneur-chef et double champion de la LECB, a décroché une victoire pour ses débuts à la tête de l’équipe. C’était un match symbolique pour la franchise, historiquement dominée par Brampton (fiche de 1-7 avant ce match). Coach Small s’est dit impressionné par le leadership de Quincy Guerrier, qui a terminé meilleur marqueur avec 21 points (9 sur 16 aux tirs) et 10 rebonds. « Je pense que son talent est indéniable, » a déclaré Small devant un groupe de journalistes. « Chaque panier qu’il marque nous donne de l’énergie, surtout que c’est un gars de chez nous… Je me sens chanceux de pouvoir le coacher. Il a clairement laissé sa marque. » Guerrier a brillé pendant que Chris Boucher, joueur des Raptors de Toronto et natif de Montréal, observait depuis les lignes de côté. L’Alliance a imposé le ton dès le début du match en dominant au rebond offensif, avec une avance de +14 pour les points dans la clef à la mi-temps. « Montréal a eu 11 rebonds offensifs. C’est beaucoup trop, » a reconnu l’entraîneur-chef de Brampton, Sheldon Cassimy, en secouant la tête à la mi-temps. « On doit absolument mieux terminer nos possessions. » Les Honey Badgers ont entamé le deuxième quart sur une bonne note, mais leur dépendance envers Koby McEwen, nommé Joueur canadien de l’année 2024, a facilité la tâche défensive de Montréal. McEwen a terminé avec 15 points. En deuxième mi-temps, l’Alliance n’a jamais relâché la pression. Un tir de trois points rapide, suivi d’une violation du chronomètre de Brampton malgré deux rebonds offensifs, a semblé assommer les visiteurs. L’élan est resté du côté montréalais, notamment avec un dunk puissant à deux mains de Michael Diggins et un lay-up d’Abdul Mohamed, sur un vol de ballon de l’arrière américain Tavis Smith. McEwen est resté discret après la pause, et sa frustration a culminé avec une faute technique juste avant l’entrée dans la période du pointage cible. Il y a toutefois eu des ajustements positifs du côté de Brampton : seulement cinq rebonds offensifs concédés en deuxième mi-temps, contre 11 en première. « C’est surtout une question d’être prêts physiquement, » a expliqué Cassimy. « Au début, Montréal était beaucoup plus physique que nous. Il fallait qu’on s’ajuste à ce niveau-là. » Les Honey Badgers étaient privés de Prince Oduro (9,3 points et 7,1 rebonds en moyenne, dont 2,8 offensifs) ainsi que du joueur américain Quinndary Weatherspoon. Brampton a brièvement réduit l’écart à deux possessions dans le deuxième quart. Un tir à trois points de Mike Demagus sur une passe de McEwen a rapproché l’équipe à moins de dix points, et un tir longue distance de McEwen l’a ramenée à cinq. Mais l’agressivité offensive de Montréal dans la clef et leur pression défensive ont rapidement recreusé l’écart. Coach Small est confiant quant au potentiel de son groupe. « Je pense qu’on peut devenir la meilleure équipe défensive de la ligue. C’est mon objectif personnel, et les gars le savent, » a-t-il affirmé. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600568 À venir pour les deux équipes Les deux équipes affronteront les BlackJacks d’Ottawa lors de leur prochain match. Ottawa accueillera Brampton ce mercredi 21 mai, puis Montréal recevra Ottawa dans un match extérieur historique le vendredi 23 mai au Stade IGA. Prochain match de la LECB Les Honey Badgers de Brampton recevront les BlackJacks d’Ottawa ce mercredi 21 mai. Comme Brampton, Ottawa affiche un bilan de 0-1, et les deux équipes chercheront à obtenir leur première victoire de la saison. Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB et les résultats en temps réel, visitez le site cebl.ca/games . - LECB -
