Latest
By Myles Dichter
•
August 25, 2025
(CEBL Championship Final) The mountain had only been scaled once before. But after the most grueling season in CEBL history, the Niagara River Lions reached the summit once again. The River Lions captured the 2025 CEBL title on Sunday, beating the Calgary Surge 79-73 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. Niagara joins the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers as the only teams ever to go back-to-back. They are also the only franchises in league history to claim multiple titles. “It feels incredible. It really does,” head coach Victor Raso said. “It’s as special of a moment as I ever had as a coach. This one, for these guys, it just cemented them. I’m really happy for them.” Khalil Ahmad was named Finals MVP after scoring 16 points, including the game-winner, while adding nine rebounds. When the clocks stopped for Target Score Time, a River Lions lead that was once 16 had been cut to three points at 70-67. Clutch as ever, Khalil Ahmad opened the proceedings with a three-pointer. After Sean Miller-Moore made a free throw at the other end, Elijah Lufile deposited a putback to move Niagara within four points of the win. Calgary then went to the line on two straight possessions around an Ahmad miss, but made just two of four attempts. Niagara moved within any bucket of the title when Nathan Cayo cashed a pair from the charity stripe himself. On the following play, Evan Gilyard II breathed some life into the Surge with a three-pointer. It turned out to be their last gasp. While the Surge earned a defensive stop, a turnover sent Ahmad streaking back the other way, where he drew a foul in the corner that sent him to the line. Attempt No. 1: splash. Attempt No. 2: ballgame. Champions. “Redemption,” said Ahmad, who missed a free throw in the same situation in last year’s Final. “I thought about exactly that, [when] I made the first one, missed the second. I was like, ‘Oof, I can’t do that again.’” The clutch free throws pushed Ahmad to his second straight Finals MVP and marked his fifth straight playoff game scoring the Target Score Time winner. He knocked down the game-winning three in Friday’s East Final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, too. After the game, Raso had high praise for his star player, who will need to make room on his trophy case next to a number of other accolades. “He’s the greatest player to ever play in this league and he’s just a phenomenal person, so he won’t say all the things that I say, but that’s the truth,” Raso said. Captain Kimbal Mackenzie echoed Raso’s sentiment. “[It’s] getting a little bit ridiculous at this point, quite frankly,” Mackenzie joked. “When he hit that shot against Scarborough, I was like, ‘How many times is this guy gonna do this?’ He just has a knack for when those moments get big, just playing off his instincts.” The game itself proved to be a defensive grind — the lowest-scoring final in league history. No player on either team reached 20 points, and the clubs combined to make just 27.5 per cent of their three-point shots while neither reached 40 per cent overall from the field. For the River Lions, it came down to simple effort in their own end. “These guys cared a lot. There was no in-between moments that we lost. These guys were thoughtful on every defensive possession and we just kinda forced them to play to their weaknesses instead of playing to their strengths,” Raso said. Nathan Cayo was second on the River Lions with 14 points, while Ahmed Hill added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench while posting a team-high plus-16 rating. Meanwhile, the star Surge guard duo of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Gilyard II struggled mightily, combining for 16 points on just seven-for-32 shooting. “We didn’t make enough plays, but we’re a team. I’ve said it all year long,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Canada’s Sean Miller-Moore led the way for the Surge with 19 points, while Greg Brown broke a pair of championship record with 17 rebounds and five blocks. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time leading Canadian scorer, came up just short at his third Championship Weekend. “Every loss is a heartbreak. Even when we lose in the regular season, it’s a heartbreak. So of course this was the last game and the last time I’m gonna be with this particular group, so it hurt more, but we were a good team all season and we just came up short today,” Miller-Moore said. For Niagara, By Raso’s own admission, this season — the longest in CEBL history, with 24 games per team — was more difficult than last, as a roster featuring multiple returning players struggled at times to find motivation during the summer-long grind. Around mid-season, however, the River Lions ripped off a seven-game winning streak to clinch the Eastern Conference. And the team found its motivation. “I read a lot about teams who repeated and it all rang true,” Raso said. “It’s not gonna be like the first time. It’s gonna be hard. There’s gonna be ups and downs. You’re gonna have to find a new why. You have to shed last year.” For some, that “why” was obvious. Ahmed Hill has scored more points than anyone in league history but was still searching for his first championship. Guillaume Boucard was a River Lion two years ago, but missed last year’s title run, and sought his first title, too. Hill and Boucard were both part of the Montreal Alliance squad that fell to the River Lions in the semifinals last season. “It’s amazing,” said Hill, who added that it’s his first title at any level. “I’ve always been a player to want to score and get all the accolades, but this is one thing I always missed.” Added Boucard: “It doesn’t even feel real right now. It’s just full circle. … It’s been something that I’ve been chasing for a long time. It’s something that we always want every summer in Niagara.” Elijah Lufile wanted to win for himself to become the first player to ever three-peat; he also wanted to win for brother Meshack, a teammate who had never won before. “That’s something we can tell our kids,” Lufile said. “We just stayed true to ourselves and our identity is guys giving 100 per cent effort.” Captain Kimbal Mackenzie was a leader on last year’s team, but didn’t play much. This year, he was a relied-upon starter. And for all his league accolades, Khalil Ahmad still felt like he didn’t get the love he deserved. “I mean, sheesh. Can’t put any words on it,” Ahmad said. Raso said all the parts came together to make a roster that was underrated by some throughout the season. Now, they’re champions. “It took a while for this team to gel and find their rhythm. We have Ahmed Hill coming off the bench. He’s the leading scorer in CEBL history. That’s what bothers me when people talk about us this year the way they did,” Raso said. “This was a really, really good basketball team and when it mattered, we were awesome.” In the early going, Calgary made its presence known, racing to an 11-3 lead that was punctuated by a monstrous alley-oop jam from Brown III. But last year’s winners showed their championship mettle immediately, responding with a 13-0 run of their own to go in front. They never relinquished that lead. Through one quarter, Niagara led 21-20. Then, it turned the defence up a notch en route to a 42-36 halftime advantage as Calgary made just three of 19 three-point attempts. But momentum followed Calgary into the locker room after Nelson Jr. drained a halfcourt buzzer-beater. Still, the River Lions weren’t fazed, opening the third frame with an Ahmad three and stretching their lead to 16 after back-to-back Hill triples. Niagara took a 63-51 lead into the final quarter of the season before it ultimately prevailed. Basketball royalty was among the 7,129 total attendance for the Final, as longtime Canadian coach Steve Konchalski and Nick Elam, who created Target Score endings, both witnessed the championship game. Meanwhile, the parents of Chad Posthumus — a CEBL lifer and Winnipeg native who tragically died in November at age 33 — were on hand to present the championship trophy. Now, for the second straight year, that trophy will make a home in St. Catharines, Ont. “We fought through so much adversity,” Ahmad said. “We deserved this win.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2702972 - CEBL -
By Myles Dichter
•
August 25, 2025
(CEBL Championship Final) The mountain had only been scaled once before. But after the most grueling season in CEBL history, the Niagara River Lions reached the summit once again. The River Lions captured the 2025 CEBL title on Sunday, beating the Calgary Surge 79-73 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. Niagara joins the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers as the only teams ever to go back-to-back. They are also the only franchises in league history to claim multiple titles. “It feels incredible. It really does,” head coach Victor Raso said. “It’s as special of a moment as I ever had as a coach. This one, for these guys, it just cemented them. I’m really happy for them.” Khalil Ahmad was named Finals MVP after scoring 16 points, including the game-winner, while adding nine rebounds. When the clocks stopped for Target Score Time, a River Lions lead that was once 16 had been cut to three points at 70-67. Clutch as ever, Khalil Ahmad opened the proceedings with a three-pointer. After Sean Miller-Moore made a free throw at the other end, Elijah Lufile deposited a putback to move Niagara within four points of the win. Calgary then went to the line on two straight possessions around an Ahmad miss, but made just two of four attempts. Niagara moved within any bucket of the title when Nathan Cayo cashed a pair from the charity stripe himself. On the following play, Evan Gilyard II breathed some life into the Surge with a three-pointer. It turned out to be their last gasp. While the Surge earned a defensive stop, a turnover sent Ahmad streaking back the other way, where he drew a foul in the corner that sent him to the line. Attempt No. 1: splash. Attempt No. 2: ballgame. Champions. “Redemption,” said Ahmad, who missed a free throw in the same situation in last year’s Final. “I thought about exactly that, [when] I made the first one, missed the second. I was like, ‘Oof, I can’t do that again.’” The clutch free throws pushed Ahmad to his second straight Finals MVP and marked his fifth straight playoff game scoring the Target Score Time winner. He knocked down the game-winning three in Friday’s East Final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, too. After the game, Raso had high praise for his star player, who will need to make room on his trophy case next to a number of other accolades. “He’s the greatest player to ever play in this league and he’s just a phenomenal person, so he won’t say all the things that I say, but that’s the truth,” Raso said. Captain Kimbal Mackenzie echoed Raso’s sentiment. “[It’s] getting a little bit ridiculous at this point, quite frankly,” Mackenzie joked. “When he hit that shot against Scarborough, I was like, ‘How many times is this guy gonna do this?’ He just has a knack for when those moments get big, just playing off his instincts.” The game itself proved to be a defensive grind — the lowest-scoring final in league history. No player on either team reached 20 points, and the clubs combined to make just 27.5 per cent of their three-point shots while neither reached 40 per cent overall from the field. For the River Lions, it came down to simple effort in their own end. “These guys cared a lot. There was no in-between moments that we lost. These guys were thoughtful on every defensive possession and we just kinda forced them to play to their weaknesses instead of playing to their strengths,” Raso said. Nathan Cayo was second on the River Lions with 14 points, while Ahmed Hill added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench while posting a team-high plus-16 rating. Meanwhile, the star Surge guard duo of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Gilyard II struggled mightily, combining for 16 points on just seven-for-32 shooting. “We didn’t make enough plays, but we’re a team. I’ve said it all year long,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Canada’s Sean Miller-Moore led the way for the Surge with 19 points, while Greg Brown broke a pair of championship record with 17 rebounds and five blocks. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time leading Canadian scorer, came up just short at his third Championship Weekend. “Every loss is a heartbreak. Even when we lose in the regular season, it’s a heartbreak. So of course this was the last game and the last time I’m gonna be with this particular group, so it hurt more, but we were a good team all season and we just came up short today,” Miller-Moore said. For Niagara, By Raso’s own admission, this season — the longest in CEBL history, with 24 games per team — was more difficult than last, as a roster featuring multiple returning players struggled at times to find motivation during the summer-long grind. Around mid-season, however, the River Lions ripped off a seven-game winning streak to clinch the Eastern Conference. And the team found its motivation. “I read a lot about teams who repeated and it all rang true,” Raso said. “It’s not gonna be like the first time. It’s gonna be hard. There’s gonna be ups and downs. You’re gonna have to find a new why. You have to shed last year.” For some, that “why” was obvious. Ahmed Hill has scored more points than anyone in league history but was still searching for his first championship. Guillaume Boucard was a River Lion two years ago, but missed last year’s title run, and sought his first title, too. Hill and Boucard were both part of the Montreal Alliance squad that fell to the River Lions in the semifinals last season. “It’s amazing,” said Hill, who added that it’s his first title at any level. “I’ve always been a player to want to score and get all the accolades, but this is one thing I always missed.” Added Boucard: “It doesn’t even feel real right now. It’s just full circle. … It’s been something that I’ve been chasing for a long time. It’s something that we always want every summer in Niagara.” Elijah Lufile wanted to win for himself to become the first player to ever three-peat; he also wanted to win for brother Meshack, a teammate who had never won before. “That’s something we can tell our kids,” Lufile said. “We just stayed true to ourselves and our identity is guys giving 100 per cent effort.” Captain Kimbal Mackenzie was a leader on last year’s team, but didn’t play much. This year, he was a relied-upon starter. And for all his league accolades, Khalil Ahmad still felt like he didn’t get the love he deserved. “I mean, sheesh. Can’t put any words on it,” Ahmad said. Raso said all the parts came together to make a roster that was underrated by some throughout the season. Now, they’re champions. “It took a while for this team to gel and find their rhythm. We have Ahmed Hill coming off the bench. He’s the leading scorer in CEBL history. That’s what bothers me when people talk about us this year the way they did,” Raso said. “This was a really, really good basketball team and when it mattered, we were awesome.” In the early going, Calgary made its presence known, racing to an 11-3 lead that was punctuated by a monstrous alley-oop jam from Brown III. But last year’s winners showed their championship mettle immediately, responding with a 13-0 run of their own to go in front. They never relinquished that lead. Through one quarter, Niagara led 21-20. Then, it turned the defence up a notch en route to a 42-36 halftime advantage as Calgary made just three of 19 three-point attempts. But momentum followed Calgary into the locker room after Nelson Jr. drained a halfcourt buzzer-beater. Still, the River Lions weren’t fazed, opening the third frame with an Ahmad three and stretching their lead to 16 after back-to-back Hill triples. Niagara took a 63-51 lead into the final quarter of the season before it ultimately prevailed. Basketball royalty was among the 7,129 total attendance for the Final, as longtime Canadian coach Steve Konchalski and Nick Elam, who created Target Score endings, both witnessed the championship game. Meanwhile, the parents of Chad Posthumus — a CEBL lifer and Winnipeg native who tragically died in November at age 33 — were on hand to present the championship trophy. Now, for the second straight year, that trophy will make a home in St. Catharines, Ont. “We fought through so much adversity,” Ahmad said. “We deserved this win.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2702972 - CEBL -
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NEWS
By Myles Dichter
•
August 25, 2025
(CEBL Championship Final) The mountain had only been scaled once before. But after the most grueling season in CEBL history, the Niagara River Lions reached the summit once again. The River Lions captured the 2025 CEBL title on Sunday, beating the Calgary Surge 79-73 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. Niagara joins the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers as the only teams ever to go back-to-back. They are also the only franchises in league history to claim multiple titles. “It feels incredible. It really does,” head coach Victor Raso said. “It’s as special of a moment as I ever had as a coach. This one, for these guys, it just cemented them. I’m really happy for them.” Khalil Ahmad was named Finals MVP after scoring 16 points, including the game-winner, while adding nine rebounds. When the clocks stopped for Target Score Time, a River Lions lead that was once 16 had been cut to three points at 70-67. Clutch as ever, Khalil Ahmad opened the proceedings with a three-pointer. After Sean Miller-Moore made a free throw at the other end, Elijah Lufile deposited a putback to move Niagara within four points of the win. Calgary then went to the line on two straight possessions around an Ahmad miss, but made just two of four attempts. Niagara moved within any bucket of the title when Nathan Cayo cashed a pair from the charity stripe himself. On the following play, Evan Gilyard II breathed some life into the Surge with a three-pointer. It turned out to be their last gasp. While the Surge earned a defensive stop, a turnover sent Ahmad streaking back the other way, where he drew a foul in the corner that sent him to the line. Attempt No. 1: splash. Attempt No. 2: ballgame. Champions. “Redemption,” said Ahmad, who missed a free throw in the same situation in last year’s Final. “I thought about exactly that, [when] I made the first one, missed the second. I was like, ‘Oof, I can’t do that again.’” The clutch free throws pushed Ahmad to his second straight Finals MVP and marked his fifth straight playoff game scoring the Target Score Time winner. He knocked down the game-winning three in Friday’s East Final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, too. After the game, Raso had high praise for his star player, who will need to make room on his trophy case next to a number of other accolades. “He’s the greatest player to ever play in this league and he’s just a phenomenal person, so he won’t say all the things that I say, but that’s the truth,” Raso said. Captain Kimbal Mackenzie echoed Raso’s sentiment. “[It’s] getting a little bit ridiculous at this point, quite frankly,” Mackenzie joked. “When he hit that shot against Scarborough, I was like, ‘How many times is this guy gonna do this?’ He just has a knack for when those moments get big, just playing off his instincts.” The game itself proved to be a defensive grind — the lowest-scoring final in league history. No player on either team reached 20 points, and the clubs combined to make just 27.5 per cent of their three-point shots while neither reached 40 per cent overall from the field. For the River Lions, it came down to simple effort in their own end. “These guys cared a lot. There was no in-between moments that we lost. These guys were thoughtful on every defensive possession and we just kinda forced them to play to their weaknesses instead of playing to their strengths,” Raso said. Nathan Cayo was second on the River Lions with 14 points, while Ahmed Hill added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench while posting a team-high plus-16 rating. Meanwhile, the star Surge guard duo of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Gilyard II struggled mightily, combining for 16 points on just seven-for-32 shooting. “We didn’t make enough plays, but we’re a team. I’ve said it all year long,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Canada’s Sean Miller-Moore led the way for the Surge with 19 points, while Greg Brown broke a pair of championship record with 17 rebounds and five blocks. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time leading Canadian scorer, came up just short at his third Championship Weekend. “Every loss is a heartbreak. Even when we lose in the regular season, it’s a heartbreak. So of course this was the last game and the last time I’m gonna be with this particular group, so it hurt more, but we were a good team all season and we just came up short today,” Miller-Moore said. For Niagara, By Raso’s own admission, this season — the longest in CEBL history, with 24 games per team — was more difficult than last, as a roster featuring multiple returning players struggled at times to find motivation during the summer-long grind. Around mid-season, however, the River Lions ripped off a seven-game winning streak to clinch the Eastern Conference. And the team found its motivation. “I read a lot about teams who repeated and it all rang true,” Raso said. “It’s not gonna be like the first time. It’s gonna be hard. There’s gonna be ups and downs. You’re gonna have to find a new why. You have to shed last year.” For some, that “why” was obvious. Ahmed Hill has scored more points than anyone in league history but was still searching for his first championship. Guillaume Boucard was a River Lion two years ago, but missed last year’s title run, and sought his first title, too. Hill and Boucard were both part of the Montreal Alliance squad that fell to the River Lions in the semifinals last season. “It’s amazing,” said Hill, who added that it’s his first title at any level. “I’ve always been a player to want to score and get all the accolades, but this is one thing I always missed.” Added Boucard: “It doesn’t even feel real right now. It’s just full circle. … It’s been something that I’ve been chasing for a long time. It’s something that we always want every summer in Niagara.” Elijah Lufile wanted to win for himself to become the first player to ever three-peat; he also wanted to win for brother Meshack, a teammate who had never won before. “That’s something we can tell our kids,” Lufile said. “We just stayed true to ourselves and our identity is guys giving 100 per cent effort.” Captain Kimbal Mackenzie was a leader on last year’s team, but didn’t play much. This year, he was a relied-upon starter. And for all his league accolades, Khalil Ahmad still felt like he didn’t get the love he deserved. “I mean, sheesh. Can’t put any words on it,” Ahmad said. Raso said all the parts came together to make a roster that was underrated by some throughout the season. Now, they’re champions. “It took a while for this team to gel and find their rhythm. We have Ahmed Hill coming off the bench. He’s the leading scorer in CEBL history. That’s what bothers me when people talk about us this year the way they did,” Raso said. “This was a really, really good basketball team and when it mattered, we were awesome.” In the early going, Calgary made its presence known, racing to an 11-3 lead that was punctuated by a monstrous alley-oop jam from Brown III. But last year’s winners showed their championship mettle immediately, responding with a 13-0 run of their own to go in front. They never relinquished that lead. Through one quarter, Niagara led 21-20. Then, it turned the defence up a notch en route to a 42-36 halftime advantage as Calgary made just three of 19 three-point attempts. But momentum followed Calgary into the locker room after Nelson Jr. drained a halfcourt buzzer-beater. Still, the River Lions weren’t fazed, opening the third frame with an Ahmad three and stretching their lead to 16 after back-to-back Hill triples. Niagara took a 63-51 lead into the final quarter of the season before it ultimately prevailed. Basketball royalty was among the 7,129 total attendance for the Final, as longtime Canadian coach Steve Konchalski and Nick Elam, who created Target Score endings, both witnessed the championship game. Meanwhile, the parents of Chad Posthumus — a CEBL lifer and Winnipeg native who tragically died in November at age 33 — were on hand to present the championship trophy. Now, for the second straight year, that trophy will make a home in St. Catharines, Ont. “We fought through so much adversity,” Ahmad said. “We deserved this win.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2702972 - CEBL -
By Myles Dichter
•
August 24, 2025
(Preview: CEBL Championship Final) The motto in Niagara all season? Run it back. Now, the River Lions are just one win away — but standing opposite them is a thriving Calgary Surge team that’s won seven straight games to get to the Final. The championship game begins Sunday at 6 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre with live coverage on TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. A victory for the River Lions would make them the second team ever to go back-to-back, and also the second franchise to win multiple titles, joining the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers. The Surge, meanwhile, are searching for their first title in their third straight trip to Championship Weekend. Niagara head coach Victor Raso said this team feels different than last year’s despite having multiple returning players. “It’s just been a very, very different season. It doesn’t matter how you do it; it just matters that you do it. And these guys got a chance to win a back-to-back championship, which is pretty cool,” he said. Raso’s River Lions finished the regular season at 14-10, going on a mid-season seven-game winning streak to clinch the East before losing their last five in a row. But when the level ramped up a notch in the East final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, that middle-of-the-season squad showed up once more. And yet again, it was Khalil Ahmad who delivered the game-winner in a 93-91 win. Now, it’s onto the Surge. “The big thing is I know that it’s just about basketball,” Raso said. “They don’t need me to care. They care enough about this. This is why this program has been successful is because we’ve created a culture where these guys actually care about each other and winning.” Alongside Ahmad, Elijah Lufile dominated against the Shooting Stars, scoring eight points to go with 15 rebounds — a franchise playoff record — and four huge free throws down the stretch. But both will face tougher tasks in Calgary, which allowed the fewest points per game in the regular season (87.2) and collected the most steals per game (10.3). The Surge come into this Final as battle-tested as can be after winning a Battle of Alberta play-in game, beating the top-seeded Vancouver Bandits in the West semi and ousting the Winnipeg Sea Bears on their home court in front of 9,000-plus screaming fans. Calgary had the second-best regular-season record at 17-7. "Our championship poise down the stretch was big. We’ve coached that a lot this season and I just love our group,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Calgary got through those playoff matchups on the strength of defence — a strength all season. Both Defensive Player of the Year nominees came from the Surge, in the form of guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and big man Greg Brown III. Nelson Jr. ultimately took home the trophy, but it was clear that Calgary’s defence was the product of a team effort. “Yeah, we’re the No. 1 defensive team but we always feel like we can play way better defence. That’s what we love about our team. It’s just like endless trying,” forward Sean Miller-Moore said. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time Canadian leading scorer who is still searching for his first title, added that the Surge have plenty of fuel within them, which makes them tough to handle especially coming out of halftime. “We’re all leaders on the court. There’s nothing they can tell us that will motivate us. We’re already motivated. We know what we need to do. We know that we’re the best defending team,” he said. Given the internal motivation and the connectiveness, Raso said the Surge remind him of his own team. “They’re incredibly together. Their chemistry is really good. You can tell they like each other, they like playing basketball for each other. … They just move the ball really well. There’s a lot of togetherness, they try defensively,” Raso said. Both teams also have longtime CEBLers looking for their first title in Miller-Moore and River Lions guard Ahmed Hill, the league’s all-time leading scorer. They’re each lined with top-end stars, clutch role players and depth across the floor. Just one, however, will leave Sunday’s game with the coveted championship trophy. 2025 CEBL Playoff Schedule CW25 – CEBL Championship Final – Sunday, Aug. 24 – CGY vs. NRL – 6 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games
