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RECENT NEWS
August 11, 2025
The Calgary Surge made sure to end their regular season on a high note, picking up a 94-76 win over the defending champion Niagara River Lions on Sunday night. Calgary’s victory in the storied Scotiabank Saddledome improved the squad to 17-7 on the year and sent the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed into the playoffs on a four-game win streak. Leading that charge was Olumide Adelodun, who finished with a game-high 17 points on 4-of-9 shooting from distance to go with eight rebounds. Behind him was DJ Jackson with 15 points off the bench and Javonté Brown, who put up 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Rounding out the Surge’s double-digit scoring efforts were Evan Gilyard II with 13 points and eight assists and Jameer Nelson Jr. with 10 points. All of this was made more impressive by the fact that Calgary was without two regular starters in Gabe Osabuohien and Sean Miller-Moore. “We came to the game with an intense mentality,” Brown said after his double-double effort. “We came to play, came to win and (our secondary players) stepped up today.” On the other side, the loss dropped the River Lions to 14-10 on the season as they capped off their year on a five-game skid. Curtis Hollis led the River Lions’ effort on Sunday with 15 points off the pine to go with 10 rebounds and two steals. Khalil Ahmad wasn’t far behind as he added 13 points while Kimbal Mackenzie and Ahmed Hill scored 12 points each. While it wasn’t an ideal outcome for Hill’s squad, the game marked a milestone night for the CEBL veteran. It was his 100th appearance (regular season + playoffs), making Hill one of just three players (Alex Campbell, Malcolm Duvivier) in league history to reach the triple-digit mark for games played all-time. Meanwhile, entering Sunday, it was clear both teams were after the same thing to end the regular season before heading into the playoffs: momentum. For the Surge, it was about maintaining it as they were in the midst of a win streak and looking to finish the season with a strong 9-3 home record. Meanwhile, the River Lions were hoping to snatch some of that momentum as they rode into Calgary amid a season-worst skid and 5-6 road record despite holding onto the No. 1 seed out East and a bye into the Conference Final. Given that both teams had the same goal, it wasn’t a surprise that the ball game remained tightly contested throughout the opening frame. Niagara eked out a 24-22 lead by the end of the first thanks to a quarter-ending 5-0 run. A spark that helped the defending champs capture some of that momentum they were so desperately after, as the River Lions went on a 16-2 charge between the end of the first and start of the second to lead by as many as 16 points before halftime. That lead was short-lived, however, as the Surge answered back before the break. The home team ended the first half on a 7-2 run, including a buzzer-beating layup by Nelson that cut the deficit back to single digits, 47-39. What underscored Niagara’s halftime lead was an uncharacteristically strong showing from beyond the arc. Despite entering the night tied last in three-point makes per game (8.5) and second last in percentage (30.5), the River Lions knocked down seven triples (plus-four) through the first 20 minutes on an impressive 43 per cent clip. Yet it was Calgary’s effectiveness from deep that defined the second half. After going 3-of-14 on threes before the break, the Surge went 10-of-17 through the second half as they outscored the River Lions by 26 points (55-29). Meanwhile, Niagara did little to help itself in that regard, cooling off to the tune of just five makes on its final 19 attempts. Calgary went 5-for-9 from distance in the third, including back-to-back triples from Adelodun and Kyri Thomas at the 4:47 mark, giving the Surge the lead back for the first time since the opening frame. They ended up outscoring the River Lions 31-17 in the third quarter, turning an eight-point halftime deficit into a 70-64 lead. The Surge then pushed their advantage to 12 points by the start of Target Score Time when the long ball, once again, had the most to say. Back-to-back triples from Gilyard and Jackson were sandwiched between makes at the rim by Brown as Calgary capped off its regular season with an emphatic victory. Aside from the Surge’s production from distance, it was the squad’s trademark defensive tenacity that proved to be a catalyst in the win. While Calgary forced 18 turnovers to Niagara’s 15, the home team capitalizing on those freebies is what made the difference. The Surge finished with a 28-16 (plus-12) edge on points off turnovers. All the while, Calgary's defence has held opponents to an average of 83.8 points through its four-game win streak, beating teams by a margin of 18.8 points during that span. “It feels good,” Brown said. “Just to know that our (secondary players) can compete with one of the best teams in the whole CEBL, it gives us a lot of confidence. But we put in a lot of work, so I’m not even surprised to be honest.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600681 Next CEBL action With the regular season wrapped up, CEBL basketball will return on Thursday for Play-In action. First, the Montreal Alliance will visit the Scarborough Shooting Stars out East, followed by the Surge hosting the Edmonton Stingers in a playoff Battle of Alberta in the West. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
August 11, 2025
