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RECENT NEWS 

June 23, 2025
Teru Ikeda – June 22, 2025 Scarborough built a lead quickly in the first quarter, never looked back, and dominated the 2024 CEBL champions with a 102-70 win over Niagara on Sunday. "We need a ton of energy. We’re short-handed today, so next-up-man mentality,” said Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio at the start of the game. “We gotta let the ball move and let the ball see multiple hands each possession.” De Giorgio said he emphasized ball movement in practice yesterday, and today, the ball was hopping. From the get go, Scarborough resorted to the tried-and-tested offensive play of driving and kicking the ball to the corner, and then swinging the ball to the wing. It worked well enough to build a 19-5 lead and force an early Niagara timeout. Defensively, Scarborough frustrated Niagara, most notably as they trapped 2022 CEBL MVP Khalil Ahmad in the corner, right where the half-court line meets the sideline. “We just didn’t come out with the right intensity,” reflected Niagara head coach Vic Raso. He stated quite bluntly: “We just disrespected the start of the game.” Scarborough made six threes en route to a 26-11 first quarter win, allowing them to spread the floor and attack the gaps in the second. Scarborough won the second quarter, 30-25, and shot nine-for-18 from downtown in the first half. Terquavion Smith (game total: 20 points on four-for-eight three-point shooting) made all of his team’s three-pointers in the second quarter. He splashed one early as he used Khalil Miller’s screen from the top of the arc. Smith was such a three-point threat that he baited Niagara’s Eddie Ekiyor into drawing a three-point shooting foul after Kobe Elvis reversed the ball back to him. In the past week, Niagara was the only team in the league to average less than double-digit turnovers per game (eight turnovers per game through two games). They had nine by halftime and 18 at the end of the game. After halftime, a pair of back-to-back threes by Jahvon Blair helped Niagara get within 16 points, but their momentum was short-lived as Scarborough had increased the lead to 26 points at the end of the third. Smith spoke about using Scarborough’s last home blowout loss to the Ottawa Blackjacks as fuel. They came out swinging despite the absence of Hason Ward and Donovon Williams. Scarborough has now evened out their regular season series with Niagara, 1-1, after losing by four points back in early June. “If you have the answer, let me know because I’m at a loss for this one,” Coach De Giorgio said when asked to explain the sudden change from a blowout loss to a blowout win over last year’s champions. His guess was as good as yours. Like Scarborough, Niagara is also looking to become a much more consistent team. “There’s just not a sense of urgency and we’ve played in spurts the entire year,” Coach Raso said about Niagara’s peaks and valleys so far. “The disappointing part is that it kinda feels like we’re fat and happy with winning because this group had an insane fire in them last year, and it’s there, but it’s only showing up in spurts.” In the cool, air-conditioned confines of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, this game had many familiar CEBL faces who have had longevity. Scarborough’s Cat Barber, the league’s all-time assist leader, had a strong performance (19 points and seven assists) and 2022 CEBL MVP Khalil Ahmad and all-time scoring leader Ahmed Hill combined for 16 points. Today was a special day for Canadian basketball. It was one of four quintuple-headers for the CEBL on a day where four Canadians will also play in the NBA Finals. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600613 Up next for both teams The Scarborough Shooting Stars (6-5) hit the road and head to Canada Life Centre to play the Winnipeg Sea Bears (5-5) on Friday, June 27th. The Niagara River Lions (7-4) head to the CAA Centre to play the Brampton Honey Badgers (3-8) on Sunday, June 29th. Next CEBL action The Calgary Surge (7-3) face the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-8) at the SaskTel Centre on Thursday, June 26th. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit
June 20, 2025
Myles Dichter – June 20, 2025 The River Lions earned a statement win on School Day in Niagara. Khalil Ahmad led Niagara with 21 points in a 93-82 victory over the Montreal Alliance in a Friday matinee at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Defending champion Niagara padded its lead atop the Eastern Conference by moving to 7-3 on the season, while the Alliance fell to 4-4 with their fourth straight loss. Player of the Game Eddie Ekiyor said the hundreds of screaming students provided a jolt to the River Lions for the 11 a.m. ET start. “I knew it this morning. Everyone thinks they’re gonna be tired — not me. (It) turns the energy up and you saw it with our team today. We played hard,” Ekiyor told sideline reporter J.J. Evason after the game. The River Lions led 84-70 when the clock was stopped for Target Score Time. But it was Montreal who began the closing stage of the game firing on all cylinders as the Alliance cut their deficit to just eight points. That’s when the River Lions put the ball in the hands of the ‘Clutch King’ Khalil Ahmad. After a timeout from head coach Victor Raso, Ahmad drove and drew two free throws, making both. During the next time down the court, Ahmad rose up from the wing for a game-winning three- pointer. Raso said he was impressed by his team’s performance. “I