Ce fut difficile, mais les River Lions de Niagara ont trouvé les ressources nécessaires pour arracher la victoire lors du 100e match de saison régulière de l'entraîneur-chef Victor Raso dans la LECB, gâchant ainsi le début de saison des BlackJacks d’Ottawa avec une victoire de 87-85. Les BlackJacks ont démarré en force, menés par Tyrell Tate qui a enchaîné deux tirs à trois points pour lancer une séquence de 19-5 au milieu du premier quart-temps, portant l'avance d'Ottawa à 24-10. Ils ont conservé une avance allant jusqu’à 16 points pendant la majeure partie du match et sont entrés dans la période du pointage cible en tête 78-66. Niagara a eu des difficultés au tir en première mi-temps, ne réussissant aucun tir à trois points jusqu’à ce que Connor Vreeken en inscrive un à 48 secondes de la fin du premier quart. L’équipe a conclu la première moitié de match avec seulement 3 réussites sur 15 tentatives à trois points. « On est restés calmes », a déclaré Raso à propos de l’état d’esprit de son équipe à la mi-temps. « Je pensais qu’on avait encore beaucoup à donner. C’est une toute nouvelle équipe. Mais on est devenus très solides défensivement, et c’est surtout cette intensité défensive qui nous a permis de revenir. » Les ajustements ont porté leurs fruits : les River Lions ont limité les BlackJacks à un pourcentage de réussite de 30,5 % (11 sur 36) en deuxième mi-temps, après une première moitié à 50 %. Rudi Williams a mené les siens avec 15 points. Deng Adel a ajouté 14 points, 12 rebonds et 6 passes décisives — une performance qui lui a permis de devenir le meneur de tous les temps de la franchise dans ces deux dernières catégories. Isaih Moore a contribué avec 14 points, et Tyrell Tate a terminé avec 13. « Les défaites sont décevantes, je le comprends », a réagi l’entraîneur-chef des BlackJacks, Dave DeAveiro. « Mais ce qui m’importe, c’est le processus et la manière dont on va s’améliorer. C’est tout ce qui compte pour moi en ce moment. » Du côté des River Lions, le capitaine Kimbal Mackenzie a été le facteur décisif, inscrivant 24 points avec cinq tirs à trois points. Il a également été redoutable en défense, gênant continuellement les joueurs des BlackJacks… et même leurs partisans par sa présence vocale. « C’est un vrai capitaine », a souligné Raso à propos de son joueur vedette. « Il est le prolongement de moi sur le terrain. Kimbal est aussi l’entraîneur de l’équipe féminine du Niagara College. Il comprend tous les aspects du jeu. Il joue le meilleur basketball de sa carrière. Oui, il fait lever la foule à domicile comme à l’extérieur — il a même écopé d’une faute antisportive — alors je comprends que certains ne l’aiment pas, mais pour nous, c’est notre leader. » En plus de l’apport de Mackenzie, l’importé Ron Curry a inscrit 15 points et mené le match avec 7 passes décisives. L’Ottavien Eddie Ekiyor, de retour au jeu, a ajouté 11 points et 8 rebonds. Toujours humble, l’entraîneur Raso a préféré souligner les mérites de ses joueurs et la qualité croissante de la ligue, lui qui a vu son évolution depuis plusieurs années. « (La LECB) est complètement différente d’il y a six ans », s’est-il souvenu. « Il n’y avait que six équipes, le jeu était très différent. Maintenant, on est diffusés à TSN, les foules sont au rendez-vous, et la qualité des joueurs est exceptionnelle. Je suis heureux d’en faire partie, parce que je pense que cette ligue va aller très loin. » Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600567 À venir pour les deux équipes Les BlackJacks accueilleront les Honey Badgers de Brampton à la Place TD pour le premier de leurs quatre affrontements cette saison, le 21 mai. Quant aux River Lions, ils poursuivront leur série de trois matchs à l’extérieur avec un déplacement sur la côte ouest pour affronter les Bandits de Vancouver (1-0) le 22 mai. Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB et obtenir les résultats à jour, visitez cebl.ca/games. - LECB -