Edmonton and Niagara received a taste of post-season basketball on Friday. A chippy, tightly contested matchup ended in a 92-81 win for the Stingers over the River Lions at the Edmonton Expo Center in the second-last regular-season game of the year for both teams. Edmonton moved to 14-9 for the season, keeping its hopes alive of a home playoff game depending on Calgary's result later Friday. The Battle of Alberta is locked in as the Western Conference play-in game. Either way, the Stingers don't appear like they'll back down — at least if Friday's win was any indication. “We know it's going to be a dogfight against Calgary. We know it's going to be a playoff-type atmosphere. It's going to be tooth and nail, it's going to be a five-point ballgame, so for us to be able to trust each other and have that chemistry going down the stretch is going to be important,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. Niagara has already clinched a spot at Championship Weekend with the top seed in the Eastern Conference but is now riding a four-game losing streak as it falls to 14-9. The Stingers fired on all cylinders right from the tip, building an early advantage and holding on even as the River Lions made a series of runs throughout the game. When the clock stopped for Target Score Time, Edmonton held an 82-76 lead. The Stingers stood tall during the game's final phase, calmly playing their game and ultimately going up 90-81. Veteran Nick Hornsby then raced in transition after a River Lions turnover, stopped up, bounced a shot off the glass and clinched the win for his team. The Stingers clearly enjoyed the win. The team danced their way down the floor after Hornsby's victory — Scottie Lindsey called the choreography “natural” — and huddled around the booth for Lindsey's post-game interview. “We're a family and winning is our main thing right now. We want to bring a championship back to Edmonton, and we're closed,” Lindsey said. The win marked the Stingers' second straight after beating the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Wednesday. Also Friday, Vancouver clinched the top seed in the West with a 102-95 victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The Bandits will host the winner in the conference semifinal next Saturday. For the Stingers, it means their play-in opponent — the Surge — has been determined. “We're trying to gain momentum not only with wins, but with style of play, and I think tonight was rocky at times, but we weathered the storm and ended up on top,” Baker said. Edmonton's offense — a strength all season — keyed its latest victory as the Stingers scored 49 points in the first half, made 59 per cent of their two-point attempts and connected on 48 per cent of their overall field-goal attempts. The scoring was balanced throughout the Stingers lineup as leader Sean East II was limited to 14 points. He now needs 16 points in the Stingers' Sunday finale to break the league's single-season scoring mark. “It just goes to show how deep we are. We've been together all year … so we're just trying to keep building that chemistry and keep building toward the playoffs,” East II said. In his place, Hornsby led the way with 21 points to go with four rebounds and four assists, Lindsey added 20 points, four rebounds and four steals and forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton put up 12 points and six rebounds. Baker said he was happy with the Stingers' team-first offensive mentality. “We attacked aggressively, we found our gaps, we took advantage of mismatches. When the ball gets stagnant and we try to isolate, I think that's where we struggle a bit,” he said. Hornsby said his team's “hard-headedness” was its key to success. “They came out pretty hot in the second half. We didn't get down. We were frustrated with ourselves, just in the sense of we weren't doing what we needed to do, but we picked that back up and turned it around,” he said. The River Lions, meanwhile, are suddenly stumbling as they make their way toward Winnipeg for Championship Weekend. Niagara's losing skid comes on the heels of a franchise-record seven-game winning streak — and it may be feeling the frustration after it picked up technical crowds in the first half, including two on the bench and one against leading scorer Khalil Ahmad. Head coach Victor Raso said the River Lions have been “losing on the margins.” “It's a really tough task that we have right now and we're struggling with it. We're struggling to play meaningful, really high-level, championship-caliber basketball with nothing on the line and it's a dangerous game that we're playing here. I trust the experience of the group, but it's not ideal,” Raso said. The River Lions enjoyed a balanced scoring attack like the Stingers, with Ahmad and Ron Curry sharing the team high with 19 points each. Elijah Lufile fell just shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Ahmed Hill added 11 first-half points off the bench. Captain Kimbal Mackenzie, who had 11 points of his own, said his team is still working hard despite already having Championship Weekend locked down. “We're trying to be in a mode here where we're going in with good momentum. We're a competitive group. We play basketball because we like competing, because we want to win every game,” he said. The Stingers roared to a strong start and led 23-19 by the end of the first quarter. Another strong second quarter left Edmonton with a 49-42 lead at halftime, but Niagara responded with a 7-0 run to even terms early in the third quarter. Through 30 minutes, the Stingers regained a five-point advantage at 69-64. Edmonton then kept Niagara at arm's length throughout the fourth quarter. Now, it can carry that confidence into a Battle of Alberta play-in game. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600677 Up Next Both teams are in action for the final day of the regular season on Sunday as the Stingers host the Winnipeg Sea Bears while the River Lions visit the Calgary Surge. Next CEBL Action All 10 teams play on a quintuple-header Sunday as the regular season comes to a close. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL –
August 7, 2025