thought it was the first time that we played with an intensity level that is required to win a championship. That's the first time we put a game together start to finish, especially on the defensive end,” he said. Facing his former team for the first time, CEBL all-time leading scorer Ahmed Hill enjoyed a breakout first half with 14 points to pace Niagara. Hill, the 29-year-old from Fort Valley, Ga., is competing in his fifth CEBL season after spending two years apiece with the Guelph Nighthawks and Alliance. He had struggled by his standards during his first nine games as a River Lion, averaging just 10.4 points. But that all changed during the first 20 minutes of Friday’s game. He went scoreless in the second half but finished with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and a team-high plus-16. “Just me being aggressive. They talked about it the past a couple of games, so, you know, I just come out, try and set the tone,” Hill said. Raso said he saw positive signs from Hill despite the lack of shot-making down the stretch. “We saw the Ahmed Hill tonight that I expect to see the rest (of the season). His pace and his aggressiveness were awesome. … What I love about him is that he didn't make shots tonight, but he was still really good,” Raso said. Ahmad, the team’s leading scorer for the season, also had five assists and four rebounds while making nine of 11 attempts from the free-throw line. Ekiyor provided a boost off the bench with 10 points and six rebounds on perfect three-for-three shooting from the field and from the stripe. Canadian point guard Jahvon Blair put up 18 points and four rebounds. “We've showed glimpses of being awesome offensively, awesome defensively, and then the other side of it. And today, our intensity was never questioned on the defensive side. We played really hard,” Raso said. Meanwhile, the Alliance are headed in the wrong direction after their blistering 4-0 start to the season. Head coach Jermaine Small said his team may not have been ready for the early start. “They were more physical in the first half. I thought we were better in the second half, and I just thought, 11 a.m. game and we just played Wednesday. I thought ... because they were waiting, we didn't have a game this week, they just had a bit more gas than us,” he said. Diminutive guard Tavion Dunn-Martin matched Ahmad with a game-high 21 points for the Alliance to go with four rebounds and four assists. Canadian Malcolm Duvivier contributed 12 points on the strength of four three-pointers and Quincy Guerrier posted an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Small said teams are starting to target the Alliance after their early hot streak. “I think at the beginning, no one knew what to expect from us, and now everyone's throwing their best shot at us. So it's one of those things. … I’m not worried. It's just, every game's a process, every possession is a process,” Small said. Alliance forward Michael Diggins Jr., left the game during Target Score Time, appearing to favour his arm. The River Lions raced out to a 25-13 lead after the first quarter. Montreal got within three points during the second frame, but Niagara bounced back to take an 51-36 advantage into halftime. Niagara then extended its lead to 74-55 heading into the fourth quarter. But while the Alliance provided a slight scare in Target Score Time, the River Lions emerged victorious. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600603 Up Next Both teams are back in action Sunday when Niagara visits the Scarborough Shooting Starswhile Montreal returns home to host the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Next CEBL Action For the second time in CEBL history, all 10 teams will play on the same day on Sunday, with Niagara-Scarborough at 2 p.m. ET and Winnipeg-Edmonton at 6 p.m. ET bookending the coast- to-coast action. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games. - CEBL –
June 16, 2025
Alex Lough – June 15, 2025 Limited early in the game thanks to foul trouble, Khalil Ahmad did what he seemingly always does and turned it on when it mattered most. The 2022 CEBL MVP scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Target Time to lead his team to a 90-89 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks. Ahmed Hill and Nathan Cayo added 13 points each, with the former adding nine rebounds and the latter grabbing five boards and dishing out five assists. “I thought that he was bound to get going,” Niagara head coach Victor Raso said of his star player. “But we just couldn’t get him any minutes because he was getting into foul trouble and then he picked up his third and fourth with six and a half minutes to go in the third quarter. So, we put him in with eight minutes left and were trying to take him out on defensive possessions, but he just stuck with it. Khalil is a very good player in this league, and it’s a frustration experience for him and to play against him because he is so physical. I was proud that he kept his composure down the stretch and ultimately made the free throw for the win.” “Sometimes I do want to use him as a decoy. I have those thoughts of, “Okay, let’s go somewhere else’. But then I’m like, ‘You’re an idiot. Khalil scores all the time’. He didn’t score all the points in target time, but he did have the ball in his hands and he was making good decisions. Can I use him somewhere else or do I just get him the ball? He tends to get things done.” The River Lions came out hot and finished the first quarter with a 30-14 lead, thanks largely to their 14 rebounds