The Montreal Alliance had a commanding 21-point lead heading into Target Score Time. They defeated the Brampton Honey Badgers 88-66 in Verdun Auditorium on Sunday night. With the exception of guard Alain Louis, who has been with the Alliance since their inception, they are a new team under a new ownership. Two-time CEBL champion and new head coach Jermaine Small also got his debut victory. It was a statement game for the franchise as they have historically been dominated by Brampton 7-1. Coach Small was impressed by his team’s leader Quincy Guerrier, who had a game-high 21 points on 9-for-16 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. “I think the talent is undeniable,” Small said to a group of reporters. “Every shot he makes is like a momentum play for us because, obviously, it’s a hometown kid … I feel lucky to coach him and I felt like he made his mark.” Guerrier let his game speak as Toronto Raptor and Montreal native Chris Boucher watched from the sidelines. The Alliance set the tone early as they dominated the offensive glass and was plus-14 in points in the paint by halftime. “Montreal had 11 offensive rebounds. That’s way too much,” Brampton Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said as he shook his head at halftime. “So we just have to make sure we’re closing out possessions.” The Honey Badgers got off to a strong second quarter start, but their heavy reliance on 2024 Canadian Player of the Year Koby McEwen meant that defending the Alliance’s opponents got easier. McEwen finished the game with 15 points. In the second half, the Alliance kept their foot on the gas. They instantly sank a 3-ball, and a Brampton’s shot clock violation after grabbing two offensive boards seemed deflating. The momentum shifted in Montreal’s favour as the third frame ended with Alliance forward Michael Diggins’ two-handed slam and forward Abdul Mohamed’s lay-up off a steal by their import guard Tavis Smith. McEwen continued to be neutralized in the second half and his frustration exploded into a technical foul right before Target Time. There were, however, improvements within the game for the Honey Badgers. They only allowed five offensive rebounds in the second half compared to 11 in the first. “A lot of it is just being ready for physicality,” Cassimy said about what his team had to change in the second half. “At the beginning, Montreal was way more physical and we just had to make sure we matched that.” The Honey Badgers were missing forward Prince Oduro, who averaged 9.3 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game (2.8 offensive boards per game), as well as import player Quinndary Weatherspoon from the line-up. At one point, the Honey Badgers inched within two possessions, coming within five points in the second quarter. Brampton guard Mike Demagus’s three-pointer off a McEwen assist brought the game within single digits, and then a deep wing 3 by McEwen put them within five points. But the Alliance’s combination of attacking inside the paint and defensive ball pressure was too much to handle. Small remains excited about his team’s ceiling. “I think we could maybe be the best defensive team in the league. And that’s my goal personally and they know that,” said the new coach about his new squad. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600568 Up nex t for both teams Both teams will face the Ottawa Blackjacks in their next game, with Ottawa hosting Brampton this Wednesday, May 21st before Montreal welcomes Ottawa in the outdoor game on Friday, May 23rd at IGA Stadium. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers will host the Ottawa Blackjacks on Wednesday, May 21st. Like Brampton, Ottawa is 0-1 and both teams will be looking for their first win. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
It wasn’t easy, but the Niagara River Lions rallied late to take home the win in head coach Victor Rasso’s 100 th regular season CEBL game, spoiling the Ottawa BlackJacks season debut with an 87-85 victory. The BlackJacks started off hot with Tyrell Tate nailing back-to-back three pointers to start a 19-5 run mid-way through the first quarter to pull his team ahead 24-10. They would build their lead as high as 16 for the majority of the game and entered Target Score Time up 78-66. Niagara struggled shooting the ball throughout the first half, failing to make a three-point shot until Connor Vreeken sank a basket with 48 seconds left in the first quarter. They finished the half just 3-of-15 from beyond the arc. “We were pretty calm,” Raso said of his team’s mindset