In what might have been a preview of the 2025 Championship Final, it was the Winnipeg Sea Bears that secured a leg up over the Niagara River Lions after an 86-81 win on Wednesday night. Both squads had already secured their spots in the Conference Finals before post-season action begins next week, Winnipeg (10-12) doing so by virtue of being the host city this season, while Niagara (14-8) paved its way by clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Meaning each team is just one win away from a rematch in the title game and only two victories away from securing a CEBL championship, giving each team plenty of opportunity to gain insight from the regular-season matchup. “(Possibly facing Niagara in the Final) was clearly on top of our minds,” Jalen Harris said after scoring a game-high 24 points and all of Winnipeg’s baskets in Target Score Time. “Coach had repeated that throughout the week, this is a team we could potentially see, so I think we were locked in a prepared to learn whatever we could from this game.” Behind the star guard was Will Richardson with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Simi Shittu with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Nathan Bilamu chipped in 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Terry Roberts added 10 points off the bench, and Trevon Scott dished out 10 assists to go with eight points. On the other side, Ron Curry led the defending champs by scoring 22 points, to go with six rebounds and four assists. Khalil Ahmad added 18 points and seven rebounds, while Ahmed Hill finished with 12 points off the bench. Despite the loss, Hill did reach a personal milestone on Wednesday as his two helpers pushed him past 200 assists all-time (regular season only), making him just the 14th player in CEBL history to reach that mark. The defeat at the Canada Life Centre also dropped the defending champs to 5-5 on the road this season, a stark contrast to their 9-3 showing at home in Niagara. “We’re not playing with a sense of urgency that we need,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said after his team’s third straight loss. “This was a team that won seven games in a row to clinch the East, and now we’re just not … the little things are showing up. “You can’t win a tight road game shooting 11-for-20 from the free throw line and as poorly as we did from three, but really, it’s the urgency. It has to matter a lot, and right now it doesn't.” Winnipeg may have struggled to contain Niagara early as it trailed 27-21 after the first — following a 9-of-11 start from inside the arc by the River Lions — but it was clear right out of the gates that Harris was in for a big game as he scored the Sea Bears’ first nine points on the night. And although the import put up just four points in the second, Winnipeg was still able to take advantage of that early momentum as it cut the deficit going into the break, trailing 45-42. The Sea Bears did so largely thanks to an inspired effort on the glass. Winnipeg grabbed 13 offensive rebounds (plus-nine) through the game’s first 20 minutes, which led to a 12-2 edge on second-chance points and eight more field goal attempts than Niagara at halftime. Not a total surprise considering the Sea Bears entered Wednesday ranked second in the CEBL for offensive rebounds per game (12.2). “We’re moving in the right direction,” Taylor said post-game. “We’ve got a great opportunity with our roster now, and I’m really proud of the attention to detail the players had today.” And coming out of halftime, coach Raso said his team needed to “gang rebound,” to limit Winnipeg’s success on that front, but that appeared easier said than done. By the end of the third, the Sea Bears had ballooned what was a plus-six rebounding edge through the first half into a plus-14 advantage. “We can’t just keep being like ‘we’re going to be okay,’” Raso said when asked about his team’s struggles of late toward the end of the season. “We’ll be back, but there has to be urgency. There’s no way around it … this team has won on the margins all year, and we need that.” All the while, the Sea Bears retook the lead less than two minutes into the second half, fittingly after Shittu corralled yet another offensive board and dropped it back in through contact. The forward then completed the and-one at the free throw line, giving the Sea Bears their first lead since the 7:11 mark of the first. Winnipeg then built that into a 65-61 edge by the end of the third quarter. The margin remained the same until the start of Target Score Time when Harris took over. The former second-round NBA draft pick scored all nine of Winnipeg’s points once the clock stopped and shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field to seal the win. His final basket — a layup through traffic after knifing through Niagara’s defence — was especially timely as the River Lions had gone on a 5-0 run and cut the deficit to just three points before Harris’s ninth Target Score Winner all-time. “We knew we had to execute,” Harris said of his heroics after the win. “It got away from us a little bit, but we buckled down and did what we planned to do.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600671 Up next Both squads return to action on Friday, starting with the Sea Bears hosting the Brampton Honey Badgers in another cross-conference clash. Meanwhile, the River Lions continue their season-ending four-game road trip with a matchup against the Edmonton Stingers. Next CEBL action Wednesday’s triple-header slate wraps up with the second leg of a home-and-home set between the Stingers and host Saskatchewan Rattlers at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local. The clash will mark their second matchup in three days and the final regular season meeting between the West rivals. Saskatchewan leads the season series 2-0. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
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RECENT NEWS
August 11, 2025