and holding the BlackJacks to 5-of-16 from the field. Ottawa answered strongly in the second quarter, going on a 24-16 run to cut the lead to as little as six before Niagara went into halftime up 51-44. “We just changed a few things on defense,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said post game. “Sometimes as coaches you complicate things when you don’t need to. Just kept in simple in the second half and guys really stepped up and played a lot harder. We made the change, and I thought our guys did a tremendous job.” Despite the disappointing outcome, of number of players on the BlackJacks had standout performances. Isaih Moore had 23 points – including 15 in the second quarter – and added 16 rebounds, finishing one shy of the team regular season record in his first game since suffering an injury on May 21. Rudi Williams had 14 points off the bench and Tyrell Tate went 4-for-8 from beyond the arc to finish with 12. In his first start of the season, Justin Jackson finished just shy of a double-double, with seven points and nine rebounds. Zane Waterman made his BlackJacks debut Sunday afternoon after spending the previous three seasons with the Honey Badgers franchise, winning a title in 2022. He impressed the coaching staff with 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. “Zane adds a toughness, you saw of that today on the rebounding, and some shooting that we needed,” DeAveiro said of his new additions. “The hard part is figuring out the rule where you can only play three imports at a time and juggling that and making that work. You saw; three games on the road without (Moore). Maybe if he plays in those games it’s a different outcome. He’s just an impact guy like that. Having him back – and the addition of Waterman – will only make us better.” “It was nice to play with these guys,” Waterman said of his new squad. “I’ve played against them for three years and I really like their game, so it was nice to play with them for once. Came up short, but we played a really good game. It could have gone either way. It’s a credit to these guys. They helped me fit in well. Some nights it’s going to be your night. Tonight it was for me personally, but I wish we could have got the win.” The BlackJacks continued to crawl back into the game, going on a 16-4 run at the end of the third to close the gap to one. A Waterman basket at the 8:10 mark of the fourth quarter saw the team take their first lead of the game, a lead they would extend to as much as eight before being up 81-76 going into Target Time. But unfortunately for the home team, things played out much like they did when the squads faced each other in Ottawa’s season opener. “Something we’ve been preaching out here is that we have to get better at Target Time,” Moore said. “We got to finish games. He have to finish basketball games. We have to get better at finishing games.” “It’s a rivalry,” he added. “Last three games against Niagara have all been decided by three points. The lob from Khalil Ahmed last year, lost by two at the start of the year, and now lost by one. It doesn’t get closer than one point in this game. There’s no ties. Now we have to win. Three points, two points, one point; we have to win. It’s always going to be a good game against Niagara, it’s always going to be hard fought game to the end like that. But we have to get a win. One point. That hurts. I’m going to think about that all day.” The win improved Niagara to 2-0 in Ottawa this season. The BlackJacks fell to 1-2 at home on the year. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600588 Up next for both teams The Ottawa BlackJacks hit the road once again to face the Scarborough Shooting Stars on June 20. On the same day, the River Lions will return to Niagara to host the Montreal Alliance. Next CEBL action On June 18, the Montreal Alliance will host the Scarborough Shooting Stars, streaming on Game+, RDS, CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, -CEBL-
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RECENT NEWS  

June 23, 2025
Teru Ikeda – June 22, 2025 Scarborough built a lead quickly in the first quarter, never looked back, and dominated the 2024 CEBL champions with a 102-70 win over Niagara on Sunday. "We need a ton of energy. We’re short-handed today, so next-up-man mentality,” said Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio at the start of the game. “We gotta let the ball move and let the ball see multiple hands each possession.” De Giorgio said he emphasized ball movement in practice yesterday, and today, the ball was hopping. From the get go, Scarborough resorted to the tried-and-tested offensive play of driving and kicking the ball to the corner, and then swinging the ball to the wing. It worked well enough to build a 19-5 lead and force an early Niagara timeout. Defensively, Scarborough frustrated Niagara, most notably as they trapped 2022 CEBL MVP Khalil Ahmad in the corner, right where the half-court line meets the sideline. “We just didn’t come out with the right intensity,” reflected Niagara head coach Vic Raso. He stated quite bluntly: “We just disrespected the start of the game.” Scarborough made six threes en route to a 26-11 first quarter win, allowing them to spread the floor and attack the gaps in the second. Scarborough won the second quarter, 30-25, and shot nine-for-18 from downtown in the first half. Terquavion Smith (game total: 20 points on four-for-eight three-point shooting) made all of his team’s three-pointers in the second quarter. He splashed one early as he used Khalil