St. Catharines, ON - The Niagara River Lions today announced the re-signing of 6’1 Canadian guard Kimbal Mackenzie for the upcoming 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. The 28-year-old Oakville, Ontario native is returning to the River Lions after captaining the team to a 2024 CEBL championship, where he averaged 6.2 points and 1.9 assists in 13.8 minutes per game. Mackenzie joins Jahvon Blair and Nathan Cayo as the third key returnee for the River Lions heading into the 2025 campaign. “Bringing Kimbal back for the 2025 season was incredibly important for our team. He has been the leader of the locker room, and has been excellent on the court,” said Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. “He has a rare ability to make those around him better on a constant basis. He is a proven leader and winner, and we're thrilled to have him back again!" Mackenzie spent his collegiate career at Bucknell University , where he made his mark as a leader, starting 89 out of 122 games and finishing as the 18th all-time scorer in program history with 1,330 career points. As a senior, he averaged 17.6 points and 3 assists per game. Mackenzie first played in the CEBL with the Guelph Nighthawks (now Calgary Surge ), then spent a season in Spain where he played on a one year contract for the LEB Gold League’s Huesca team from 2020- 2021 before eventually becoming part of the River Lions in 2023. Mackenzie spent three international seasons as a standout player for the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League (BBL). He also captained the Riders in 2023 and earned a spot on the 24-man Great Britain National Team for the Eurobasket Qualifiers . In his last season with the Riders, he averaged 13.2 points and 5.2 assists in 27.3 minutes per game. After winning the 2024 CEBL Championship, Mackenzie took on the role of interim Head Coach at Niagara College for the Knights women’s basketball program where he led the team to a 14-2 record. Mackenzie shared his excitement about returning to the River Lions, “Niagara is where I want to be. I'm eager to get our title defence started, and to continue our winning ways.” said Mackenzie. “I can't wait to be back in the Meridian Centre playing in front of the best fans in the league!" The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL and the league's reigning champions. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information. ### Media Contact: Mya Hastings Social Media & Marketing Coordinator mhastings@riverlions.ca

2025 CEBL on TSN and RDS broadcast schedules revealed Thursday

St. Catharines, ON – The Niagara River Lions are excited to announce a major transformation to the seating layout inside the Meridian Centre for the team’s 10th anniversary season in 2025. Since the inaugural 2015-16 season, the River Lions' court has been positioned in a "horseshoe shape," pushed toward one end of the venue. However, as part of the celebration of a decade of basketball excellence in Niagara and a 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Championship, the team will be centering the court to create an enhanced game-day experience for fans. “This is a monumental change that we believe will elevate the energy inside the Meridian Centre and provide fans with a better overall experience,” said team President, Michelle Biskup. “By centering the court, we can open up additional seating sections, ensuring that more of our incredible supporters can enjoy the action from prime vantage points.” The new seating arrangement will offer improved sightlines, greater accessibility, and a more immersive atmosphere, reinforcing the River Lions' commitment to delivering top-tier entertainment both on and off the court. The change aligns with the team’s vision to continue growing basketball culture in the Niagara region while celebrating this milestone season in style.  Season tickets, voucher packs and group tickets for the 10th anniversary campaign are now available, with single game tickets coming March 5th. More details on special anniversary celebrations will be announced in the coming weeks. The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL and the league's reigning champions. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information. 2025 Niagara River Lions Seat Map:

St. Catharines, ON - Today the Niagara River Lions announced the re-signing of 6’7 Canadian forward Nathan Cayo for the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. The 27-year-old from Montreal, Quebec will return to the team for his second year after an outstanding 2024 championship run with the River Lions. Cayo is currently playing for the Manchester Giants of the Super League Basketball (SLB) averaging an impressive 16.1 points, 5.9 rebounds , and 2.2 assists in 32.5 minutes. “We are thrilled to have Nathan back. Nathan broke out last season as one of the best forwards in the CEBL, and he was a massive part of our championship season", noted Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso. "We have sky high expectations for him this summer, and we are incredibly proud that he chose to come back to Niagara for the 2025 season!” Cayo is now the second of two returning players from last season, following the announcement of Jahvon Blair's re-signing to the River Lions last week. Cayo played basketball at the collegiate level attending the University of Richmond , where he averaged 8.9 points, 1.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 155 games over his 5-year tenure with the Richmond Spiders. Cayo ranked 4th all-time in field goal percentage for the Spiders, shooting an impressive 55.2%. Cayo helped the Spiders qualify for the 2021-2022 March Madness Tournament where he scored 15 points in a win over the University of Iowa to help reach the second round. In his first season with the River Lions, Cayo averaged 13.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, starting 20 of 23 games. He elevated his play during the playoffs, where he averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks to help secure the CEBL title in front of family and friends in his hometown of Montreal. Cayo began his CEBL journey with the Montreal Alliance in 2022 where he played for two seasons. Aside from his experience in the CEBL, Cayo spent time with Astoria Bydgiszcz in Poland’s first division Polish Basketball League and the Ontario Clippers of the G-League. Cayo quickly became a fan favorite in Niagara, delivering standout performances including his season-high 25 points and 8 rebounds in the CEBL championship game against the Vancouver Bandits . "My family and I are so blessed and excited to come back to Niagara,” said Cayo. “Last summer was one for the books and I can't wait to run it back with my brothers, in front of the best fans in the league. I'm grateful for the opportunity and excited to get back to work soon to compete for a back-to-back championship. Go River Lions!" The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL and the league's reigning champions. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information. Media Contact: Mya Hastings Social Media & Marketing Coordinator mhastings@riverlions.ca

St. Catharines, ON – The River Lions are proud to announce that Head Coach and General Manager, Victor Raso has signed a three-year contract extension, solidifying his future with the team through the 2027 season. Raso first joined the River Lions organization in 2017 when he began as Lead Assistant Coach before taking over as Head Coach and General Manager for the Canadian Elite Basketball League 's (CEBL) inaugural 2019 season. Raso has been instrumental in shaping the team’s identity, driving its competitive success, and ensuring that Niagara is the preeminent basketball destination for professional players looking to develop and further their careers over the spring and summer months. As the longest tenured Head Coach in CEBL history, Raso has a track record of success with a regular season record of 66-32 and playoff record of 5-5, amounting to the most wins (regular season and overall) and second-best win percentage of all time amongst CEBL coaches. The 2019 CEBL Coach of the Year has led Niagara to be the only CEBL team to appear at every Championship Weekend and helped the team to an impressive 11-0 perfect home record before winning the CEBL Championship in 2024. “Victor embodies everything we stand for as an organization – professionalism, passion, dedication and a relentless drive to succeed,” said President, Michelle Biskup. “We couldn’t be prouder of his achievements, and we’re excited to continue building a championship calibre team under his leadership for years to come.” In Raso’s six years as bench boss, several players have earned CEBL Awards including three Defensive Player of the Year awards, two Clutch Player of the Year awards and one recipient each for Player of the Year, Canadian Player of the Year, U SPORTS Player of the Year and 6th Man of the Year. “I'm incredibly grateful to continue leading the Niagara River Lions as Head Coach and General Manager for the next three years,” said Raso. “This organization, our players, and our incredible fans mean everything to me, and I am thrilled to keep leading our team into the future.” Coupled with the contract extension news, St. Catharines City Council will award Raso the 2024 St. Catharines Sportsperson of the Year this evening, recognizing his outstanding contribution to the local sports community and his leadership within the River Lions organization. This prestigious honor celebrates Raso’s impact both on and off the court, guiding the River Lions to the 2024 championship while fostering a culture of excellence, community engagement, and player development. His commitment to growing the game and strengthening the connection between the team and the St. Catharines community has made him a true leader in the Niagara Region. During the CEBL off-season Raso is the Head Coach for the Ridley College boys prep basketball team, who currently sits first in the Ontario Basketball Scholastic Association (OBSA) west division with a record of 9-3. Prior to joining the River Lions organization, Raso gained experience both playing and coaching for Canada’s top university basketball program. He won back-to-back CIS national titles in 2013 and 2014 as captain with Carleton University before taking on the role of Assistant Coach for the Ravens, where he earned his third championship title alongside Canadian U SPORTS legend, Dave Smart. The Niagara River Lions are one of the original six teams of the CEBL and the league's reigning champions. Playing out of Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, the River Lions represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region while living up to the River Lions moniker of pride and strength of community. Visit www.riverlions.ca/tickets for more information. ### Media Contact: Mya Hastings Social Media & Marketing Coordinator mhastings@riverlions.ca