going into halftime. “I did think we had a lot more to give and it’s still very new; this is a very new basketball team. But we got really tough defensively and that was more of a defensive run at the end than anything.” The adjustments paid dividends, as the River Lions held the BlackJacks to just 11-for-36 shooting from the floor in the second half after they shot 50 per cent to start the game. Rudi Williams led the team with 15 points. Deng Adel added 14 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists on a night where he moved into the franchise’s all-time lead in the latter two categories. Isaih Moore chipped in with 14 points himself, and Tyrrel Tate finished with 13. “Losses are disappointing, I get it,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said after the game. “But I’m just looking at the process and how we’re going to get better, that’s all I’m concerned about right now.” On the other side of the ball, team captain Kimbal Mackenzie was the difference maker, scoring 24 points and hitting five three-pointers. He was a menace on the defensive end as well, constantly disrupting the BlackJacks players and even their fans with his vocal approach. “He’s a captain,” Raso said of his star player after the game. “He is the captain of the team. He’s an extension of me. Kimball’s the Niagara college women’s coach. He gets it from both ends and he’s playing the best basketball he’s ever played. Yes, he fires the crowd up at home and on the road, he took a couple of fouls – he got an unsportsmanlike foul – so I can see why people don’t like him, but he’s our leader.” On top of Mackenzie’s contributions, import Ron Curry had 15 points and a game high seven assists, while the returning Ottawa native Eddie Ekiyor had 11 points and 8 rebounds. Never one to take too much of the credit, Coach Raso deferred the praise to his players and the level of talent the league has been able to recruit in Year 7, citing the growth he’s seen in the league since he’s been here. “(The CEBL) is remarkably different than it was six years ago,” he reminisced. “There were six teams in the league, all the basketball was so different. Now we’re on TSN, these games have crowds like this, the quality of basket players are through the roof. I’m happy to be on board because I think this is going cool places.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600567 Up next for both teams The BlackJacks will welcome the Brampton Honey Badgers to The Arena at TD Place for their first of four meetings this season on May 21. As for the River Lions, they’ll continue their three-game road trip with a trek over to the west coast to face off against the 1-0 Vancouver Bandits on May 22. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
Collins brings NBA, NBA Summer League and NBA G League experience most recently with the Santa Cruz Warriors
Despite a furious comeback by the Edmonton Stingers at the end, the Winnipeg Sea Bears walked away with a season-opening win at the Canada Life Centre on Friday night. A pair of Tevian Jones free throws secured a 92-89 victory for Winnipeg, in a game the Sea Bears led by 16 points heading into Target Score Time. Winnipeg head coach and general manager Mike Taylor promised a team-first brand of basketball entering the year, and count that promise kept, at least through one game. The Sea Bears racked up 19 assists on 31 made field goals while getting contributions up and down the roster. Starting with Jones, who finished with a team-high 25 points, going 8-for-8 from the charity stripe while adding six rebounds and two steals. The import forward picked up right where he left off as a member of the Scarborough Shooting Stars last season, when his 16.9 points per game ranked 15th in the CEBL. “I’m really pleased with the way the team played today,” Taylor said post-game. “We have such a short time to prepare and so many new faces … I’m really pleased with the way our team, for the first game, we all responded together.” Right behind Jones was fellow import Jaylin