The Calgary Surge made sure to end their regular season on a high note, picking up a 94-76 win over the defending champion Niagara River Lions on Sunday night. Calgary’s victory in the storied Scotiabank Saddledome improved the squad to 17-7 on the year and sent the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed into the playoffs on a four-game win streak. Leading that charge was Olumide Adelodun, who finished with a game-high 17 points on 4-of-9 shooting from distance to go with eight rebounds. Behind him was DJ Jackson with 15 points off the bench and Javonté Brown, who put up 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Rounding out the Surge’s double-digit scoring efforts were Evan Gilyard II with 13 points and eight assists and Jameer Nelson Jr. with 10 points. All of this was made more impressive by the fact that Calgary was without two regular starters in Gabe Osabuohien and Sean Miller-Moore. “We came to the game with an intense mentality,” Brown said after his double-double effort. “We came to play, came to win and (our secondary players) stepped up today.” On the other side, the loss dropped the River Lions to 14-10 on the season as they capped off their year on a five-game skid. Curtis Hollis led the River Lions’ effort on Sunday with 15 points off the pine to go with 10 rebounds and two steals. Khalil Ahmad wasn’t far behind as he added 13 points while Kimbal Mackenzie and Ahmed Hill scored 12 points each. While it wasn’t an ideal outcome for Hill’s squad, the game marked a milestone night for the CEBL veteran. It was his 100th appearance (regular season + playoffs), making Hill one of just three players (Alex Campbell, Malcolm Duvivier) in league history to reach the triple-digit mark for games played all-time. Meanwhile, entering Sunday, it was clear both teams were after the same thing to end the regular season before heading into the playoffs: momentum. For the Surge, it was about maintaining it as they were in the midst of a win streak and looking to finish the season with a strong 9-3 home record. Meanwhile, the River Lions were hoping to snatch some of that momentum as they rode into Calgary amid a season-worst skid and 5-6 road record despite holding onto the No. 1 seed out East and a bye into the Conference Final. Given that both teams had the same goal, it wasn’t a surprise that the ball game remained tightly contested throughout the opening frame. Niagara eked out a 24-22 lead by the end of the first thanks to a quarter-ending 5-0 run. A spark that helped the defending champs capture some of that momentum they were so desperately after, as the River Lions went on a 16-2 charge between the end of the first and start of the second to lead by as many as 16 points before halftime. That lead was short-lived, however, as the Surge answered back before the break. The home team ended the first half on a 7-2 run, including a buzzer-beating layup by Nelson that cut the deficit back to single digits, 47-39. What underscored Niagara’s halftime lead was an uncharacteristically strong showing from beyond the arc. Despite entering the night tied last in three-point makes per game (8.5) and second last in percentage (30.5), the River Lions knocked down seven triples (plus-four) through the first 20 minutes on an impressive 43 per cent clip. Yet it was Calgary’s effectiveness from deep that defined the second half. After going 3-of-14 on threes before the break, the Surge went 10-of-17 through the second half as they outscored the River Lions by 26 points (55-29). Meanwhile, Niagara did little to help itself in that regard, cooling off to the tune of just five makes on its final 19 attempts. Calgary went 5-for-9 from distance in the third, including back-to-back triples from Adelodun and Kyri Thomas at the 4:47 mark, giving the Surge the lead back for the first time since the opening frame. They ended up outscoring the River Lions 31-17 in the third quarter, turning an eight-point halftime deficit into a 70-64 lead. The Surge then pushed their advantage to 12 points by the start of Target Score Time when the long ball, once again, had the most to say. Back-to-back triples from Gilyard and Jackson were sandwiched between makes at the rim by Brown as Calgary capped off its regular season with an emphatic victory. Aside from the Surge’s production from distance, it was the squad’s trademark defensive tenacity that proved to be a catalyst in the win. While Calgary forced 18 turnovers to Niagara’s 15, the home team capitalizing on those freebies is what made the difference. The Surge finished with a 28-16 (plus-12) edge on points off turnovers. All the while, Calgary's defence has held opponents to an average of 83.8 points through its four-game win streak, beating teams by a margin of 18.8 points during that span. “It feels good,” Brown said. “Just to know that our (secondary players) can compete with one of the best teams in the whole CEBL, it gives us a lot of confidence. But we put in a lot of work, so I’m not even surprised to be honest.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600681 Next CEBL action With the regular season wrapped up, CEBL basketball will return on Thursday for Play-In action. First, the Montreal Alliance will visit the Scarborough Shooting Stars out East, followed by the Surge hosting the Edmonton Stingers in a playoff Battle of Alberta in the West. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
August 11, 2025
Edmonton and Niagara received a taste of post-season basketball on Friday. A chippy, tightly contested matchup ended in a 92-81 win for the Stingers over the River Lions at the Edmonton Expo Center in the second-last regular-season game of the year for both teams. Edmonton moved to 14-9 for the season, keeping its hopes alive of a home playoff game depending on Calgary's result later Friday. The Battle of Alberta is locked in as the Western Conference play-in game. Either way, the Stingers don't appear like they'll back down — at least if Friday's win was any indication. “We know it's going to be a dogfight against Calgary. We know it's going to be a playoff-type atmosphere. It's going to be tooth and nail, it's going to be a five-point ballgame, so for us to be able to trust each other and have that chemistry going down the stretch is going to be important,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. Niagara has already clinched a spot at Championship Weekend with the top seed in the Eastern Conference but is now riding a four-game losing streak as it falls to 14-9. The Stingers