Surge clinch playoff berth with victory over Alliance

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 -

As Year 7 of CEBL action gets underway, so does the race to Championship Weekend 2025. Not only a three-day celebration of basketball north of the border, but also a battleground to determine which team walks away with a title once the dust settles. This year, the festivities will be taking place in Winnipeg. Heading into just their third season as part of the CEBL — already known for raucous crowds and uber-committed fans — the Sea Bears were awarded the honour of hosting CW25 for the first time in franchise history. And make no mistake, the organization wants to make a statement when they welcome the competition to their home in August. “It’s going to be something special,” said head coach and general manager Mike Taylor. “I think the way it’s going to be here in Winnipeg will raise the level for the CEBL. All eyes will be on the City of Winnipeg, and I think Winnipeg will help elevate the expectations and standards of what Championship Weekend is going to be.” With so much enthusiasm even before the team’s season opener on Friday, excitement feels like the obvious emotion to associate with the Sea Bears’ upcoming campaign. And while that’s true, there will be one more, equally prevalent, feeling throughout the summer … grief. Amid the 2024 off-season, the franchise and local community were blindsided by the sudden loss of Chad Posthumus. The Sea Bears player and Winnipeg native suffered a brain aneurysm during a training session last November and later passed away following complications with corrective surgery. The 33-year-old was a stalwart of the CEBL, having played five seasons in the league with three different teams, the last two of which were with his hometown Sea Bears — a fact that Posthumus often pointed to with pride as his decade-long basketball journey spanning over 10 countries led him back to where it all began. But his legacy extends much further than simply being a part of Canada’s largest professional sports league. To the point that the CEBL’s story cannot be told without a full chapter on Posthumus. The 6-foot-10 centre was a member of the league’s inaugural champion Saskatchewan Rattlers in 2019, even starting alongside Championship Weekend MVP and eventual Sea Bears teammate Alex Campbell in their title-clinching win. Fast forward to 2021, he joined the Ottawa BlackJacks for their playoff run and in his team debut recorded the CEBL’s first-ever 20-20 game with 23 points and 20 rebounds in a quarterfinal victory. And when Winnipeg entered the fold as the league’s newest franchise in 2023, they wasted no time in making Posthumus the first player signing and captain in franchise history. From there, it didn’t take long for him to keep adding to the record books. In the Sea Bears' inaugural game, it was Posthumus who brought the Canada Life Centre to its feet as he scored Winnipeg’s first-ever Target Score winner. In true big man fashion, he corralled a missed shot and bounced it in off the glass before sprinting away in celebration. That moment was one of many that Taylor said came to mind when thinking about Posthumus’ legacy in Winnipeg. “He really helped establish the whole organization,” the Sea Bears bench boss explained as he prepared for his first season coaching the team without its captain by his side. “Chad was one of the key guys to maintaining our values and structure. He was one of those guys who never wavered … a strengthening force and glue for our team.” Most of Taylor’s other memories about the hometown hero were connected to his off-court antics, whether it was the smile Posthumus routinely greeted folks with during morning meetings or the big man’s laugh-inducing “quirky” stretches during practice. “Chad was just such a positive, bigger than life personality … there was nobody that loved Winnipeg and the Sea Bears more,” Taylor added. And that passion extended off the court as well, as Posthumus was well known for his work throughout his local community. His efforts were recognized in March as the Winnipeg native was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, a national honour recognizing Canadians for significant contributions to their country, region or communities. Posthumus was a staunch representative of the Sea Bears throughout youth camps while often acting as a spokesperson for a variety of causes, such as Diabetes Canada , Buckets & Borders and others. That spirit of kindness was present no matter what Posthumus did, as Taylor credited the big man for consistently going out of his way to connect with coaches and players. Just ask Emmanuel Akot, who fondly thinks back to when the Sea Bears captain welcomed him to the team. “He was just selfless,” said the forward, who re-signed with his hometown ahead of the 2025 season. “I remember the first time I came back to Winnipeg, I hadn’t been back a while … he invited me to shoot around. That’s the type of teammate he was. It was never about him, it was about us.” When asked if any moments throughout training camp these last few weeks might’ve brought up memories of Posthumus, Akot was quick to mention how any instances of laughter or positivity were immediately associated with the captain’s impact. But that wasn’t his only answer. “Watching Kyler Filewich play,” was the forward’s follow-up, pointing to play-style similarities between the Sea Bears' first local signing and their most recent one. “He reminds me a lot of Chad.” Which might not simply be a coincidence, as Filewich said he often paid close attention to Posthumus whenever he returned to Winnipeg between NCAA campaigns and watched the Sea Bears play. And ahead of his first professional basketball season, the rookie wants to continue following in Posthumus’ footsteps. “Leading with my voice, providing physicality on both ends and on the glass, those are things I’ve taken from him and things he was really great at,” Filewich explained. “So, I’m just trying to contribute in that way as well.” An attitude his head coach fully supports, encouraging the team to “use Chad for what he was, a great Sea Bear, a great role model and example for what we want our players to be.” Which is why the 23-year-old won’t be the only one adopting Posthumus’ “all in” mentality as described by Taylor. Among the many ways the team will honour its captain — retiring his No. 33 during a pre-game ceremony on Friday and wearing “33 forever” patches throughout the season — they’ll also serve as a reminder of his legacy with their play on the court. “(We’re) dedicating this season to him,” Akot said. “Going out hard every practice, taking it seriously every game, because we all know how much he cared about the Sea Bears and basketball here in Winnipeg. “So to pay our respects to him, we’ll go hard every day, because I know that’s what he really wants.” And beyond effort levels, the Sea Bears are ready to mimic Posthumus’ selfless brand of basketball stylistically as well. “We feel like what’s going to take us to the next level, and bring post-season success, will be all about team play,” Taylor explained, noting how previous iterations of the team were driven primarily through top-end talent, giving credit to a pair of former Sea Bears and prolific scorers in Teddy Allen and Justin Wright-Foreman. “On both ends of the floor, (taking) steps to be more connected as a team. We’ve got good personalities … we’ve got some high IQ players and guys that will play great team basketball. Both Akot and Filewich echoed those sentiments while adding “versatile” and “unique” as descriptors for the 2025 Sea Bears. So as Winnipeg gets ready for a meaningful season, aiming to build the right habits ahead of its eventual bye to a Western Conference Final — perks of being host for Championship Weekend — and just two wins shy of a first title in franchise history, the team will have plenty on its mind. On one hand, they’ll be competing for a fanbase that has consistently rallied around them throughout their ebbs and flows. “We absolutely love Winnipeg,” Taylor said while proudly referencing the many times the Sea Bears have set attendance records, owning three of the top four single-game marks in CEBL history while boasting a league-best showing of 10,580 fans for a playoff contest. “We’ve gotten off to an exciting start the first two summers, and this season we want to do everything we can … to be a team fans love to watch, and hopefully they can see great team basketball and how we’ve evolved.” On the other hand, the Sea Bears will be playing for Posthumus’ legacy, as they have no doubt their captain will be on the path with them in lockstep. “I still believe that Chad is with us,” Taylor said. “He was all in for our team, all in for our organization, and we know that he would’ve been all in for this Championship Weekend.” So as the race toward a CEBL title gets underway, the Sea Bears will keep both of those motivations in mind while waiting for other teams to meet them at the finish line — all with hopes of accomplishing one goal, according to their head coach. “We want to put the ‘win’ back in Winnipeg.” - CEBL -