By Myles Dichter
•
August 23, 2025
When the whistle blew for Target Score Time in Niagara’s contentious semifinal victory against Scarborough, Elijah Lufile went to the free-throw line for two crucial attempts. Lufile had made just 58.3 per cent of his attempts from the stripe during the season — and everyone in the building knew these pressure shots could essentially be coin flips. Before the first, the big man walked to the base of the net, put his head against the blue padding and lingered there for a few moments. He proceeded to make both — and then two more a few minutes later to put the River Lions within three points of victory. “I was locking in. I was also extremely tired. I think right before that I had asked Vic [Raso] for a sub and I was just trying to really gather my thoughts and clear my head at the same time, because that’s what you want. You’re not thinking. You’re just form shooting, repetition and muscle memory,” Lufile said. He added that this Championship Weekend means even more to him with brother Meshack on his side. On a personal level, he could become the first player ever with three titles. He played for the Shooting Stars in 2023 where he won his first championship after collecting seven offensive rebounds in a semifinal win over the River Lions. He then signed with Niagara that off-season and won yet again. “Knowing that this could be a historical thing for me potentially winning three in a row, I was just locked in. That’s really what it was. I was just locked in. And I’m really doing this for my brother as well. He’s on my team, he’s never won a ring before, get him to win a ring and also the other guys who are just coming in as well,” Lufile said. Lufile, the Milton, Ont., native, also hauled in a River Lions playoff record 15 rebounds in the win over the Shooting Stars. From the sidelines, Raso said he didn’t waver even as one of the worst free-throw shooters on his team — at least statistically — stepped in for some of the biggest of the game. “There was something about him that gave me confidence last night, just the way he was standing over the ball. That was humongous. Outside of Khalil’s shot, his [free throws] were massive. Massive.” Ahmad, who now has more playoff Target Score Winners than anyone in league history, had just one word to describe Lufile’s heroics. “Clutch.” Miller-Moore, Hill take aim at first title Between them, Calgary’s Sean Miller-Moore and Niagara’s Ahmed Hill have suited up in 194 CEBL games. Miller-Moore has scored more points than any Canadian; Hill’s scored more points than anyone, period. Yet neither has ever won a title. That will change Sunday, when Miller-Moore’s Surge clash with Hill’s River Lions at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. “It’d be amazing,” Hill said. “Like they say, I already got accolades, but I don’t have a ring, so that’s something I want really bad. I’ve never won a championship before. So to do it with these guys, it would be amazing.” To be clear, when the 30-year-old Hill says he’s never won a championship before, he doesn’t just mean the CEBL. Hill said he’s never won a season-long championship in his career, dating back to at least high school. In the CEBL, he’s bounced around three teams in search of that elusive ring — now, with the defending champions, he’s one win away. Standing in his way, however, is Miller-Moore, who’s been in the Surge organization for five years since it was located in Guelph. He wasn’t willing to look ahead after the team’s semifinal win over Calgary, though. “It’s a great feeling, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you win. So we’re excited for the opportunity to get there. Obviously it’s my second time there, so extremely excited.” Teammate Evan Gilyard II said part of his motivation was getting Miller-Moore that long-awaited win. “It’d be great to win this championship for us, the city and Rugzy. … We gotta get him one.” Posthumus legacy lives on It’s hard to miss. Hanging from the roof on the south end of Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, there is a lone Sea Bears banner. ‘Posthumus, 33.’ The teal-coloured sign memorializes Chad Posthumus, the Winnipeg native and longtime CEBLer who died tragically in November at age 33 after suffering a brain aneurysm. On the court across from the banner, another logo is imprinted: ’33 Forever.’ As Championship Weekend takes place in Winnipeg, it’s clear that Posthumus won’t soon be forgotten. Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor, who spent Posthumus’ final two seasons with him in his hometown, said the connection between player, city and league was undeniable. “My last phone call with Chad, I remember sitting at my son's baseball practice in Florida, and it was a conversation about how great Championship Weekend is going to be, how special it's going to be here in Winnipeg,” Taylor recalled in a press conference on Wednesday. “So it's a difficult thing to think about. We loved him, and he was such a big part of our organization and city. And I really believe he's with us now in spirit.” Posthumus still sits 13th all-time in games played in CEBL history, having suited up for 81 contests. He appeared in the inaugural 2019 season, where he won the championship as a member of the Saskatchewan Rattlers, and he also spent two seasons with the Ottawa BlackJacks in 2021 and 2022. In many ways, the CEBL was created for players like Posthumus, a basketball lifer who was finally given the opportunity to play professionally at home. It’s fitting, then, that he’s watching over as a champion will be crowned in his hometown on Sunday. - CEBL -
August 23, 2025
Due to gusting winds and the chance of rain, the Kal Tire CW25 3x3 Tournament Powered by Peg City has moved to its backup indoor location today. Duckworth Centre – University of Winnipeg 400 Spence St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2R6The tournament is still open to the public, and with some games delayed yesterday, today’s schedule will be packed as they work to complete the tournament. Special Note: Slam Dunk Contest – 2:00 pm Matt Loewen Legacy Shootout – 2:30 pm Both also moved to Duckworth a nd open to the public. Weather is looking better for tomorrow, and the playoffs are expected to return to the Play Now Street Festival. The rest of the festival is currently scheduled to continue as planned at the main site on Graham at True North Square. ###
By Zulfi Sheikh
•
August 23, 2025
(Western Conference Final) With the Calgary Surge’s title aspirations hanging in the balance, it felt fitting that Sean Miller-Moore was the one to send his team into Sunday’s Championship Final. Arguably no one on the court at Canada Life Centre on Friday night was better equipped to understand the stakes for his team than the Brampton, Ont., native — a mainstay of the Surge’s roster since the franchise moved to Calgary in 2023. Miller-Moore had previously felt the sting of leading Calgary all the way to the title game two years ago, only to fall short of a championship after losing to the Scarborough Shooting Stars. So, when the guard carried the ball up the court, sized up and drove right through Trevon Scott for a layup, it not only stood as the game-winning basket in the Surge’s 90-79 victory over the Winnipeg Sea Bears, it also marked an opportunity three years in the making. “It feels great … but it doesn’t mean anything unless we win (a championship),” Miller-Moore said after he was done waving goodbye to the 9,082 in attendance for the Western Conference Final on Friday. “We’re excited for the opportunity to get there. Obviously it’s my second time there, it’s a great feeling.” Come Sunday when the Surge take on the defending champion Niagara River Lions, redemption awaits. The Surge captain finished the night with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including four triples and seven rebounds. Evan Gilyard II did his part as well, scoring a game-high 24 points while going 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, while Jameer Nelson Jr. chipped in 16 points, four assists and three steals. Meanwhile, Greg Brown III put up a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds while tying a franchise single-game playoff record with four blocks. “We knew it was going to be a heavyweight fight,” Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said after the win. “It took 12 rounds, and we’ve got one more fight on Sunday.” On the other side, Scott led Winnipeg’s effort with a team-high 18 points, five assists and two steals. Will Richardson was right behind with 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals as he played the full 40 minutes. Rounding out the Sea Bears double-digit scoring efforts was Simi Shittu with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The loss dropped Winnipeg to 0-3 all-time in the post-season and marked the franchise’s second consecutive playoff loss at the hands of Calgary. “I felt like we were right where we needed to be,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said. “The effort was great … I’m proud of the guys.” Entering the night, it was no secret that the Surge had a preferred style of play: turn defence into offence. After the game, Canales admitted as much, saying “it’s been our identity, our brand of basketball all season.” And while that worked early — carrying a 28-19 lead into the second quarter after forcing four turnovers in the opening frame and converting them into easy rim attempts to the tune of a plus-14 edge in paint scoring — those plans had to change as the game progressed. The Sea Bears would settle down throughout the second and wouldn’t allow the Surge to go 9-of-12 from inside the arc like they did in the first quarter. In fact, Winnipeg held Calgary to just 14 points in the frame on five made field goals as it cut what was once a 13-point first-half deficit into a 42-36 margin at the break. So, coming out of halftime, it was clear that the Surge needed to find offence elsewhere and luckily for them, they did. It may have merely been drizzling outside the Canada Life Centre on Friday night, but come the second half, there was an undeniable downpour inside the arena. Calgary would rain down 10 threes in the final 20 minutes, including 6-of-13 in the third quarter to balloon its lead to 16 points (68-52) heading into the fourth quarter before finishing with 16 makes from beyond the arc (plus-nine) on a 36 per cent clip. Considering that the Surge ranked in the bottom half for both three-point makes and percentage per game during the regular-season, it was an even more impressive showing. Highlighting that effort was Miller-Moore, who, despite converting at just 28.6 per cent from downtown on the season, nailed two triples in the third and finished 4-of-8. “We knew all summer that we’re a third-quarter team,” the guard said. “We see what they’re giving us and we just adjust.” However, the host city Sea Bears wouldn’t be denied one final push — even without Jalen Harris, who ended up with just eight points in 16 minutes as he was hampered due to back spasms. After a barrage of three Olumide Adelodun triples had Winnipeg down by as many as 21 points in the final frame, it cut the deficit to 81-68 at the start of Target Score Time and continued storming back with the clocks stopped in a charge that was, once again, uncharacteristically led by defence. The Sea Bears forced the Surge into eight turnovers during Target Score Time as they clawed the deficit down to eight points on a Scott layup. “Give them credit, they played really well,” Taylor said. “Even though we didn’t have our best offensive performance, I’m proud of our team and the way we battled today … the effort was there but the execution was not where it needed to be.” Unfortunately for the Winnipeg faithful, the comeback stopped there as Calgary wasn’t done hitting threes. Gilyard nailed a semi-transition triple from the right wing to give the Surge the necessary breathing room to set up Miller-Moore’s winner. “At the end of the day, it’s just two points,” the Surge captain said when asked about game-sealing play. “I try to treat it like any other point, and (Gilyard) hitting that big three relieved some pressure off all of us, we were just two points away.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2700731 Up Next One final game remains on the schedule for 2025 as the Surge will take on the Niagara River Lions on Sunday at 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. ET to determine the next CEBL champion. Niagara earned its spot in Sunday’s Final after eking out a 93-91 win over the Scarborough Shooting Stars earlier on Friday thanks to Khalil Ahmad’s heroics. The defending champs will look to become just the second team in league history — behind the Edmonton Stingers in 2020 and 2021— to win back-to-back titles, while the Surge aim to capture their first. - CEBL -
By Myles Dichter
•
August 23, 2025