Williams, who tallied 20 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high four blocks. Meanwhile, a pair of Winnipeg natives in Emmanuel Akot and Kyler Filewich did their part as well. Akot chipped in 17 and six rebounds while Filewich added six points and a game-high 13 rebounds in his first game as a pro. “It was a lot of fun,” Filewich said of his Sea Bears debut. “Glad to share it with all my teammates, and hopefully a lot more games like that this summer.” On the other side, Sean East II carried the load for the Stingers as they ultimately fell to 0-2 despite their late rally. The import guard finished with a game-high 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting, while backcourt mate Devonté Bandoo scored 21 on 8-of-14 from the field. Nick Hornsby and former Sea Bear Scottie Lindsey rounded out the double-digit scorers for Edmonton on Friday, putting up 13 and 14 points, respectively. Hornsby added 10 boards as well for his first double-double of the season. Backdropping the Sea Bears’ opener was the fact it was their first game since the sudden loss of captain Chad Posthumus in the off-season. The franchise honoured the Winnipeg native by retiring his No. 33 in a pre-game ceremony and hanging his jersey in the rafters while a capacity crowd of 10,649 fans in attendance cheered. The Sea Bears will also wear “33 forever” patches throughout the season as one of the many ways they plan to celebrate Posthumus’ legacy . “Chad obviously meant so much to this team,” Filewich said while reflecting on the pre-game ceremony. “So seeing that, it gave us that extra motivation on opening night, it was a special moment.” And it appeared, at least early, that the emotions from pre-game had sparked Winnipeg into a strong start. The Sea Bears opened the game on a 13-4 run that was punctuated by an Akot and-one on his former teammate Lindsey, and some stellar team defence. Winnipeg held Edmonton to under 30 per cent shooting from the field in the first as it built up a 21-13 lead. Come the second quarter, that advantage only grew as Jones caught fire following a slow start. After missing his first five shots, the do-it-all wing made four of his next seven looks en route to a 14-point scoring frame. Jones’ effort built the Sea Bears' lead up to 47-36 at the break, a margin they extended up to 18 after the third quarter. Most of the final frame seemed like a similar story as a Terry Roberts layup put Winnipeg ahead by 20 points at the 6:24 mark, their largest lead of the ball game, as the Sea Bears eventually went into Target Time with an 83-67 lead. The Stingers showed some resilience, however, going on an 8-0 run that was punctuated by Hornsby. He scored six of those points on his own, capping off the effort with an and-one that cut Edmonton’s deficit to eight points. From there, the Stingers were able to capitalize on a trio of costly Sea Bears turnovers and cut the deficit to just one on a Taye Donald layup in semi-transition. Donald’s heroics were quickly wiped away when he was called for a foul moments later and Jones closed the ball game at the free throw line. “We played well in the last eight minutes, but we’re certainly going to watch a lot of film on the first 32,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. “Lots of things we need to clean up but … I love the resilience from the guys.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600566 Up next for both teams The Stingers return to action on May 22, visiting the 0-1 Saskatchewan Rattlers to continue a three-game road trip. Meanwhile, the Sea Bears host the 1-1 Calgary Surge on May 23 for a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Play-In game. Next CEBL action The Ottawa BlackJacks tip off their season on Sunday at The Arena at TD Place, as they’ll host the 1-0 Niagara River Lions for a matinee in the nation’s capital. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
Douglas will make his CEBL debut this Sunday as the Honey Badgers visit the Montréal Alliance for their regular season debut.