Miller’s screen from the top of the arc. Smith was such a three-point threat that he baited Niagara’s Eddie Ekiyor into drawing a three-point shooting foul after Kobe Elvis reversed the ball back to him. In the past week, Niagara was the only team in the league to average less than double-digit turnovers per game (eight turnovers per game through two games). They had nine by halftime and 18 at the end of the game. After halftime, a pair of back-to-back threes by Jahvon Blair helped Niagara get within 16 points, but their momentum was short-lived as Scarborough had increased the lead to 26 points at the end of the third. Smith spoke about using Scarborough’s last home blowout loss to the Ottawa Blackjacks as fuel. They came out swinging despite the absence of Hason Ward and Donovon Williams. Scarborough has now evened out their regular season series with Niagara, 1-1, after losing by four points back in early June. “If you have the answer, let me know because I’m at a loss for this one,” Coach De Giorgio said when asked to explain the sudden change from a blowout loss to a blowout win over last year’s champions. His guess was as good as yours. Like Scarborough, Niagara is also looking to become a much more consistent team. “There’s just not a sense of urgency and we’ve played in spurts the entire year,” Coach Raso said about Niagara’s peaks and valleys so far. “The disappointing part is that it kinda feels like we’re fat and happy with winning because this group had an insane fire in them last year, and it’s there, but it’s only showing up in spurts.” In the cool, air-conditioned confines of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, this game had many familiar CEBL faces who have had longevity. Scarborough’s Cat Barber, the league’s all-time assist leader, had a strong performance (19 points and seven assists) and 2022 CEBL MVP Khalil Ahmad and all-time scoring leader Ahmed Hill combined for 16 points. Today was a special day for Canadian basketball. It was one of four quintuple-headers for the CEBL on a day where four Canadians will also play in the NBA Finals. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600613 Up next for both teams The Scarborough Shooting Stars (6-5) hit the road and head to Canada Life Centre to play the Winnipeg Sea Bears (5-5) on Friday, June 27th. The Niagara River Lions (7-4) head to the CAA Centre to play the Brampton Honey Badgers (3-8) on Sunday, June 29th. Next CEBL action The Calgary Surge (7-3) face the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-8) at the SaskTel Centre on Thursday, June 26th. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit
June 20, 2025
Myles Dichter – June 20, 2025 The River Lions earned a statement win on School Day in Niagara. Khalil Ahmad led Niagara with 21 points in a 93-82 victory over the Montreal Alliance in a Friday matinee at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Defending champion Niagara padded its lead atop the Eastern Conference by moving to 7-3 on the season, while the Alliance fell to 4-4 with their fourth straight loss. Player of the Game Eddie Ekiyor said the hundreds of screaming students provided a jolt to the River Lions for the 11 a.m. ET start. “I knew it this morning. Everyone thinks they’re gonna be tired — not me. (It) turns the energy up and you saw it with our team today. We played hard,” Ekiyor told sideline reporter J.J. Evason after the game. The River Lions led 84-70 when the clock was stopped for Target Score Time. But it was Montreal who began the closing stage of the game firing on all cylinders as the Alliance cut their deficit to just eight points. That’s when the River Lions put the ball in the hands of the ‘Clutch King’ Khalil Ahmad. After a timeout from head coach Victor Raso, Ahmad drove and drew two free throws, making both. During the next time down the court, Ahmad rose up from the wing for a game-winning three- pointer. Raso said he was impressed by his team’s performance. “I thought it was the first time that we played with an intensity level that is required to win a championship. That's the first time we put a game together start to finish, especially on the defensive end,” he said. Facing his former team for the first time, CEBL all-time leading scorer Ahmed Hill enjoyed a breakout first half with 14 points to pace Niagara. Hill, the 29-year-old from Fort Valley, Ga., is competing in his fifth CEBL season after spending two years apiece with the Guelph Nighthawks and Alliance. He had struggled by his standards during his first nine games as a River Lion, averaging just 10.4 points. But that all changed during the first 20 minutes of Friday’s game. He went scoreless in the second half but finished with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and a team-high plus-16. “Just me being aggressive. They talked about it the past a couple of games, so, you know, I just come out, try and set the tone,” Hill said. Raso said he saw positive signs from Hill despite the lack of shot-making down the stretch. “We saw the Ahmed Hill tonight that I expect to see the rest (of the season). His pace and his aggressiveness were awesome. … What I love about him is that he didn't make shots tonight, but he was still really good,” Raso said. Ahmad, the team’s leading scorer for the season, also had five assists and four rebounds while making nine of 11 attempts from the free-throw line. Ekiyor provided a boost off the bench with 10 points and six rebounds on perfect three-for-three shooting from the field and from the stripe. Canadian point guard Jahvon Blair