(Eastern Conference Final) Khalil Ahmad played hero. The Niagara River Lions won a close game. And Championship Weekend picked up right where it left off. The River Lions eked past the Scarborough Shooting Stars 93-91 in the East Final on Friday at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, moving one win away from repeating as league champion. Niagara’s formula looked awfully familiar as head coach Victor Raso’s troops battled in a back-and-forth high-stakes game. And when winning time came around, it was Ahmad — who scored all three playoff winners for his team last year —stepping up yet again to seal the deal. “My God, that guy has something inside of him that is just built for Target Time,” Raso said. When the clocks stopped, the River Lions led 84-83. And buoying their chances even further was the presence of Ahmad in their white-and-green jerseys. Shooting Stars forward Donovan Williams started the proceedings with a driving layup, but Ahmad answered with a pair of free throws. After Williams added two more points to put Scarborough back in front, another trip to the charity stripe for Ahmad handed Niagara the lead once again. Michael Foster Jr., then tipped home a putback for the Shooting Stars before Elijah Lufile knocked down two more free throws for Niagara. When Foster Jr. hit another layup, both teams were within a bucket of the victory. And after both teams missed their first opportunities to advance, Mr. Clutch stepped up yet again. Ahmad raced up the court, stopped on a dime above the three-point arc, and splashed home a winner under pressure from behind. Amid all the chaos, Ahmad was as cool as ever. “There wasn’t a lot of thoughts going through my head. … We needed a three, so why not take it?” Ahmad said. “Stepped into it with confidence and knocked it down.” Shooting Stars head coach Mike De Giorgio said the plan was for his team to foul in the backcourt to prevent the exact way it ended up losing. Still, he said he was proud of his team’s performance in a “high-level” game. “We handled the adversity we wanted to handle. We had chances to win the game. It just didn’t go for us and then Khalil made a big shot. That’s what he’s shown that he can do and he’s done it for years now,” De Giorgio said. Niagara will meet the winner of the West final between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Calgary Surge in Sunday’s final. Ahmad, the 28-year-old from Corona, Calif., now has four career Target Score Winners in the playoffs — the most in league history. He also surpassed 1,500 career points (including playoffs) in style with his game-winner, sitting at 1,502 entering the Finals. For the night, he put up a game-high 29 points to go with six rebounds. He also knocked down all 10 of his free throws — notable after he missed some clutch ones last year which he said nagged at him throughout the off-season. “We were just being where our feet are and trying to be locked into the moment, take every possession for what it was. Because, look, we won by two, so it was a close game. Every possession mattered and we took care of the little things,” Ahmad said. Raso called him a “mental monster.” “He has the physical tools, the physical skills and the mental confidence to be able to want it in those moments. Because those are shots that all of these guys are capable of making, but not all of those guys are capable of taking them,” he said. Helping Ahmad was big man Elijah Lufile, who came off the bench to put up eight points and a whopping 15 rebounds. Montreal native Nathan Cayo also neared a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. The game marked the latest chapter in the Scarborough-Niagara rivalry that’s quickly growing into one of the league’s fiercest. Each of the last two championships were won by the Ontario squads, and they even split the season series, making their playoff duel a tiebreaker of sorts. Prior to Friday, however, the Shooting Stars were 2-0 in post-season contests against the River Lions. Now, Niagara has a notch on its playoff record. A major disparity between the teams came at the free-throw line, where the River Lions were a perfect 21-for-21 while the Shooting Stars went just 11-for-18. The River Lions also dominated the glass, hauling in 56 rebounds (20 offensive) to the Shooting Stars’ 40 (seven offensive). “When we sat in the press conference the other day, De Giorgio pretty much said we need some defensive rebounds so we can run. And all I’m thinking is we need to take quality shots so that they don’t have the opportunities to run. So they got us in spurts, but down the stretch there wasn’t much transition,” Raso said. Donovan Williams led the way for the Shooting Stars, matching Ahmad’s 29 points while adding 11 rebounds. Backcourt mate Terquavion Smith had a 16-point, 10-assist double-double, but missed the potential game-winner before Ahmad’s dagger. Foster Jr. added 11 points and 10 rebounds. “It was a hell of a shot to end it off, but really just ready to move forward. It’s a loss,” Foster Jr. said. Niagara entered the contest on a five-game losing streak and with 12 days of rest taking the top seed in the East. Perhaps battling some rust after that layoff, it fell behind 9-2 early but battled back to tie things at 18. However, a Williams buzzer-beater put the Shooting Stars up 26-25 after the first quarter. The back-and-forth continued in the second quarter as the teams exchanged leads. Scarborough took a narrow 50-49 edge into halftime. In the third quarter, Niagara built its biggest lead of the game at nine points. It took a 74-68 advantage into the fourth after Kobe Elvis hit the Shooting Stars’ second buzzer-beating triple of the game. Scarborough changed things quickly in the fourth quarter, erasing its deficit and regaining the lead early in the final frame after a 13-3 run. Then, another classic Championship Weekend Target Score Time ensued. And yet again, it was the Lion King who roared. Now, the River Lions are one win away from going back-to-back. “If we get it done,” Ahmad said, “you’ll see what it means.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2700727 Up Next The River Lions will meet the winner of the West final in Sunday’s championship game at 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. ET in Winnipeg. - CEBL -
By Zulfi Sheikh
•
August 22, 2025
(Preview: Western Conference Final) The 2025 CEBL season has arrived at its final destination. All roads led to Winnipeg, where the next league champion will be determined after just three more games. The first two of those games take place on Friday, and they’ll determine the Eastern and Western Conference champions. In the West, it’ll be the Calgary Surge taking on the Winnipeg Sea Bears, this year’s Championship Weekend host, at 7:30 p.m. CDT / 6:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. ET. Live broadcast coverage from Canada Life Centre will be available on TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. The Surge’s road to CW25 saw them power past the Edmonton Stingers in a Play-In Battle of Alberta matchup, then outlast the top-seeded Bandits in Vancouver for the West Semifinal. “I think we're playing our best basketball of the season,” Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said Thursday. “I think it always feels good from a coaching perspective. We know this game is going to come down to execution on both ends of the floor … Obviously, it always feels good coming in and playing our best brand of basketball. I feel that's where we're at right now.” Calgary’s been a stout two-way squad all year— earning the CEBL’s second-best regular-season record (17-7) — and that hasn’t changed throughout the playoffs. The Surge lead the league in points per game (104) during the post-season, all while also topping the charts for average field goals (37) and three-pointers (17) made. The uptick from beyond the arc in terms of production and efficiency — converting at a 44.7 per cent clip, which ranks second — has been a notable increase considering Calgary was in the bottom half of the league in both those areas throughout the regular season. On the defensive end — after giving up the fewest points per game (87.2) during the year — the Surge’s disruptive style has more than translated throughout the post-season. Emphasis on disruptive. Calgary enters Friday boasting a league-best 17 turnovers forced per game for the playoffs. “Our formula is defence to offence and we've got to be able to guard people. I feel like we're a team that takes pride in playing both ends at a high level,” Canales added. As for the Sea Bears, they’ll head into the Western Conference Final as the far more rested squad, not having taken the court since their regular season concluded nearly two weeks ago. And Winnipeg will surely be looking to capitalize on that time off and its true home-court advantage — playing in front of a local crowd known for its raucous energy and record-setting attendance — after riding into the playoffs on the heels of an up-and-down campaign. This year’s Championship Weekend host finished the season with an 11-13 record, including wins in four of its final six games. The Sea Bears' final two games before the playoffs were arguably the most indicative of the highs and lows the squad has gone through this year. First, they beat the Brampton Honey Badgers by 32 points, only to follow it up with a 20-point loss against the Stingers in their regular-season finale. Despite all of that, however, expectations remain high for Winnipeg, which is still in search of the franchise’s first playoff victory. Since the team’s 2023 inception, it's been bounced in the West Play-In game in back-to-back seasons — last year’s loss coming against the Surge. If the Sea Bears are going to get over the hump, there are hardly more favourable environments to do it than at home. “We've had a circle on the calendar for sure,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said. “We try to get better every single day, try to use all the experiences, all the highs, the lows, the good things, the adversity. “But we know this is a challenging weekend … So there's no guarantees, there's no shortcuts, and we've kind of gone, I think, the right way throughout the entire year.” Season series While the Surge enter Friday’s contest as a true road team, they’ll take solace in knowing they’ve overcome that type of adversity before. Calgary won the regular-season series 3-1, including a 2-0 showing in Winnipeg. “We know it’s going to be a tough environment. It's going to be fun, but this is what this team is built for,” Canales said. “We've played here twice already. We've played in loud arenas. These guys are used to playing with the noise and they do a phenomenal job blocking it out. “We'll be ready, we're prepared. We'll be ready to go tomorrow night.” That may not tell the full story, however, as the Sea Bears seemed to find their footing in the matchup as the season progressed. Following back-to-back double-digit losses to the Surge in May, Winnipeg rebounded in July with a four-point loss and then a 79-78 win to avoid a series sweep. Unsurprisingly, Calgary’s three wins were led by a defensive effort — holding Winnipeg to under 90 points in each contest, including a season-low 61 points by the Sea Bears in their third game of the season. Yet in Winnipeg’s lone victory, it was the aggressor on defence, limiting Calgary — the No. 2 scoring team during the regular season — to its lowest scoring game of the season on 35 per cent shooting from the field and 19 turnovers. It’s also worth noting that the Sea Bears have undergone a roster overhaul since the teams met earlier in the season, implementing four different starters in their final two regular-season games against the Surge. “We just try to improve the roster throughout the entire season, really proud of the team. I'm proud of the year. It's going in a good direction,” Taylor said. “I think all of the guys up here are not going to say anything scares anyone. “Obviously, (the Surge) put it on us twice early in the season. And I think during those games, we figured out quickly, like, hey, we've got to do a great job controlling the tempo, keeping these guys out of transition. So taking care of the basketball is where it starts, limiting your turnovers, creating good shots.” Players to watch There’ll be plenty of star power on both sides come Friday, starting with matchups in the backcourt. Winnipeg’s guard duo of Jalen Harris and Will Richardson can score often, even on the toughest of defences. Harris, a two-time All-CEBL guard, enters the playoffs ranking 12th in scoring across the league (19.2 points per game). Richardson wasn’t far behind, as he was third on the Sea Bears roster with 17.1 points per game and 5.3 assists (second on Winnipeg), albeit in just eight games. Meanwhile, the pair will undoubtedly have its hands full with the Surge’s duo of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Evan Gilyard II. The pair have been on a tear throughout the post-season, scoring a combined average of 61 points per game. In Calgary’s win over Vancouver in the West Semi, Nelson Jr. broke the CEBL single-game playoff scoring record with 39 points, while Gilyard II broke the single-game three-pointers made mark with eight as he finished with 29 points. Both frontcourts will have plenty to say as well. On the Surge’s side, Greg Brown III ought to have his fingerprints all over Friday’s contest. The forward, a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year alongside Nelson Jr., has relished facing the Sea Bears — averaging 21 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in his three appearances. As for Winnipeg, expect it to lean on the services of Simi Shittu against his old squad. The former Surge turned Sea Bear has been a steadying presence for the Sea Bears with averages of 19.9 points (seventh in the CEBL) and 11.1 rebounds (second). He’s also very much enjoyed competing against his previous team, as Shittu has averaged 23.5 points and 11 rebounds in his two games versus Calgary. The British-Canadian forward was also instrumental in the Sea Bears' lone win over the Surge toward the end of the season, putting up a game-high 28 points on 62 per cent shooting to go with 15 rebounds and three blocks. There will also be reinforcements heading the way of Winnipeg’s frontcourt in the form of a local talent. Emmanuel Akot is expected to re-join the Sea Bears roster after missing five games. The Winnipeg native previously started in 15 of the 19 games he had played in — Akot’s final game before his absence was a 13-point, six-assist and four-steal showing against Calgary. 2025 CEBL Playoff Schedule CW25 – Eastern Conference Final – Friday, Aug. 22 – SSS at NRL – 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) CW25 – Western Conference Final – Friday, Aug. 22 – WPG at CGY – 7:30 p.m. CDT / 6:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) CW25 – CEBL Championship Final – Sunday, Aug. 24 – TBD at TBD – 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .
By Myles Dichter
•
August 22, 2025
(Preview: Eastern Conference Final) Call it a tiebreaker of sorts. When the Niagara River Lions meet the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Friday’s Eastern Conference Final, it will be a battle of the past two CEBL champions. But only one will have the opportunity to become the second team in league history to hoist the trophy a second time. Live coverage of the contest begins at 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. ET from Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. You can watch on TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. The similarities between the teams don’t end with their titles, either. Both endured roller-coaster seasons of sorts, with the Shooting Stars exchanging winning and losing streaks only to arrive at 11-13 (third in the East) for the season, while the River Lions ended their season with five losses that immediately followed seven wins, finishing first in the East at 14-10. The five losses were somewhat meaningless, since Niagara had already clinched. But the River Lions will have sat on that skid for 12 days by the time tip-off arrives — though they did get some live action in a closed scrimmage against Team Canada. Still, Niagara seems loose as ever entering its first knockout game of the season, bringing a football out to each of its practices and tossing cross-court heaves before getting down to business. Practice ended with a half-court shooting contest, as is ritual. Perhaps that laid-back attitude is one of the benefits of entering as the reigning champs. There are drawbacks too, though. “It challenges you in many ways. If I think back to the years in the past, specifically last year, the hunger to write what we felt like we didn't the year before was just evident in every single thing we did. This year it just hasn't always been like that because the group is confident in themselves, they are experienced, they know how long of a season it is and what you want to get at the end,” head coach Victor Raso said. Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars have already faced a pair of do-or-die games — and barely broke a sweat in either, taking leads of 18 and 26 points, respectively, into Target Score Time before beating the Montreal Alliance and Ottawa BlackJacks. It’s the same path the Shooting Stars travelled en route to their 2023 title, when they won a play-in game at home and the East semi on the road in order to face Niagara in the conference final. Head coach Mike De Giorgio was an assistant on that team. “They have a lot of the same guys available. We don't, but we have guys and a lot of our staff have been around and been in that game and have that experience. So for the most part, that's something that we've been referencing with the players and they've really stepped up to the challenge lately,” De Giorgio said. The River Lions and Shooting Stars split their four games this season, with only their first meeting in early June even being close. Both have a level of championship experience, and they understand what it takes to win tight games, in Target Score Time, in the post-season. Players to watch While their journeys to Winnipeg were similar, the River Lions and Shooting Stars employ vastly different playing styles. Scarborough boasts two of the top scorers in the league in Donovan Williams and Terquavion Smith, who have hardly let up in the playoffs, either, averaging 26 and 22 points per game, respectively. In many ways, the Shooting Stars go as their star duo goes — another 50 points combined in the East final would go a long way toward winning. On the other hand, Niagara leans more on its depth, with a guard rotation that goes deep into the bench. The head of that snake is Khalil Ahmad, the reigning Finals MVP. Ahmad is arguably the most clutch player in league history — he scored the game-winner in each of the River Lions’ three 2024 playoff victories and tied for fourth this season with four more. Ahmed Hill, the league’s all-time leading scorer, is also searching for his first title after being eliminated by the River Lions as a member of the Montreal Alliance last season. “Like they say, I got all the accolades, but I don’t have a ring. So that’s something that I want really bad. I’ve never won a championship before, so to do it with these guys would be amazing,” Hill said. 2025 CEBL Playoff Schedule CW25 – Eastern Conference Final – Friday, Aug. 22 – SSS at NRL – 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) CW25 – Western Conference Final – Friday, Aug. 22 – WPG at CGY – 7:30 p.m. CDT / 6:30 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) CW25 – CEBL Championship Final – Sunday, Aug. 24 – TBD at TBD – 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games .
By Myles Dichter
•
August 25, 2025
(CEBL Championship Final) The mountain had only been scaled once before. But after the most grueling season in CEBL history, the Niagara River Lions reached the summit once again. The River Lions captured the 2025 CEBL title on Sunday, beating the Calgary Surge 79-73 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. Niagara joins the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers as the only teams ever to go back-to-back. They are also the only franchises in league history to claim multiple titles. “It feels incredible. It really does,” head coach Victor Raso said. “It’s as special of a moment as I ever had as a coach. This one, for these guys, it just cemented them. I’m really happy for them.” Khalil Ahmad was named Finals MVP after scoring 16 points, including the game-winner, while adding nine rebounds. When the clocks stopped for Target Score Time, a River Lions lead that was once 16 had been cut to three points at 70-67. Clutch as ever, Khalil Ahmad opened the proceedings with a three-pointer. After Sean Miller-Moore made a free throw at the other end, Elijah Lufile deposited a putback to move Niagara within four points of the win. Calgary then went to the line on two straight possessions around an Ahmad miss, but made just two of four attempts. Niagara moved within any bucket of the title when Nathan Cayo cashed a pair from the charity stripe himself. On the following play, Evan Gilyard II breathed some life into the Surge with a three-pointer. It turned out to be their last gasp. While the Surge earned a defensive stop, a turnover sent Ahmad streaking back the other way, where he drew a foul in the corner that sent him to the line. Attempt No. 1: splash. Attempt No. 2: ballgame. Champions. “Redemption,” said Ahmad, who missed a free throw in the same situation in last year’s Final. “I thought about exactly that, [when] I made the first one, missed the second. I was like, ‘Oof, I can’t do that again.’” The clutch free throws pushed Ahmad to his second straight Finals MVP and marked his fifth straight playoff game scoring the Target Score Time winner. He knocked down the game-winning three in Friday’s East Final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, too. After the game, Raso had high praise for his star player, who will need to make room on his trophy case next to a number of other accolades. “He’s the greatest player to ever play in this league and he’s just a phenomenal person, so he won’t say all the things that I say, but that’s the truth,” Raso said. Captain Kimbal Mackenzie echoed Raso’s sentiment. “[It’s] getting a little bit ridiculous at this point, quite frankly,” Mackenzie joked. “When he hit that shot against Scarborough, I was like, ‘How many times is this guy gonna do this?’ He just has a knack for when those moments get big, just playing off his instincts.” The game itself proved to be a defensive grind — the lowest-scoring final in league history. No player on either team reached 20 points, and the clubs combined to make just 27.5 per cent of their three-point shots while neither reached 40 per cent overall from the field. For the River Lions, it came down to simple effort in their own end. “These guys cared a lot. There was no in-between moments that we lost. These guys were thoughtful on every defensive possession and we just kinda forced them to play to their weaknesses instead of playing to their strengths,” Raso said. Nathan Cayo was second on the River Lions with 14 points, while Ahmed Hill added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench while posting a team-high plus-16 rating. Meanwhile, the star Surge guard duo of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Gilyard II struggled mightily, combining for 16 points on just seven-for-32 shooting. “We didn’t make enough plays, but we’re a team. I’ve said it all year long,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Canada’s Sean Miller-Moore led the way for the Surge with 19 points, while Greg Brown broke a pair of championship record with 17 rebounds and five blocks. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time leading Canadian scorer, came up just short at his third Championship Weekend. “Every loss is a heartbreak. Even when we lose in the regular season, it’s a heartbreak. So of course this was the last game and the last time I’m gonna be with this particular group, so it hurt more, but we were a good team all season and we just came up short today,” Miller-Moore said. For Niagara, By Raso’s own admission, this season — the longest in CEBL history, with 24 games per team — was more difficult than last, as a roster featuring multiple returning players struggled at times to find motivation during the summer-long grind. Around mid-season, however, the River Lions ripped off a seven-game winning streak to clinch the Eastern Conference. And the team found its motivation. “I read a lot about teams who repeated and it all rang true,” Raso said. “It’s not gonna be like the first time. It’s gonna be hard. There’s gonna be ups and downs. You’re gonna have to find a new why. You have to shed last year.” For some, that “why” was obvious. Ahmed Hill has scored more points than anyone in league history but was still searching for his first championship. Guillaume Boucard was a River Lion two years ago, but missed last year’s title run, and sought his first title, too. Hill and Boucard were both part of the Montreal Alliance squad that fell to the River Lions in the semifinals last season. “It’s amazing,” said Hill, who added that it’s his first title at any level. “I’ve always been a player to want to score and get all the accolades, but this is one thing I always missed.” Added Boucard: “It doesn’t even feel real right now. It’s just full circle. … It’s been something that I’ve been chasing for a long time. It’s something that we always want every summer in Niagara.” Elijah Lufile wanted to win for himself to become the first player to ever three-peat; he also wanted to win for brother Meshack, a teammate who had never won before. “That’s something we can tell our kids,” Lufile said. “We just stayed true to ourselves and our identity is guys giving 100 per cent effort.” Captain Kimbal Mackenzie was a leader on last year’s team, but didn’t play much. This year, he was a relied-upon starter. And for all his league accolades, Khalil Ahmad still felt like he didn’t get the love he deserved. “I mean, sheesh. Can’t put any words on it,” Ahmad said. Raso said all the parts came together to make a roster that was underrated by some throughout the season. Now, they’re champions. “It took a while for this team to gel and find their rhythm. We have Ahmed Hill coming off the bench. He’s the leading scorer in CEBL history. That’s what bothers me when people talk about us this year the way they did,” Raso said. “This was a really, really good basketball team and when it mattered, we were awesome.” In the early going, Calgary made its presence known, racing to an 11-3 lead that was punctuated by a monstrous alley-oop jam from Brown III. But last year’s winners showed their championship mettle immediately, responding with a 13-0 run of their own to go in front. They never relinquished that lead. Through one quarter, Niagara led 21-20. Then, it turned the defence up a notch en route to a 42-36 halftime advantage as Calgary made just three of 19 three-point attempts. But momentum followed Calgary into the locker room after Nelson Jr. drained a halfcourt buzzer-beater. Still, the River Lions weren’t fazed, opening the third frame with an Ahmad three and stretching their lead to 16 after back-to-back Hill triples. Niagara took a 63-51 lead into the final quarter of the season before it ultimately prevailed. Basketball royalty was among the 7,129 total attendance for the Final, as longtime Canadian coach Steve Konchalski and Nick Elam, who created Target Score endings, both witnessed the championship game. Meanwhile, the parents of Chad Posthumus — a CEBL lifer and Winnipeg native who tragically died in November at age 33 — were on hand to present the championship trophy. Now, for the second straight year, that trophy will make a home in St. Catharines, Ont. “We fought through so much adversity,” Ahmad said. “We deserved this win.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2702972 - CEBL -
By Myles Dichter
•
August 24, 2025