fired on all cylinders right from the tip, building an early advantage and holding on even as the River Lions made a series of runs throughout the game. When the clock stopped for Target Score Time, Edmonton held an 82-76 lead. The Stingers stood tall during the game's final phase, calmly playing their game and ultimately going up 90-81. Veteran Nick Hornsby then raced in transition after a River Lions turnover, stopped up, bounced a shot off the glass and clinched the win for his team. The Stingers clearly enjoyed the win. The team danced their way down the floor after Hornsby's victory — Scottie Lindsey called the choreography “natural” — and huddled around the booth for Lindsey's post-game interview. “We're a family and winning is our main thing right now. We want to bring a championship back to Edmonton, and we're closed,” Lindsey said. The win marked the Stingers' second straight after beating the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Wednesday. Also Friday, Vancouver clinched the top seed in the West with a 102-95 victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The Bandits will host the winner in the conference semifinal next Saturday. For the Stingers, it means their play-in opponent — the Surge — has been determined. “We're trying to gain momentum not only with wins, but with style of play, and I think tonight was rocky at times, but we weathered the storm and ended up on top,” Baker said. Edmonton's offense — a strength all season — keyed its latest victory as the Stingers scored 49 points in the first half, made 59 per cent of their two-point attempts and connected on 48 per cent of their overall field-goal attempts. The scoring was balanced throughout the Stingers lineup as leader Sean East II was limited to 14 points. He now needs 16 points in the Stingers' Sunday finale to break the league's single-season scoring mark. “It just goes to show how deep we are. We've been together all year … so we're just trying to keep building that chemistry and keep building toward the playoffs,” East II said. In his place, Hornsby led the way with 21 points to go with four rebounds and four assists, Lindsey added 20 points, four rebounds and four steals and forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton put up 12 points and six rebounds. Baker said he was happy with the Stingers' team-first offensive mentality. “We attacked aggressively, we found our gaps, we took advantage of mismatches. When the ball gets stagnant and we try to isolate, I think that's where we struggle a bit,” he said. Hornsby said his team's “hard-headedness” was its key to success. “They came out pretty hot in the second half. We didn't get down. We were frustrated with ourselves, just in the sense of we weren't doing what we needed to do, but we picked that back up and turned it around,” he said. The River Lions, meanwhile, are suddenly stumbling as they make their way toward Winnipeg for Championship Weekend. Niagara's losing skid comes on the heels of a franchise-record seven-game winning streak — and it may be feeling the frustration after it picked up technical crowds in the first half, including two on the bench and one against leading scorer Khalil Ahmad. Head coach Victor Raso said the River Lions have been “losing on the margins.” “It's a really tough task that we have right now and we're struggling with it. We're struggling to play meaningful, really high-level, championship-caliber basketball with nothing on the line and it's a dangerous game that we're playing here. I trust the experience of the group, but it's not ideal,” Raso said. The River Lions enjoyed a balanced scoring attack like the Stingers, with Ahmad and Ron Curry sharing the team high with 19 points each. Elijah Lufile fell just shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, while Ahmed Hill added 11 first-half points off the bench. Captain Kimbal Mackenzie, who had 11 points of his own, said his team is still working hard despite already having Championship Weekend locked down. “We're trying to be in a mode here where we're going in with good momentum. We're a competitive group. We play basketball because we like competing, because we want to win every game,” he said. The Stingers roared to a strong start and led 23-19 by the end of the first quarter. Another strong second quarter left Edmonton with a 49-42 lead at halftime, but Niagara responded with a 7-0 run to even terms early in the third quarter. Through 30 minutes, the Stingers regained a five-point advantage at 69-64. Edmonton then kept Niagara at arm's length throughout the fourth quarter. Now, it can carry that confidence into a Battle of Alberta play-in game. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600677 Up Next Both teams are in action for the final day of the regular season on Sunday as the Stingers host the Winnipeg Sea Bears while the River Lions visit the Calgary Surge. Next CEBL Action All 10 teams play on a quintuple-header Sunday as the regular season comes to a close. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL –
August 7, 2025
In what might have been a preview of the 2025 Championship Final, it was the Winnipeg Sea Bears that secured a leg up over the Niagara River Lions after an 86-81 win on Wednesday night. Both squads had already secured their spots in the Conference Finals before post-season action begins next week, Winnipeg (10-12) doing so by virtue of being the host city this season, while Niagara (14-8) paved its way by clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Meaning each team is just one win away from a rematch in the title game and only two victories away from securing a CEBL championship, giving each team plenty of opportunity to gain insight from the regular-season matchup. “(Possibly facing Niagara in the Final) was clearly on top of our minds,” Jalen Harris said after scoring a game-high 24 points and all of Winnipeg’s baskets in Target Score Time. “Coach had repeated that throughout the week, this is a team we could potentially see, so I think we were locked in a prepared to learn whatever we could from this game.” Behind the star guard was Will Richardson with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Simi Shittu with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Nathan Bilamu chipped in 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Terry Roberts added 10 points off the bench, and Trevon Scott dished out 10 assists to go with eight points. On the other side, Ron Curry led the defending champs by scoring 22 points, to go with six rebounds and four assists. Khalil Ahmad added 18 points and seven rebounds, while Ahmed Hill finished with 12 points off the bench. Despite the loss, Hill did reach a personal milestone on Wednesday as his two helpers pushed him past 200 assists all-time (regular season only), making him just the 14th player in CEBL history to reach that mark. The defeat at the Canada Life Centre also dropped the defending champs to 5-5 on the road this season, a stark contrast to their 9-3 showing at home in Niagara. “We’re not playing with a sense of urgency that we need,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said after his team’s third straight loss. “This was a team that won seven games in a row to clinch the East, and now we’re just not … the little things are showing up. “You can’t win a tight road game shooting 11-for-20 from the free throw line and as poorly as we did from three, but really, it’s the urgency. It has to matter a lot, and right now it doesn't.” Winnipeg may have struggled to contain Niagara early as it trailed 27-21 after the first — following a 9-of-11 start from inside the arc by the River Lions — but it was clear right out of the gates that Harris was in for a big game as he scored the Sea Bears’ first nine points on the night. And although the import put up just four points in the second, Winnipeg was still able to take advantage of that early momentum as it cut the deficit going into the break, trailing 45-42. The Sea Bears did so largely thanks to an inspired effort on the glass. Winnipeg grabbed 13 offensive rebounds (plus-nine) through the game’s first 20 minutes, which led to a 12-2 edge on second-chance points and eight more field goal attempts than Niagara at halftime. Not a total surprise considering the Sea Bears entered Wednesday ranked second in the CEBL for offensive rebounds per game (12.2). “We’re moving in the right direction,” Taylor said post-game. “We’ve got a great opportunity with our roster now, and I’m really proud of the attention to detail the players had today.” And coming out of halftime, coach Raso said his team needed to “gang rebound,” to limit Winnipeg’s success on that front, but that appeared easier said than done. By the end of the third, the Sea Bears had ballooned what was a plus-six rebounding edge through the first half into a plus-14 advantage. “We can’t just keep being like ‘we’re going to be okay,’” Raso said when asked about his team’s struggles of late toward the end of the season. “We’ll be back, but there has to be urgency. There’s no way around it … this team has won on the margins all year, and we need that.” All the while, the Sea Bears retook the lead less than two minutes into the second half, fittingly after Shittu corralled yet another offensive board and dropped it back in through contact. The forward then completed the and-one at the free throw line, giving the Sea Bears their first lead since the 7:11 mark of the first. Winnipeg then built that into a 65-61 edge by the end of the third quarter. The margin remained the same until the start of Target Score Time when Harris took over. The former second-round NBA draft pick scored all nine of Winnipeg’s points once the clock stopped and shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the field to seal the win. His final basket — a layup through traffic after knifing through Niagara’s defence — was especially timely as the River Lions had gone on a 5-0 run and cut the deficit to just three points before Harris’s ninth Target Score Winner all-time. “We knew we had to execute,” Harris said of his heroics after the win. “It got away from us a little bit, but we buckled down and did what we planned to do.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600671 Up next Both squads return to action on Friday, starting with the Sea Bears hosting the Brampton Honey Badgers in another cross-conference clash. Meanwhile, the River Lions continue their season-ending four-game road trip with a matchup against the Edmonton Stingers. Next CEBL action Wednesday’s triple-header slate wraps up with the second leg of a home-and-home set between the Stingers and host Saskatchewan Rattlers at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local. The clash will mark their second matchup in three days and the final regular season meeting between the West rivals. Saskatchewan leads the season series 2-0. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
August 5, 2025
The Scarborough Shooting Stars bolstered their position for the Eastern Conference’s second seed Sunday, dismantling the first-place Niagara River Lions, 81-64. Led by Michael Foster Jr.’s franchise-record 16 rebounds and a commanding defensive effort, Scarborough showcased the kind of physicality and urgency that could make them dangerous contenders heading into Championship Weekend. Foster, playing just his fourth game with the team, added 15 points to his monster rebounding performance and anchored a second-quarter surge that left Niagara scrambling. “I’m a little upset that I didn’t get 20 [rebounds], but hey, it’s a franchise record and I’m happy with that,” Foster said. The River Lions have already secured their place in Championship Weekend as the top seed in the East. Perhaps that security contributed to their performance, but the Shooting Stars would not be denied this afternoon in front of their home crowd. Scarborough has now split its regular season match-up with Niagara, 2-2. Foster was not a part of the team the last time the two played each other. Niagara added Meshack Lufile, brother of current River Lions’ big man Elijah Lufile, since then. Scarborough had a dominant second quarter, winning 21-9, and cemented their lead in the third quarter even as Terquavion Smith and Donovan Williams spent more time resting than playing. Scarborough’s size confounded Niagara in the second quarter. Foster set solid screens and not only was he scoring, his huge block on a nearly unguardable hook shot had reverberated through his team. His presence along with Kalif Young’s made it hard for Niagara to score down low – they only had four paint points by the second half. Young had a block of his own and Khalil Miller followed suit, blocking Kimbal Mackenzie. Towards the end of the quarter, Foster threw down a two-handed alley-oop to give Scarborough a 40-27 lead, and Kobe Elvis made a huge defensive play, mugging Ron Curry as the latter tried to post Elvis up, and this fueled an easy transition bucket for Aaron Best. Foster said that these defensive plays were just a mental disposition. “[It’s] really just having heart. That’s really it,” he said. “I felt like everybody came out here, really wanted to win. It’s a really good team out here, so we just wanna show our impact.” Scarborough continued to press the gas in the third quarter. Aaron Best answered with three triples, the third one giving Scarborough a 20-point lead. He then attacked the hoop and missed, but had Young to tap the ball back in. Things were clicking so well for Scarborough that even Miller stopped on a dime in transition, and with two Scarborough guards around him, he hoisted a three and nailed it, causing CEBL+ commentator Rod Black to scream, “You did not do that! Miller Time!” Scarborough also got lucky on some empty Niagara offensive possessions. After stopping Mackenzie from getting a three-point look, the ball was swung out to Khalil Ahmad on the weakside, but he missed the wide-open triple. On the other end, Miller attempted another three, but Foster grabbed the board and dished it out to Anthony Walker who splashed the corner three. Foster kept putting his stamp on the third frame as well, scoring off his own miss and kissing the ball off the glass after taking Elijah Lufile off the dribble. At the start of the fourth, Scarborough wasted some possessions – Best turned the ball over, Curry got a bucket, then Williams turned the ball over after getting called for a charge on Mackenzie. Young had a live-ball turnover, but Nathan Cayo could not convert it into a three. Smith came back into the game with a 68-51 lead, and it didn’t take much for Scarborough to close out the lopsided affair. “It helps us immensely in the standings. We’re one up against Ottawa now,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said. “The guys came out and they responded. They were physically there. We hit first and that’s something that can carry over into the playoffs.” Niagara head coach and general manager Vic Raso was honest about the challenge he faced today. “We can’t fake the fact that every team we’re playing is fighting for something and we’ve already clinched,” he said. “But at the same time, we need to earn it back and we’ve got a good opportunity here to go away as a team for three games out west and really find that.” Nathan Cayo reached his 1000th point milestone (regular season and playoffs) today. “It’s a blessing just to be able to get that many points … To be able to be healthy and get the opportunity to play in this league,” he said. He finished the game with seven points on one-for-five three-point shooting, struggling from the field like most of his teammates. Niagara finished 26% from the field and 20% from downtown. Curry was the exception who had a team-high 21 points on eight-for-19 (42%) shooting. Ahmad struggled shooting two-for-eight from the field, but Raso dusted the loss off and remained optimistic about the future. “We’ve got some growing to do still,” he said matter-of-factly and looked forward to continuing the road trip ahead. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600658 Up next for both teams Scarborough (11-11) stays home to host the best team in the league, Vancouver Bandits (16-5), at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre on Friday, August 8. Niagara (14-7) head west and face the Winnipeg Sea Bears (9-11) at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday, August 6. Next CEBL action The Montreal Alliance (8-12) recently secured a playoff berth and will host the Calgary Surge (14-7) at Verdun Auditorium tomorrow. This will be CEBL’s lone Monday, August 4 Civic Holiday game. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
August 3, 2025
The Niagara River Lions have announced the following roster update ahead of their road game against the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Sunday, August 3: Eddie Ekiyor has been released from the team in accordance with his contractual obligations to join Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball of France’s LNB Pro A League for the 2025–2026 season. We’re proud to support Eddie as he takes the next step in his professional journey overseas and thank him for the impact he’s made on and off the court during his time with the River Lions. The River Lions remain focused as they enter the final stretch of the regular season and continue their push toward the playoffs. ### Media Contact: Mya Hastings Social Media & Marketing Coordinator mhastings@riverlions.ca
August 1, 2025
The Ottawa BlackJacks entered Thursday’s game against the Niagara River Lions desperate for a win. Javonte Smart made sure they got it. Smart scored a season-high and franchise-record 44 points, including a miraculous game-winner, to send the BlackJacks past the River Lions 96-93 on Thursday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Ottawa moved to 10-10 as it pursues second place in the East and a bye to the conference semifinals. “I'm really proud of our guys, man. Shorthanded like that, and fighting through everything, the adversity we've been going through. And so to come out like that with a big win on the road against a really good team like this, I'm really proud of our group,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said. Niagara, meanwhile, saw its franchise-record seven-game winning streak come to an end as it fell to 14-6 on the season. In the early going, Ottawa looked like the team with way more to play for as it built a 17-point lead midway through the first quarter. But the River Lions ended the frame on a 10-0 run, then slowly chipped away. After Niagara went up as many as nine points in the fourth, however, it was Ottawa’s turn to fight back. The BlackJacks led 87-86 entering Target Score Time after River Lions guard Kimbal Mackenzie drew a three-point foul when Ottawa tried to initiate a whistle and the final stage of the game. With the clock off, the teams traded scores until both were within three points at 93-all. Then, Ottawa called a timeout, ostensibly to draw up some sort of play. Smart had other ideas. “I told coach nah, I want the ball. It’s game time, I feel like winning,” he told sideline reporter Dhanung Bulsara after the game. “So that’s what I did.” Smart received the ball following an inbounds play well beyond the arc on the left wing. He took one dribble toward River Lions defender Ron Curry, stepped back and launched a three-point heave from his left hip. And in the 100th game of their existence, the BlackJacks picked up perhaps their most thrilling victory. “Smart played a ridiculous game, made a ridiculous shot,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said. DeAveiro added that it was a confidence-boosting win for his troops. “Anytime you [can] play in Niagara and be successful at Niagara, it's quite the accomplishment, so it just gives us more confidence that we can go on the road and be successful on the road. We have to go on the road in the playoffs, so we have to be ready,” DeAveiro said. Smart, who entered the game as the league’s leading scorer with 27 points per game in his first season in the CEBL, now has the Ottawa single-game record — a mark held at 37 solely by teammate Deng Adel since 2022 before Smart tied it himself on July 1. Now, it’s Smart’s all alone. An easy choice as the league’s top newcomer, Smart, the 26-year-old from Baton Rouge, La., played 18 NBA games with the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers before coming to the CEBL this season. The LSU product only joined Ottawa on June 20, but has quickly made his presence known, adding 6.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game in addition to his prolific scoring. On Thursday, Smart collected eight assists alongside his 44 points while shooting an efficient 13-for-19 from the field, including six-for-nine from beyond the arc. “I feel good. I feel like everything I put up was going on, so that's the work I put in here [showing],” Smart said. Big man Zane Waterman also pitched in with 20 points and five rebounds, while Tyrrel Tate contributed 12 points off the bench. The game grew increasingly chippy as the minutes wore on, with both teams seemingly unhappy with the officiating. DeAveiro was ejected late in the third quarter after arguing a non-call against Waterman, who also picked up a technical foul on the play. Assistant Matt MacLean took over from DeAveiro on the bench. “I thought there was a lot of fouls today where they weren't being called,” DeAveiro said. “I just had to protect my guys. I was frustrated. You know, I got to be a little bit more mature on that situation, but I was just frustrated.” For Niagara, meanwhile, the game represented its first since clinching the No. 1 seed in the East — and a trip to Championship Weekend — thanks to the BlackJacks’ Tuesday win against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. Yet after falling behind early, the River Lions still fought back. “I mean, did we play with the championship calibre mindset? No, I thought we were a little loose and that's the task that we have in front of us,” head coach Victor Raso said. “That's really difficult right now is that we have to approach these games as if they are as important to us.” Curry paced the River Lions with 23 points, including five triples, to go with four assists. Leading scorer Khalil Ahmad was held relatively in check by a fierce BlackJacks defence, managing just three points in the first half and 12 for the game. Ahmad, who missed all eight of his three-point attempts on the rare off night, became a facilitator instead with seven assists. Mackenzie added 14 points and six rebounds, while forward Nathan Cayo neared a double-double with 13 points and nine boards. Ahmed Hill became the first player in league history with 1,500 regular-season points when he nailed a corner triple late in the first quarter. He finished the game with nine points, four assists and three rebounds. Curry said his team must stay locked in through its final four games of the season. “We just got to be hungry, man. They wanted it a little bit more today. We can't get complacent. We got to stay hungry,” Curry said. The BlackJacks led 26-19 after the first quarter, but by halftime, Ottawa’s lead had shrunk to 44-42. Niagara then took control in the third quarter and claimed a 72-64 advantage heading into the fourth. But Ottawa’s comeback was mounted midway through the final frame as Smart refused to be denied. Then, he put the exclamation point on the win in Target Score Time. Now, the BlackJacks are in the driver’s seat to join Niagara in Winnipeg. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600667 Up Next Ottawa returns home to host the Calgary Surge on Saturday, while Niagara begins a season-ending four-game road trip with a trip to the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Sunday. Next CEBL Action A triple-header Friday begins with an East battle between Brampton and Montreal before a pair of Western Conference matchups including Saskatchewan at Winnipeg and Vancouver at Edmonton. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
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