put up 18 points and four rebounds. “We've showed glimpses of being awesome offensively, awesome defensively, and then the other side of it. And today, our intensity was never questioned on the defensive side. We played really hard,” Raso said. Meanwhile, the Alliance are headed in the wrong direction after their blistering 4-0 start to the season. Head coach Jermaine Small said his team may not have been ready for the early start. “They were more physical in the first half. I thought we were better in the second half, and I just thought, 11 a.m. game and we just played Wednesday. I thought ... because they were waiting, we didn't have a game this week, they just had a bit more gas than us,” he said. Diminutive guard Tavion Dunn-Martin matched Ahmad with a game-high 21 points for the Alliance to go with four rebounds and four assists. Canadian Malcolm Duvivier contributed 12 points on the strength of four three-pointers and Quincy Guerrier posted an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Small said teams are starting to target the Alliance after their early hot streak. “I think at the beginning, no one knew what to expect from us, and now everyone's throwing their best shot at us. So it's one of those things. … I’m not worried. It's just, every game's a process, every possession is a process,” Small said. Alliance forward Michael Diggins Jr., left the game during Target Score Time, appearing to favour his arm. The River Lions raced out to a 25-13 lead after the first quarter. Montreal got within three points during the second frame, but Niagara bounced back to take an 51-36 advantage into halftime. Niagara then extended its lead to 74-55 heading into the fourth quarter. But while the Alliance provided a slight scare in Target Score Time, the River Lions emerged victorious. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600603 Up Next Both teams are back in action Sunday when Niagara visits the Scarborough Shooting Starswhile Montreal returns home to host the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Next CEBL Action For the second time in CEBL history, all 10 teams will play on the same day on Sunday, with Niagara-Scarborough at 2 p.m. ET and Winnipeg-Edmonton at 6 p.m. ET bookending the coast- to-coast action. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games. - CEBL –
June 16, 2025
Alex Lough – June 15, 2025 Limited early in the game thanks to foul trouble, Khalil Ahmad did what he seemingly always does and turned it on when it mattered most. The 2022 CEBL MVP scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Target Time to lead his team to a 90-89 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks. Ahmed Hill and Nathan Cayo added 13 points each, with the former adding nine rebounds and the latter grabbing five boards and dishing out five assists. “I thought that he was bound to get going,” Niagara head coach Victor Raso said of his star player. “But we just couldn’t get him any minutes because he was getting into foul trouble and then he picked up his third and fourth with six and a half minutes to go in the third quarter. So, we put him in with eight minutes left and were trying to take him out on defensive possessions, but he just stuck with it. Khalil is a very good player in this league, and it’s a frustration experience for him and to play against him because he is so physical. I was proud that he kept his composure down the stretch and ultimately made the free throw for the win.” “Sometimes I do want to use him as a decoy. I have those thoughts of, “Okay, let’s go somewhere else’. But then I’m like, ‘You’re an idiot. Khalil scores all the time’. He didn’t score all the points in target time, but he did have the ball in his hands and he was making good decisions. Can I use him somewhere else or do I just get him the ball? He tends to get things done.” The River Lions came out hot and finished the first quarter with a 30-14 lead, thanks largely to their 14 rebounds and holding the BlackJacks to 5-of-16 from the field. Ottawa answered strongly in the second quarter, going on a 24-16 run to cut the lead to as little as six before Niagara went into halftime up 51-44. “We just changed a few things on defense,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said post game. “Sometimes as coaches you complicate things when you don’t need to. Just kept in simple in the second half and guys really stepped up and played a lot harder. We made the change, and I thought our guys did a tremendous job.” Despite the disappointing outcome, of number of players on the BlackJacks had standout performances. Isaih Moore had 23 points – including 15 in the second quarter – and added 16 rebounds, finishing one shy of the team regular season record in his first game since suffering an injury on May 21. Rudi Williams had 14 points off the bench and Tyrell Tate went 4-for-8 from beyond the arc to finish with 12. In his first start of the season, Justin Jackson finished just shy of a double-double, with seven points and nine rebounds. Zane Waterman made his BlackJacks debut Sunday afternoon after spending the previous three seasons with the Honey Badgers franchise, winning a title in 2022. He impressed the coaching staff with 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench. “Zane adds a toughness, you saw of that today on the rebounding, and some shooting that we needed,” DeAveiro said of his new additions. “The hard part is figuring out the rule where you can only play three imports at a time and juggling that and making that work. You saw; three games on the road without (Moore). Maybe if he plays in those games it’s a different outcome. He’s just an impact guy like that. Having him back – and the addition of Waterman – will only make us better.” “It was nice to play with these guys,” Waterman said of his new squad. “I’ve played against them for three years and I really like their game, so it was nice to play with them for once. Came up short, but we played a really good game. It could have gone either way. It’s a credit to these guys. They helped me fit in well. Some nights it’s going to be your night. Tonight it was for me personally, but I wish we could have got the win.” The BlackJacks continued to crawl back into the game, going on a 16-4 run at the end of the third to close the gap to one. A Waterman basket at the 8:10 mark of the fourth quarter saw the team take their first lead of the game, a lead they would extend to as much as eight before being up 81-76 going into Target Time. But unfortunately for the home team, things played out much like they did when the squads faced each other in Ottawa’s season opener. “Something we’ve been preaching out here is that we have to get better at Target Time,” Moore said. “We got to finish games. He have to finish basketball games. We have to get better at finishing games.” “It’s a rivalry,” he added. “Last three games against Niagara have all been decided by three points. The lob from Khalil Ahmed last year, lost by two at the start of the year, and now lost by one. It doesn’t get closer than one point in this game. There’s no ties. Now we have to win. Three points, two points, one point; we have to win. It’s always going to be a good game against Niagara, it’s always going to be hard fought game to the end like that. But we have to get a win. One point. That hurts. I’m going to think about that all day.” The win improved Niagara to 2-0 in Ottawa this season. The BlackJacks fell to 1-2 at home on the year. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600588 Up next for both teams The Ottawa BlackJacks hit the road once again to face the Scarborough Shooting Stars on June 20. On the same day, the River Lions will return to Niagara to host the Montreal Alliance. Next CEBL action On June 18, the Montreal Alliance will host the Scarborough Shooting Stars, streaming on Game+, RDS, CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, -CEBL-
June 14, 2025
Myles Dichter – June 13, 2025 On ring night in Niagara, it was the Edmonton Stingers who showed championship quality.The Stingers opened the game on a 9-0 run and led wire-to-wire en route to a 106-88 victory over the River Lions on Friday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont. Edmonton dominated through the first 25 minutes or so and opened a 71-46 lead midway through the third quarter when Niagara offered a taste of the championship mettle that earned them diamonds, chipping away to cut the lead to six in the fourth quarter. But Edmonton still held a 97-88 lead at Target Score Time — and it was all Stingers from there. With the River Lions held scoreless after the clock turned off, it was Edmonton’s Scottie Lindsey who ultimately ended the proceedings with a three-pointer and a dunk. “Basketball is a game of runs, and it was exemplified by that tonight. I mean, obviously, we played well in the first half, and to start the third, but credit to them, they battled back,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said. “But Target Time is when games are won and lost, and we managed to hold them scoreless, which is a good win for us.” Edmonton dominated from the field and on the glass, shooting 48 per cent from three-point range and outrebounding Niagara 46-37. The Stingers had three players in double-digits by halftime, with Lindsey ultimately leading the team in scoring with 32 points. The win for Edmonton (4-5) was its second straight after losing two in a row, while Niagara (5-3) saw a two-game win streak of its own come to an end. “We just gotta keep playing with the same intensity we’ve been playing with,” Lindsey, who was named player of the game, told sideline reporter Dhanung Bulsara in a post-game interview. River Lions head coach Victor Raso said his side did not come out with the proper intensity. “They punched us in mouth at the start of the first half, start of the second half, start of Target Time. We just didn't have it tonight. Simple as that,” he said. Stingers guard Sean East II continued his torrid start to the season after entering third leaguewide at 24 points per game. The Louisville, Kent., native and CEBL rookie had 30 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds. Nick Hornsby neared a first-half triple-double with seven points, eight rebounds and eight assists. He failed to score in the second half, but finished with a 10-rebound, 10-assist double- double. Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton also contributed 18 points and seven rebounds. East II said the team now hopes to take its good vibes into a Saturday night showdown in Brampton. “Just keep stacking and keep focusing on defensive end, playing hard (and) having fun out there,” he said. Baker said the team’s offensive success was about sharing the ball. “I think we played with pace. I mean, we had 17 assists in the first half, ended with 29, like when we were moving it, sharing it, being unselfish, we got some skilled guys out there that can make plays,” he said. The River Lions made a valiant second-half comeback effort as they ramped up their defence to fuel their offence and chip away at the Stingers’ lead. However, a slow start and poor shooting night — Niagara made just four of 29 three-point attempts — ultimately proved its undoing. “That's what this league really is, is that if one team's ready to go, they always win, and that team was ready to fight. They were desperate,” Raso said. For Niagara, reigning Finals MVP Khalil Ahmad led the way with 30 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Ahmad reached 300 career assists (including playoffs) with his first helper, joining Kadre Gray, Cat Barber and Alain Louis as the only players to accomplish the feat in league history. “I mean, it's a great accolade, like, I appreciate it from the league and the recognition and whatnot, but just focused on the main goal, which is the championship,” Ahmad said. Eddie Ekiyor (14 points) and Nathan Cayo (10) were the only other River Lions scorers in double digits. Canadian point guard Jahvon Blair made his season debut after finishing a campaign in France, posting seven points and three rebounds in nearly 17 minutes of action. In a pre-game ceremony, commissioner Mike Morreale and River Lions executives Richard Petko (owner), Michael Skrtich (owner) and Michelle Biskup (president) presented players, coaches and support staff their 2024 CEBL championship rings. A banner commemorating the title run was unfurled from the rafters of the Meridian Centre. “That was amazing, just like a cherry on top the big season last year. It's a 10-out-of-10 moment I'll keep with me for a long time,” Ahmad said. On the other hand, he’ll hope to forget the game that ensued rather quickly. The Stingers led 34-25 after the first 10 minutes and extended their advantage to 61-44 at halftime. Niagara put together a 20-6 run in the middle of the third quarter to cut a 25-point deficit to 12 heading into the final frame. But while Niagara cut things even closer from there, it could not close the deal — and ultimately walked away with rings, but without a win. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600604 Up Next Edmonton is back at it Saturday with a visit to the Brampton Honey Badgers, while the River Lions head to Ottawa to face the BlackJacks on Sunday. Next CEBL Action In addition to the Stingers-Honey Badgers game on Saturday, a battle of conference leaders will occur as the Vancouver Bandits host the Montreal Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games. - CEBL-
June 9, 2025
CEBL Staff – June 8, 2025 Connor Vreeken came off the bench to score 14 points, and collect five rebounds and five assists as the Niagara River Lions defeated the Brampton Honey Badgers, 94-80, Sunday afternoon at Meridian Centre. Vreeken finished an efficient 5-for-11 from the field and added a couple steals in a career-high 14 minutes of action. The former Carleton Ravens star credits the River Lions (5-2) organization with preparing him for the moment. “We have a really good coaching staff here. They put me in good positions in order to make plays and then my teammates put me into good spots,” he said. “So, it makes it pretty easy to make reads and then it's just about executing at the end of the day.” Khalil Ahmad led all River Lions players with 22 points in 26 minutes, but was unable to finish the game as he was ejected, along with his Niagara teammate AJ Davis. Honey Badgers Koby McEwen and Amari Kelly were also ejected in the aftermath of a heated skirmish between both sides near the end of the third quarter. Quinndary Weatherspoon scored a game-high 25 points in the loss for the Honey Badgers (1–7), who looked out of the game early after a 14–3 Niagara run in the first quarter effectively put it out of reach for Brampton. The River Lions bombarded the Honey Badgers from three in the opening frame, going 6-of-13 from distance. “We always wanna play fast,” said River Lions assistant coach Troy Stevenson. “We thought we had an advantage in transition against them this time so we were really looking to go a little bit earlier, but that that being said, we’re always looking to hunt good shots. Talk to him first and then if it happens to unveil itself like it did today, we’ll take them. We’re not afraid to take shots.” Ahmad also become the first player in CEBL history to record 100 career steals with a couple in the first quarter. Niagara carried a 53-35 lead into halftime and an 85-66 lead into Target Score Time. The Honey Badgers made a spirited run in Target Score Time, scoring 14 points while the clock was turned off, but couldn’t overcome the hole they dug themselves into. The defending champion River Lions looked every part of it Sunday, but feel like there’s lots to work on moving ahead, so a Target Score Time like the one that occurred doesn’t happen again. “I think it’s just putting 40 minutes together,” Stevenson said. “We have we have veteran guys, we have guys who know how to win, guys that are proven winners. It’s just a matter of putting all the pieces together and getting comfortable with each other, communicating on the defensive side, not being stagnant on the offence, being aggressive. “So we’ve got the veterans, we’ve got the pieces and we’re gonna put it together. It’s just taking a little bit longer than we would like.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600587 Up next The River Lions will have a bit of a break and resume play Friday, June 13 at home against the Edmonton Stingers. The Honey Badgers also have a longer break before their next contest, also against Edmonton, at home on Saturday, June 14. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games.
June 7, 2025
Myles Dichter – June 6, 2025 On a night when Niagara’s Khalil Ahmad achieved a rare individual feat, it took a team effort to eke out a victory. Ahmad scored 17 points to cross the 1,000-point barrier for his career, five other River Lions scored in double digits and Niagara beat the Scarborough Shooting Stars 98-94 on Friday at the Meridian Centre. Niagara improved to 4-2 with the win, while Scarborough suffered its first loss of the season to fall to 3-1. River Lions head coach Victor Raso said his team “gutted out” the victory. “We got tough down the stretch. We got stops when we need it. We made big plays. We're finding ways to win. And, you know, we've won four really close games. So we got work to do regardless, but I like our team's toughness and grit,” Raso said. The River Lions led 89-84 when the clock stopped for Target Score Time. And while the Shooting Stars got within one, the River Lions mostly controlled the closing stretch. In the end, it was Nathan Cayo — the Canadian who finished with 15 points and seven rebounds — who established post position for a turnaround game-winner off the glass. Shooting Stars head coach Michael De Giorgio said he was “proud” of his team’s fight. “We had a couple good looks that we just missed, and sometimes in this league, you've got to be able to take advantage of those looks when you get them. And they made plays. That's a good team on the other side, but that was a good physical war from both teams,” he said. Niagara’s previous game was a nail-biting loss one week ago against the Saskatchewan Rattlers which snapped a 15-game regular-season home winning streak. The game also marked Ahmad’s first of the season, and he exploded for 36 points. Yet Niagara still suffered the defeat, and to make matters even worse, both Guillaume Boucard and Ron Curry sustained injuries that prevented them from playing against the Shooting Stars. But Niagara’s depth stepped up in their absence. Bench big Gatluak James nearly achieved his first professional double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Fellow centre Elijah Lufile had 14 points and five rebounds. Ahmed Hill showed flashes of a breakout with 14 points and six boards. And captain Kimbal Mackenzie, one game after being out with injury, scored 10 of his 13 points in the first quarter to spark Niagara to an early lead, then turned into a distributor with a career- high nine assists. “Kimbal has been our best player since the year started. He's just a really good basketball player. Like, he's just good. He's tough. He can shoot it, he makes plays, he gets us into things, he's competitive, he's leader, he's a coach on the floor. He's playing the best basketball he's ever played,” Raso said. Mackenzie said he was just happy for his team to pull out the win — and that he simply tries to stay ready no matter the situation. “I'm always ready to play whatever that may be, starting, coming off the bench, not playing. I'll be ready to go,” he said. Ahmad became the fourth player in league history to surpass 1,000 regular-season points, joining teammate Hill, Scarborough’s Cat Barber and Winnipeg’s Alex Campbell. He also added eight assists and four rebounds in the victory.  “Special, special, special talent, even better guy,” Mackenzie said. “I've had the pleasure of getting to know him over the past couple of years, and just a pleasure to be around, plays the game in such a free-flowing way.” Scarborough was led by Donovan Williams, the league’s second-leading scorer behind Ahmad, who had 29 points and seven assists but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. “He's doing a really good job being efficient. I hold him accountable to the things that he's doing. We watch film, we do all that kind of stuff, so just we're trying to make him better at the same time as having team success. So there'll be some good teaching clips from tonight that we can use going into that game tomorrow,” De Giorgio said. Williams poured in 17 of his points during a third quarter in which he was near-unstoppable. He credited Steph Curry for teaching him the mindset to stay focused during those types of runs. “He talked to me a lot about flow state. So when you work so tirelessly on shots, whether you're making it, whether you miss … you're just playing. You're not worried about the refs, you're not worried about fouls, defence, whatever it is, you’re just out there doing what you love,” Williams said. Jayden Coke, of Richmond Hill, Ont., was a force off the bench for the Shooting Stars, contributing 18 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. David Walker (12 points) and Jaden Campbell (11 points) also reached double digits. “We needed a little bit more energy to start the game, but other than that, that's a good team on the other side. And we came in here, we held our own, and took them down to the wire,” De Giorgio said. Scarborough’s Barber (reconditioning) and Hason Ward (NBA tryout) were both absent. Led by Mackenzie’s early surge, the River Lions raced to a 17-5 lead and held a 26-18 advantage after the first quarter. The Shooting Stars fought back in the second frame, using an 18-8 run to gain their first lead of the game. But Niagara responded with an 11-1 run of its own and led 55-47 at halftime. In the third quarter, Williams caught fire, helping stake the Shooting Stars to a 75-71 lead entering the final frame. The fourth quarter then went back and forth before Niagara sent the crowd home happy. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600599 Up Next The Shooting Stars are right back at it on Saturday when they host the Winnipeg Sea Bears, while the River Lions stay home to face the Honey Badgers on Sunday. Next CEBL Action The Shooting Stars-Sea Bears game is the lone contest scheduled for Saturday. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games.

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