(Preview: CEBL Championship Final) The motto in Niagara all season? Run it back. Now, the River Lions are just one win away — but standing opposite them is a thriving Calgary Surge team that’s won seven straight games to get to the Final. The championship game begins Sunday at 6 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre with live coverage on TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. A victory for the River Lions would make them the second team ever to go back-to-back, and also the second franchise to win multiple titles, joining the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers. The Surge, meanwhile, are searching for their first title in their third straight trip to Championship Weekend. Niagara head coach Victor Raso said this team feels different than last year’s despite having multiple returning players. “It’s just been a very, very different season. It doesn’t matter how you do it; it just matters that you do it. And these guys got a chance to win a back-to-back championship, which is pretty cool,” he said. Raso’s River Lions finished the regular season at 14-10, going on a mid-season seven-game winning streak to clinch the East before losing their last five in a row. But when the level ramped up a notch in the East final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, that middle-of-the-season squad showed up once more. And yet again, it was Khalil Ahmad who delivered the game-winner in a 93-91 win. Now, it’s onto the Surge. “The big thing is I know that it’s just about basketball,” Raso said. “They don’t need me to care. They care enough about this. This is why this program has been successful is because we’ve created a culture where these guys actually care about each other and winning.” Alongside Ahmad, Elijah Lufile dominated against the Shooting Stars, scoring eight points to go with 15 rebounds — a franchise playoff record — and four huge free throws down the stretch. But both will face tougher tasks in Calgary, which allowed the fewest points per game in the regular season (87.2) and collected the most steals per game (10.3). The Surge come into this Final as battle-tested as can be after winning a Battle of Alberta play-in game, beating the top-seeded Vancouver Bandits in the West semi and ousting the Winnipeg Sea Bears on their home court in front of 9,000-plus screaming fans. Calgary had the second-best regular-season record at 17-7. "Our championship poise down the stretch was big. We’ve coached that a lot this season and I just love our group,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Calgary got through those playoff matchups on the strength of defence — a strength all season. Both Defensive Player of the Year nominees came from the Surge, in the form of guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and big man Greg Brown III. Nelson Jr. ultimately took home the trophy, but it was clear that Calgary’s defence was the product of a team effort. “Yeah, we’re the No. 1 defensive team but we always feel like we can play way better defence. That’s what we love about our team. It’s just like endless trying,” forward Sean Miller-Moore said. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time Canadian leading scorer who is still searching for his first title, added that the Surge have plenty of fuel within them, which makes them tough to handle especially coming out of halftime. “We’re all leaders on the court. There’s nothing they can tell us that will motivate us. We’re already motivated. We know what we need to do. We know that we’re the best defending team,” he said. Given the internal motivation and the connectiveness, Raso said the Surge remind him of his own team. “They’re incredibly together. Their chemistry is really good. You can tell they like each other, they like playing basketball for each other. … They just move the ball really well. There’s a lot of togetherness, they try defensively,” Raso said. Both teams also have longtime CEBLers looking for their first title in Miller-Moore and River Lions guard Ahmed Hill, the league’s all-time leading scorer. They’re each lined with top-end stars, clutch role players and depth across the floor. Just one, however, will leave Sunday’s game with the coveted championship trophy. 2025 CEBL Playoff Schedule CW25 – CEBL Championship Final – Sunday, Aug. 24 – CGY vs. NRL – 6 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games
By Myles Dichter
•
August 23, 2025
When the whistle blew for Target Score Time in Niagara’s contentious semifinal victory against Scarborough, Elijah Lufile went to the free-throw line for two crucial attempts. Lufile had made just 58.3 per cent of his attempts from the stripe during the season — and everyone in the building knew these pressure shots could essentially be coin flips. Before the first, the big man walked to the base of the net, put his head against the blue padding and lingered there for a few moments. He proceeded to make both — and then two more a few minutes later to put the River Lions within three points of victory. “I was locking in. I was also extremely tired. I think right before that I had asked Vic [Raso] for a sub and I was just trying to really gather my thoughts and clear my head at the same time, because that’s what you want. You’re not thinking. You’re just form shooting, repetition and muscle memory,” Lufile said. He added that this Championship Weekend means even more to him with brother Meshack on his side. On a personal level, he could become the first player ever with three titles. He played for the Shooting Stars in 2023 where he won his first championship after collecting seven offensive rebounds in a semifinal win over the River Lions. He then signed with Niagara that off-season and won yet again. “Knowing that this could be a historical thing for me potentially winning three in a row, I was just locked in. That’s really what it was. I was just locked in. And I’m really doing this for my brother as well. He’s on my team, he’s never won a ring before, get him to win a ring and also the other guys who are just coming in as well,” Lufile said. Lufile, the Milton, Ont., native, also hauled in a River Lions playoff record 15 rebounds in the win over the Shooting Stars. From the sidelines, Raso said he didn’t waver even as one of the worst free-throw shooters on his team — at least statistically — stepped in for some of the biggest of the game. “There was something about him that gave me confidence last night, just the way he was standing over the ball. That was humongous. Outside of Khalil’s shot, his [free throws] were massive. Massive.” Ahmad, who now has more playoff Target Score Winners than anyone in league history, had just one word to describe Lufile’s heroics. “Clutch.” Miller-Moore, Hill take aim at first title Between them, Calgary’s Sean Miller-Moore and Niagara’s Ahmed Hill have suited up in 194 CEBL games. Miller-Moore has scored more points than any Canadian; Hill’s scored more points than anyone, period. Yet neither has ever won a title. That will change Sunday, when Miller-Moore’s Surge clash with Hill’s River Lions at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. “It’d be amazing,” Hill said. “Like they say, I already got accolades, but I don’t have a ring, so that’s something I want really bad. I’ve never won a championship before. So to do it with these guys, it would be amazing.” To be clear, when the 30-year-old Hill says he’s never won a championship before, he doesn’t just mean the CEBL. Hill said he’s never won a season-long championship in his career, dating back to at least high school. In the CEBL, he’s bounced around three teams in search of that elusive ring — now, with the defending champions, he’s one win away. Standing in his way, however, is Miller-Moore, who’s been in the Surge organization for five years since it was located in Guelph. He wasn’t willing to look ahead after the team’s semifinal win over Calgary, though. “It’s a great feeling, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you win. So we’re excited for the opportunity to get there. Obviously it’s my second time there, so extremely excited.” Teammate Evan Gilyard II said part of his motivation was getting Miller-Moore that long-awaited win. “It’d be great to win this championship for us, the city and Rugzy. … We gotta get him one.” Posthumus legacy lives on It’s hard to miss. Hanging from the roof on the south end of Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, there is a lone Sea Bears banner. ‘Posthumus, 33.’ The teal-coloured sign memorializes Chad Posthumus, the Winnipeg native and longtime CEBLer who died tragically in November at age 33 after suffering a brain aneurysm. On the court across from the banner, another logo is imprinted: ’33 Forever.’ As Championship Weekend takes place in Winnipeg, it’s clear that Posthumus won’t soon be forgotten. Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor, who spent Posthumus’ final two seasons with him in his hometown, said the connection between player, city and league was undeniable. “My last phone call with Chad, I remember sitting at my son's baseball practice in Florida, and it was a conversation about how great Championship Weekend is going to be, how special it's going to be here in Winnipeg,” Taylor recalled in a press conference on Wednesday. “So it's a difficult thing to think about. We loved him, and he was such a big part of our organization and city. And I really believe he's with us now in spirit.” Posthumus still sits 13th all-time in games played in CEBL history, having suited up for 81 contests. He appeared in the inaugural 2019 season, where he won the championship as a member of the Saskatchewan Rattlers, and he also spent two seasons with the Ottawa BlackJacks in 2021 and 2022. In many ways, the CEBL was created for players like Posthumus, a basketball lifer who was finally given the opportunity to play professionally at home. It’s fitting, then, that he’s watching over as a champion will be crowned in his hometown on Sunday. - CEBL -
August 23, 2025
Due to gusting winds and the chance of rain, the Kal Tire CW25 3x3 Tournament Powered by Peg City has moved to its backup indoor location today. Duckworth Centre – University of Winnipeg 400 Spence St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2R6The tournament is still open to the public, and with some games delayed yesterday, today’s schedule will be packed as they work to complete the tournament. Special Note: Slam Dunk Contest – 2:00 pm Matt Loewen Legacy Shootout – 2:30 pm Both also moved to Duckworth a nd open to the public. Weather is looking better for tomorrow, and the playoffs are expected to return to the Play Now Street Festival. The rest of the festival is currently scheduled to continue as planned at the main site on Graham at True North Square. ###
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RECENT NEWS
By Myles Dichter
•
August 25, 2025
(CEBL Championship Final) The mountain had only been scaled once before. But after the most grueling season in CEBL history, the Niagara River Lions reached the summit once again. The River Lions captured the 2025 CEBL title on Sunday, beating the Calgary Surge 79-73 at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. Niagara joins the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers as the only teams ever to go back-to-back. They are also the only franchises in league history to claim multiple titles. “It feels incredible. It really does,” head coach Victor Raso said. “It’s as special of a moment as I ever had as a coach. This one, for these guys, it just cemented them. I’m really happy for them.” Khalil Ahmad was named Finals MVP after scoring 16 points, including the game-winner, while adding nine rebounds. When the clocks stopped for Target Score Time, a River Lions lead that was once 16 had been cut to three points at 70-67. Clutch as ever, Khalil Ahmad opened the proceedings with a three-pointer. After Sean Miller-Moore made a free throw at the other end, Elijah Lufile deposited a putback to move Niagara within four points of the win. Calgary then went to the line on two straight possessions around an Ahmad miss, but made just two of four attempts. Niagara moved within any bucket of the title when Nathan Cayo cashed a pair from the charity stripe himself. On the following play, Evan Gilyard II breathed some life into the Surge with a three-pointer. It turned out to be their last gasp. While the Surge earned a defensive stop, a turnover sent Ahmad streaking back the other way, where he drew a foul in the corner that sent him to the line. Attempt No. 1: splash. Attempt No. 2: ballgame. Champions. “Redemption,” said Ahmad, who missed a free throw in the same situation in last year’s Final. “I thought about exactly that, [when] I made the first one, missed the second. I was like, ‘Oof, I can’t do that again.’” The clutch free throws pushed Ahmad to his second straight Finals MVP and marked his fifth straight playoff game scoring the Target Score Time winner. He knocked down the game-winning three in Friday’s East Final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, too. After the game, Raso had high praise for his star player, who will need to make room on his trophy case next to a number of other accolades. “He’s the greatest player to ever play in this league and he’s just a phenomenal person, so he won’t say all the things that I say, but that’s the truth,” Raso said. Captain Kimbal Mackenzie echoed Raso’s sentiment. “[It’s] getting a little bit ridiculous at this point, quite frankly,” Mackenzie joked. “When he hit that shot against Scarborough, I was like, ‘How many times is this guy gonna do this?’ He just has a knack for when those moments get big, just playing off his instincts.” The game itself proved to be a defensive grind — the lowest-scoring final in league history. No player on either team reached 20 points, and the clubs combined to make just 27.5 per cent of their three-point shots while neither reached 40 per cent overall from the field. For the River Lions, it came down to simple effort in their own end. “These guys cared a lot. There was no in-between moments that we lost. These guys were thoughtful on every defensive possession and we just kinda forced them to play to their weaknesses instead of playing to their strengths,” Raso said. Nathan Cayo was second on the River Lions with 14 points, while Ahmed Hill added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench while posting a team-high plus-16 rating. Meanwhile, the star Surge guard duo of Jameer Nelson Jr. and Gilyard II struggled mightily, combining for 16 points on just seven-for-32 shooting. “We didn’t make enough plays, but we’re a team. I’ve said it all year long,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Canada’s Sean Miller-Moore led the way for the Surge with 19 points, while Greg Brown broke a pair of championship record with 17 rebounds and five blocks. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time leading Canadian scorer, came up just short at his third Championship Weekend. “Every loss is a heartbreak. Even when we lose in the regular season, it’s a heartbreak. So of course this was the last game and the last time I’m gonna be with this particular group, so it hurt more, but we were a good team all season and we just came up short today,” Miller-Moore said. For Niagara, By Raso’s own admission, this season — the longest in CEBL history, with 24 games per team — was more difficult than last, as a roster featuring multiple returning players struggled at times to find motivation during the summer-long grind. Around mid-season, however, the River Lions ripped off a seven-game winning streak to clinch the Eastern Conference. And the team found its motivation. “I read a lot about teams who repeated and it all rang true,” Raso said. “It’s not gonna be like the first time. It’s gonna be hard. There’s gonna be ups and downs. You’re gonna have to find a new why. You have to shed last year.” For some, that “why” was obvious. Ahmed Hill has scored more points than anyone in league history but was still searching for his first championship. Guillaume Boucard was a River Lion two years ago, but missed last year’s title run, and sought his first title, too. Hill and Boucard were both part of the Montreal Alliance squad that fell to the River Lions in the semifinals last season. “It’s amazing,” said Hill, who added that it’s his first title at any level. “I’ve always been a player to want to score and get all the accolades, but this is one thing I always missed.” Added Boucard: “It doesn’t even feel real right now. It’s just full circle. … It’s been something that I’ve been chasing for a long time. It’s something that we always want every summer in Niagara.” Elijah Lufile wanted to win for himself to become the first player to ever three-peat; he also wanted to win for brother Meshack, a teammate who had never won before. “That’s something we can tell our kids,” Lufile said. “We just stayed true to ourselves and our identity is guys giving 100 per cent effort.” Captain Kimbal Mackenzie was a leader on last year’s team, but didn’t play much. This year, he was a relied-upon starter. And for all his league accolades, Khalil Ahmad still felt like he didn’t get the love he deserved. “I mean, sheesh. Can’t put any words on it,” Ahmad said. Raso said all the parts came together to make a roster that was underrated by some throughout the season. Now, they’re champions. “It took a while for this team to gel and find their rhythm. We have Ahmed Hill coming off the bench. He’s the leading scorer in CEBL history. That’s what bothers me when people talk about us this year the way they did,” Raso said. “This was a really, really good basketball team and when it mattered, we were awesome.” In the early going, Calgary made its presence known, racing to an 11-3 lead that was punctuated by a monstrous alley-oop jam from Brown III. But last year’s winners showed their championship mettle immediately, responding with a 13-0 run of their own to go in front. They never relinquished that lead. Through one quarter, Niagara led 21-20. Then, it turned the defence up a notch en route to a 42-36 halftime advantage as Calgary made just three of 19 three-point attempts. But momentum followed Calgary into the locker room after Nelson Jr. drained a halfcourt buzzer-beater. Still, the River Lions weren’t fazed, opening the third frame with an Ahmad three and stretching their lead to 16 after back-to-back Hill triples. Niagara took a 63-51 lead into the final quarter of the season before it ultimately prevailed. Basketball royalty was among the 7,129 total attendance for the Final, as longtime Canadian coach Steve Konchalski and Nick Elam, who created Target Score endings, both witnessed the championship game. Meanwhile, the parents of Chad Posthumus — a CEBL lifer and Winnipeg native who tragically died in November at age 33 — were on hand to present the championship trophy. Now, for the second straight year, that trophy will make a home in St. Catharines, Ont. “We fought through so much adversity,” Ahmad said. “We deserved this win.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2702972 - CEBL -
By Myles Dichter
•
August 24, 2025
(Preview: CEBL Championship Final) The motto in Niagara all season? Run it back. Now, the River Lions are just one win away — but standing opposite them is a thriving Calgary Surge team that’s won seven straight games to get to the Final. The championship game begins Sunday at 6 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre with live coverage on TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+ and NLSE. A victory for the River Lions would make them the second team ever to go back-to-back, and also the second franchise to win multiple titles, joining the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers. The Surge, meanwhile, are searching for their first title in their third straight trip to Championship Weekend. Niagara head coach Victor Raso said this team feels different than last year’s despite having multiple returning players. “It’s just been a very, very different season. It doesn’t matter how you do it; it just matters that you do it. And these guys got a chance to win a back-to-back championship, which is pretty cool,” he said. Raso’s River Lions finished the regular season at 14-10, going on a mid-season seven-game winning streak to clinch the East before losing their last five in a row. But when the level ramped up a notch in the East final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, that middle-of-the-season squad showed up once more. And yet again, it was Khalil Ahmad who delivered the game-winner in a 93-91 win. Now, it’s onto the Surge. “The big thing is I know that it’s just about basketball,” Raso said. “They don’t need me to care. They care enough about this. This is why this program has been successful is because we’ve created a culture where these guys actually care about each other and winning.” Alongside Ahmad, Elijah Lufile dominated against the Shooting Stars, scoring eight points to go with 15 rebounds — a franchise playoff record — and four huge free throws down the stretch. But both will face tougher tasks in Calgary, which allowed the fewest points per game in the regular season (87.2) and collected the most steals per game (10.3). The Surge come into this Final as battle-tested as can be after winning a Battle of Alberta play-in game, beating the top-seeded Vancouver Bandits in the West semi and ousting the Winnipeg Sea Bears on their home court in front of 9,000-plus screaming fans. Calgary had the second-best regular-season record at 17-7. "Our championship poise down the stretch was big. We’ve coached that a lot this season and I just love our group,” head coach Kaleb Canales said. Calgary got through those playoff matchups on the strength of defence — a strength all season. Both Defensive Player of the Year nominees came from the Surge, in the form of guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and big man Greg Brown III. Nelson Jr. ultimately took home the trophy, but it was clear that Calgary’s defence was the product of a team effort. “Yeah, we’re the No. 1 defensive team but we always feel like we can play way better defence. That’s what we love about our team. It’s just like endless trying,” forward Sean Miller-Moore said. Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time Canadian leading scorer who is still searching for his first title, added that the Surge have plenty of fuel within them, which makes them tough to handle especially coming out of halftime. “We’re all leaders on the court. There’s nothing they can tell us that will motivate us. We’re already motivated. We know what we need to do. We know that we’re the best defending team,” he said. Given the internal motivation and the connectiveness, Raso said the Surge remind him of his own team. “They’re incredibly together. Their chemistry is really good. You can tell they like each other, they like playing basketball for each other. … They just move the ball really well. There’s a lot of togetherness, they try defensively,” Raso said. Both teams also have longtime CEBLers looking for their first title in Miller-Moore and River Lions guard Ahmed Hill, the league’s all-time leading scorer. They’re each lined with top-end stars, clutch role players and depth across the floor. Just one, however, will leave Sunday’s game with the coveted championship trophy. 2025 CEBL Playoff Schedule CW25 – CEBL Championship Final – Sunday, Aug. 24 – CGY vs. NRL – 6 p.m. CDT / 5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET – Canada Life Centre – Winnipeg, MB (TSN, RDS, CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) For the full 2025 CEBL schedule, please visit cebl.ca/games
By Myles Dichter
•
August 23, 2025
When the whistle blew for Target Score Time in Niagara’s contentious semifinal victory against Scarborough, Elijah Lufile went to the free-throw line for two crucial attempts. Lufile had made just 58.3 per cent of his attempts from the stripe during the season — and everyone in the building knew these pressure shots could essentially be coin flips. Before the first, the big man walked to the base of the net, put his head against the blue padding and lingered there for a few moments. He proceeded to make both — and then two more a few minutes later to put the River Lions within three points of victory. “I was locking in. I was also extremely tired. I think right before that I had asked Vic [Raso] for a sub and I was just trying to really gather my thoughts and clear my head at the same time, because that’s what you want. You’re not thinking. You’re just form shooting, repetition and muscle memory,” Lufile said. He added that this Championship Weekend means even more to him with brother Meshack on his side. On a personal level, he could become the first player ever with three titles. He played for the Shooting Stars in 2023 where he won his first championship after collecting seven offensive rebounds in a semifinal win over the River Lions. He then signed with Niagara that off-season and won yet again. “Knowing that this could be a historical thing for me potentially winning three in a row, I was just locked in. That’s really what it was. I was just locked in. And I’m really doing this for my brother as well. He’s on my team, he’s never won a ring before, get him to win a ring and also the other guys who are just coming in as well,” Lufile said. Lufile, the Milton, Ont., native, also hauled in a River Lions playoff record 15 rebounds in the win over the Shooting Stars. From the sidelines, Raso said he didn’t waver even as one of the worst free-throw shooters on his team — at least statistically — stepped in for some of the biggest of the game. “There was something about him that gave me confidence last night, just the way he was standing over the ball. That was humongous. Outside of Khalil’s shot, his [free throws] were massive. Massive.” Ahmad, who now has more playoff Target Score Winners than anyone in league history, had just one word to describe Lufile’s heroics. “Clutch.” Miller-Moore, Hill take aim at first title Between them, Calgary’s Sean Miller-Moore and Niagara’s Ahmed Hill have suited up in 194 CEBL games. Miller-Moore has scored more points than any Canadian; Hill’s scored more points than anyone, period. Yet neither has ever won a title. That will change Sunday, when Miller-Moore’s Surge clash with Hill’s River Lions at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre. “It’d be amazing,” Hill said. “Like they say, I already got accolades, but I don’t have a ring, so that’s something I want really bad. I’ve never won a championship before. So to do it with these guys, it would be amazing.” To be clear, when the 30-year-old Hill says he’s never won a championship before, he doesn’t just mean the CEBL. Hill said he’s never won a season-long championship in his career, dating back to at least high school. In the CEBL, he’s bounced around three teams in search of that elusive ring — now, with the defending champions, he’s one win away. Standing in his way, however, is Miller-Moore, who’s been in the Surge organization for five years since it was located in Guelph. He wasn’t willing to look ahead after the team’s semifinal win over Calgary, though. “It’s a great feeling, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you win. So we’re excited for the opportunity to get there. Obviously it’s my second time there, so extremely excited.” Teammate Evan Gilyard II said part of his motivation was getting Miller-Moore that long-awaited win. “It’d be great to win this championship for us, the city and Rugzy. … We gotta get him one.” Posthumus legacy lives on It’s hard to miss. Hanging from the roof on the south end of Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, there is a lone Sea Bears banner. ‘Posthumus, 33.’ The teal-coloured sign memorializes Chad Posthumus, the Winnipeg native and longtime CEBLer who died tragically in November at age 33 after suffering a brain aneurysm. On the court across from the banner, another logo is imprinted: ’33 Forever.’ As Championship Weekend takes place in Winnipeg, it’s clear that Posthumus won’t soon be forgotten. Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor, who spent Posthumus’ final two seasons with him in his hometown, said the connection between player, city and league was undeniable. “My last phone call with Chad, I remember sitting at my son's baseball practice in Florida, and it was a conversation about how great Championship Weekend is going to be, how special it's going to be here in Winnipeg,” Taylor recalled in a press conference on Wednesday. “So it's a difficult thing to think about. We loved him, and he was such a big part of our organization and city. And I really believe he's with us now in spirit.” Posthumus still sits 13th all-time in games played in CEBL history, having suited up for 81 contests. He appeared in the inaugural 2019 season, where he won the championship as a member of the Saskatchewan Rattlers, and he also spent two seasons with the Ottawa BlackJacks in 2021 and 2022. In many ways, the CEBL was created for players like Posthumus, a basketball lifer who was finally given the opportunity to play professionally at home. It’s fitting, then, that he’s watching over as a champion will be crowned in his hometown on Sunday. - CEBL -
August 23, 2025
Due to gusting winds and the chance of rain, the Kal Tire CW25 3x3 Tournament Powered by Peg City has moved to its backup indoor location today. Duckworth Centre – University of Winnipeg 400 Spence St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 2R6The tournament is still open to the public, and with some games delayed yesterday, today’s schedule will be packed as they work to complete the tournament. Special Note: Slam Dunk Contest – 2:00 pm Matt Loewen Legacy Shootout – 2:30 pm Both also moved to Duckworth a nd open to the public. Weather is looking better for tomorrow, and the playoffs are expected to return to the Play Now Street Festival. The rest of the festival is currently scheduled to continue as planned at the main site on Graham at True North Square. ###
By Zulfi Sheikh
•
August 23, 2025
(Western Conference Final) With the Calgary Surge’s title aspirations hanging in the balance, it felt fitting that Sean Miller-Moore was the one to send his team into Sunday’s Championship Final. Arguably no one on the court at Canada Life Centre on Friday night was better equipped to understand the stakes for his team than the Brampton, Ont., native — a mainstay of the Surge’s roster since the franchise moved to Calgary in 2023. Miller-Moore had previously felt the sting of leading Calgary all the way to the title game two years ago, only to fall short of a championship after losing to the Scarborough Shooting Stars. So, when the guard carried the ball up the court, sized up and drove right through Trevon Scott for a layup, it not only stood as the game-winning basket in the Surge’s 90-79 victory over the Winnipeg Sea Bears, it also marked an opportunity three years in the making. “It feels great … but it doesn’t mean anything unless we win (a championship),” Miller-Moore said after he was done waving goodbye to the 9,082 in attendance for the Western Conference Final on Friday. “We’re excited for the opportunity to get there. Obviously it’s my second time there, it’s a great feeling.” Come Sunday when the Surge take on the defending champion Niagara River Lions, redemption awaits. The Surge captain finished the night with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including four triples and seven rebounds. Evan Gilyard II did his part as well, scoring a game-high 24 points while going 6-of-12 from beyond the arc, while Jameer Nelson Jr. chipped in 16 points, four assists and three steals. Meanwhile, Greg Brown III put up a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds while tying a franchise single-game playoff record with four blocks. “We knew it was going to be a heavyweight fight,” Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said after the win. “It took 12 rounds, and we’ve got one more fight on Sunday.” On the other side, Scott led Winnipeg’s effort with a team-high 18 points, five assists and two steals. Will Richardson was right behind with 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals as he played the full 40 minutes. Rounding out the Sea Bears double-digit scoring efforts was Simi Shittu with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The loss dropped Winnipeg to 0-3 all-time in the post-season and marked the franchise’s second consecutive playoff loss at the hands of Calgary. “I felt like we were right where we needed to be,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said. “The effort was great … I’m proud of the guys.” Entering the night, it was no secret that the Surge had a preferred style of play: turn defence into offence. After the game, Canales admitted as much, saying “it’s been our identity, our brand of basketball all season.” And while that worked early — carrying a 28-19 lead into the second quarter after forcing four turnovers in the opening frame and converting them into easy rim attempts to the tune of a plus-14 edge in paint scoring — those plans had to change as the game progressed. The Sea Bears would settle down throughout the second and wouldn’t allow the Surge to go 9-of-12 from inside the arc like they did in the first quarter. In fact, Winnipeg held Calgary to just 14 points in the frame on five made field goals as it cut what was once a 13-point first-half deficit into a 42-36 margin at the break. So, coming out of halftime, it was clear that the Surge needed to find offence elsewhere and luckily for them, they did. It may have merely been drizzling outside the Canada Life Centre on Friday night, but come the second half, there was an undeniable downpour inside the arena. Calgary would rain down 10 threes in the final 20 minutes, including 6-of-13 in the third quarter to balloon its lead to 16 points (68-52) heading into the fourth quarter before finishing with 16 makes from beyond the arc (plus-nine) on a 36 per cent clip. Considering that the Surge ranked in the bottom half for both three-point makes and percentage per game during the regular-season, it was an even more impressive showing. Highlighting that effort was Miller-Moore, who, despite converting at just 28.6 per cent from downtown on the season, nailed two triples in the third and finished 4-of-8. “We knew all summer that we’re a third-quarter team,” the guard said. “We see what they’re giving us and we just adjust.” However, the host city Sea Bears wouldn’t be denied one final push — even without Jalen Harris, who ended up with just eight points in 16 minutes as he was hampered due to back spasms. After a barrage of three Olumide Adelodun triples had Winnipeg down by as many as 21 points in the final frame, it cut the deficit to 81-68 at the start of Target Score Time and continued storming back with the clocks stopped in a charge that was, once again, uncharacteristically led by defence. The Sea Bears forced the Surge into eight turnovers during Target Score Time as they clawed the deficit down to eight points on a Scott layup. “Give them credit, they played really well,” Taylor said. “Even though we didn’t have our best offensive performance, I’m proud of our team and the way we battled today … the effort was there but the execution was not where it needed to be.” Unfortunately for the Winnipeg faithful, the comeback stopped there as Calgary wasn’t done hitting threes. Gilyard nailed a semi-transition triple from the right wing to give the Surge the necessary breathing room to set up Miller-Moore’s winner. “At the end of the day, it’s just two points,” the Surge captain said when asked about game-sealing play. “I try to treat it like any other point, and (Gilyard) hitting that big three relieved some pressure off all of us, we were just two points away.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2700731 Up Next One final game remains on the schedule for 2025 as the Surge will take on the Niagara River Lions on Sunday at 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. ET to determine the next CEBL champion. Niagara earned its spot in Sunday’s Final after eking out a 93-91 win over the Scarborough Shooting Stars earlier on Friday thanks to Khalil Ahmad’s heroics. The defending champs will look to become just the second team in league history — behind the Edmonton Stingers in 2020 and 2021— to win back-to-back titles, while the Surge aim to capture their first. - CEBL -
By Myles Dichter
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August 23, 2025
(Eastern Conference Final) Khalil Ahmad played hero. The Niagara River Lions won a close game. And Championship Weekend picked up right where it left off. The River Lions eked past the Scarborough Shooting Stars 93-91 in the East Final on Friday at Winnipeg’s Canada Life Centre, moving one win away from repeating as league champion. Niagara’s formula looked awfully familiar as head coach Victor Raso’s troops battled in a back-and-forth high-stakes game. And when winning time came around, it was Ahmad — who scored all three playoff winners for his team last year —stepping up yet again to seal the deal. “My God, that guy has something inside of him that is just built for Target Time,” Raso said. When the clocks stopped, the River Lions led 84-83. And buoying their chances even further was the presence of Ahmad in their white-and-green jerseys. Shooting Stars forward Donovan Williams started the proceedings with a driving layup, but Ahmad answered with a pair of free throws. After Williams added two more points to put Scarborough back in front, another trip to the charity stripe for Ahmad handed Niagara the lead once again. Michael Foster Jr., then tipped home a putback for the Shooting Stars before Elijah Lufile knocked down two more free throws for Niagara. When Foster Jr. hit another layup, both teams were within a bucket of the victory. And after both teams missed their first opportunities to advance, Mr. Clutch stepped up yet again. Ahmad raced up the court, stopped on a dime above the three-point arc, and splashed home a winner under pressure from behind. Amid all the chaos, Ahmad was as cool as ever. “There wasn’t a lot of thoughts going through my head. … We needed a three, so why not take it?” Ahmad said. “Stepped into it with confidence and knocked it down.” Shooting Stars head coach Mike De Giorgio said the plan was for his team to foul in the backcourt to prevent the exact way it ended up losing. Still, he said he was proud of his team’s performance in a “high-level” game. “We handled the adversity we wanted to handle. We had chances to win the game. It just didn’t go for us and then Khalil made a big shot. That’s what he’s shown that he can do and he’s done it for years now,” De Giorgio said. Niagara will meet the winner of the West final between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Calgary Surge in Sunday’s final. Ahmad, the 28-year-old from Corona, Calif., now has four career Target Score Winners in the playoffs — the most in league history. He also surpassed 1,500 career points (including playoffs) in style with his game-winner, sitting at 1,502 entering the Finals. For the night, he put up a game-high 29 points to go with six rebounds. He also knocked down all 10 of his free throws — notable after he missed some clutch ones last year which he said nagged at him throughout the off-season. “We were just being where our feet are and trying to be locked into the moment, take every possession for what it was. Because, look, we won by two, so it was a close game. Every possession mattered and we took care of the little things,” Ahmad said. Raso called him a “mental monster.” “He has the physical tools, the physical skills and the mental confidence to be able to want it in those moments. Because those are shots that all of these guys are capable of making, but not all of those guys are capable of taking them,” he said. Helping Ahmad was big man Elijah Lufile, who came off the bench to put up eight points and a whopping 15 rebounds. Montreal native Nathan Cayo also neared a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. The game marked the latest chapter in the Scarborough-Niagara rivalry that’s quickly growing into one of the league’s fiercest. Each of the last two championships were won by the Ontario squads, and they even split the season series, making their playoff duel a tiebreaker of sorts. Prior to Friday, however, the Shooting Stars were 2-0 in post-season contests against the River Lions. Now, Niagara has a notch on its playoff record. A major disparity between the teams came at the free-throw line, where the River Lions were a perfect 21-for-21 while the Shooting Stars went just 11-for-18. The River Lions also dominated the glass, hauling in 56 rebounds (20 offensive) to the Shooting Stars’ 40 (seven offensive). “When we sat in the press conference the other day, De Giorgio pretty much said we need some defensive rebounds so we can run. And all I’m thinking is we need to take quality shots so that they don’t have the opportunities to run. So they got us in spurts, but down the stretch there wasn’t much transition,” Raso said. Donovan Williams led the way for the Shooting Stars, matching Ahmad’s 29 points while adding 11 rebounds. Backcourt mate Terquavion Smith had a 16-point, 10-assist double-double, but missed the potential game-winner before Ahmad’s dagger. Foster Jr. added 11 points and 10 rebounds. “It was a hell of a shot to end it off, but really just ready to move forward. It’s a loss,” Foster Jr. said. Niagara entered the contest on a five-game losing streak and with 12 days of rest taking the top seed in the East. Perhaps battling some rust after that layoff, it fell behind 9-2 early but battled back to tie things at 18. However, a Williams buzzer-beater put the Shooting Stars up 26-25 after the first quarter. The back-and-forth continued in the second quarter as the teams exchanged leads. Scarborough took a narrow 50-49 edge into halftime. In the third quarter, Niagara built its biggest lead of the game at nine points. It took a 74-68 advantage into the fourth after Kobe Elvis hit the Shooting Stars’ second buzzer-beating triple of the game. Scarborough changed things quickly in the fourth quarter, erasing its deficit and regaining the lead early in the final frame after a 13-3 run. Then, another classic Championship Weekend Target Score Time ensued. And yet again, it was the Lion King who roared. Now, the River Lions are one win away from going back-to-back. “If we get it done,” Ahmad said, “you’ll see what it means.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2700727 Up Next The River Lions will meet the winner of the West final in Sunday’s championship game at 6 p.m. CDT / 7 p.m. ET in Winnipeg. - CEBL -
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