Niagara leaned on its championship experience to start this season the same way the last ended: with a win. The defending champion River Lions beat the Calgary Surge 98-94 in their home opener on Friday at the Meridian Centre. Calgary fell to 1-1 with the loss following a season-opening victory over Edmonton on Sunday. A game that long seemed in the hands of Niagara — which once led by 16 — turned into a tight contest in Target Score Time when Calgary took its first lead of the game. However, the River Lions, who led 89-86 when the clock stopped, fought back to take a 96-94 lead of their own. That’s when head coach Victor Raso called timeout to set up a sideline out-of-bounds play. And River Lions fans saw something they might remember – just with a couple different names. Ahmed Hill, in his first game as a River Lion, curled around a screen toward the net as inbounder Kimbal Mackenzie lofted a lob into the Niagara sky. Hill soared through the air and jammed home the alley-oop, putting an exclamation mark on the season-opening win. It was the same play the team executed last season – from TJ Lall to Khalil Ahmad — to beat the Ottawa BlackJacks in the quarterfinals last year. “It was amazing,” Hill said. “Shout out to the team. Shout out to the organization. Shout out to the fans for coming out, there was a great turnout. Happy we got the dub, for sure.” Surge head coach Kaleb Canales, who spent time leading the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012, promised to see Raso and the River Lions again after the barnburner finish. “Tough battle [on] both ends. Came down to the wire. You know, we had opportunities. Got to do a better job at cleaning up the rebounds. Great game. I'll see him down the road. I'll be there,” Canales said. Zooming out, Raso, who has coached Niagara for its entire CEBL existence, said his team looked like one just getting its feet wet in a new season despite the win. “I thought we played better offensively than we did defensively. I thought we were too much kind of focused on them and their strengths and we needed to be more focused on us defensively and being fundamental and all the stuff we did in training camp,” Raso said. For Niagara, the win was a continuation of its home cooking from last season, when it became just the second team ever to go undefeated on its home court. The River Lions’ last loss at the Meridian Centre came on June 24, 2023, at the hands of Ottawa. “The crowd is awesome. We play well at home and we just believe we can win. That's a massive thing. If you've got energy and belief, then you can do a lot of great stuff,” Raso said. Hill, 30, enjoyed a strong River Lions debut even beyond playing hero, totalling 20 points while adding five rebounds, five assists and four steals. The Augusta, Ga., native came to Niagara after four seasons split between the Guelph Nighthawks and Montreal Alliance. “I felt a little weird because every time I come in here, it's always a battle, but it's good being on … the home side. So it felt really good. I'm excited for the future,” Hill said. Hill also drained three three-pointers to give him 200 in the regular season for his career — the first player in league history to reach that mark. He said he hopes to continue growing into the Niagara culture moving forward. “Just fitting in, you know, I bring a lot of things to the game, so whatever they need me to do, I just fit in to do it,” Hill said. Raso said the River Lions are built to win with depth — but that the Hill addition certainly doesn’t hurt. “We don't necessarily play through one guy over and over. I mean, Khalil Ahmad has been that for us in the past, but we weren't necessarily playing through Ahmed tonight. He just does a lot of things. He does a lot of winning things, and he's proven in this league. And he played really well in the second half tonight,” Raso said. The River Lions also welcomed back forward Eddie Ekiyor, who played for the team in 2023 but missed last season with a knee injury. The Ottawa native recorded 11 points and four rebounds in his return. Mackenzie, the team captain, was second in scoring behind Hill with 17 points. Guillaume Boucard, who played with Montreal last season but was a River Lion from 2019 to 2021, added 15 points and nine rebounds. CEBL rookie Olumide Adelodun led the Surge with 25 points, including multiple key three-pointers as Calgary waged a comeback attempt in the second half. Greg Brown III contributed 23 points and six rebounds for Calgary, while Stefan Jankovic poured in 12 points off the bench. Canales said he’s been impressed with his team’s cohesiveness through two games. “Love our competitiveness, our grit, our connection on both ends. You know, everything we've been practising, we're working on, we're seeing it on the floor, and we know every game's going to be tough, so we just got to focus on the next game and turn the page,” he said. Niagara was up 28-24 after the first quarter despite leading by as much as 12 in the early going. It extended its lead to 57-50 at halftime. The River Lions’ lead swelled up to 16 in the third quarter, but Niagara took an 80-74 into the final 10 minutes. Then came the dramatic fourth quarter. Now, Niagara looks set on defending its title. And the scary part for River Lions opponents? This may not be their final form, as Ahmad — who led Niagara in its title run and scored the winning bucket — could return to the team later in the season. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600565 Up Next The River Lions hit the road to face the BlackJacks on Sunday, while the Surge have a week off before visiting the Winnipeg Sea Bears next Friday. Next CEBL Action In addition to the River Lions-BlackJacks game on Sunday, the Montreal Alliance will host the Brampton Honey Badgers in their home opener. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -