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Sean East II continues to make his mark in the CEBL — and his Edmonton Stingers just keep rolling. East II scored 35 points as the Stingers downed the Montreal Alliance 94-83 for their fourth straight win on Tuesday at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. The MVP candidate also added six assists and four steals as the Stingers improved to 8-6. Montreal, which began the season with four straight wins of its own, fell to 5-6 with the loss. “We’re just now starting to get together, one game at a time, one practice at a time. The sky’s the limit for us,” East II said. The Stingers held an 85-72 advantage when the clocks turned off for Target Score Time, but the Alliance — desperate for a win after their recent slide — came out firing and trimmed the Edmonton lead to 88-81 after back-to-back triples from Chris Smith and Tavian Dunn-Martin. However, after a timeout, Scottie Lindsey responded with his second three-pointer of Target Time to put the Stingers within three points of victory. Three possessions later, East II poked the ball away from Montreal’s Quincy Guerrier and finished the game with a layup on the other end. Stingers head coach Jordan Baker commended East II’s performance. “If he’s not the MVP of the league at the midway point I don’t know who is,” Baker said. “He’s carried us a lot of time and now we’ve got guys playing alongside him that are pretty damn good too.” For East II, the performance against the Alliance was far from a one-off. The Louisville, Kent., native entered Tuesday’s action fourth leaguewide with 23.8 points per game, first with a blistering 52.2 per cent mark from deep (minimum 25 attempts) and second with 36 three-point makes. He helped those stats by splashing five of seven three-point attempts against Montreal — part of an efficient night in which he converted on 14 of 18 field-goal attempts overall. His 35 points were four off the Edmonton franchise record of 39 set by three-time MVP Xavier Moon. “I give the credit to my teammates and my coaching staff. They’re letting me play. My teammates are finding me when I’m open, we’re moving the ball well. We started [the season] out slow … but we finally found our team and I think we’re moving in the right direction,” East II said. It wasn’t just East II fueling the Stingers, however. Canadian Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton contributed a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double while guard Scottie Lindsey added 19 points, including seven in Target Time. Mason Bourcier recorded his 50th career regular-season steal in the first quarter and finished the game with three points, two rebounds and two assists. “Our depth, if we have a couple guys who have a bad night, it doesn’t mean we lose the game. It just means someone else steps into that position and plays well for us,” Baker said. Meanwhile, a scuffling Alliance offence continued to struggle — with one notable exception. Shifty point guard Tavian Dunn-Martin went toe-to-toe with East II, keeping his team afloat with 30 points, including 19 in the first half. Forwards Quincy Guerrier and Brandon Porter had 18 and 16 points, respectively. Dunn-Martin said his team needs to get back into the lab to rediscover its early-season form. “We just need our guys to be more confident. Right now a lot of our guys are overthinking, not playing like they did at the beginning of the season,” he said. With the loss, Montreal remains fourth in the Eastern Conference, trailing the streaking third-place Ottawa BlackJacks, who earned their fourth straight win earlier Tuesday. Meanwhile, the fifth-place Brampton Honey Badgers have shown recent flashes of life with wins in three of four, including a 35-point drubbing of the first-place Niagara River Lions. Alliance head coach Jermaine Small said his team just needs to put a full game together. “I think there’s a lot of self-inflicted wounds. I think we beat ourselves a lot. We had a lead at the beginning. We gotta play a 40-minute game,” Small said. Edmonton raced to an early 10-point lead, but the Alliance responded to cut their deficit to just one point by the end of the first frame. The Stingers found their form late in the second quarter, using a 16-7 run to take a 48-38 lead into halftime. Edmonton mostly held serve in the third quarter and took a 65-57 lead into the fourth. And by the end of the game, Edmonton found itself back in a spot it’s quickly become familiar with — the win column. “Any time you can give 3,000-plus a good show on Canada Day,” Baker said, “it’s a positive.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600628 Up Next Montreal finishes up a three-game road trip against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Thursday, while Edmonton wraps its four-game homestand by hosting the Calgary Surge on Sunday. Next CEBL Action A two-game night on Thursday features the Brampton Honey Badgers hosting the Surge as well as the Alliance-Rattlers contest. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Lors d’une journée de célébration dans la capitale nationale, Javonte Smart a donné amplement de raisons à la foule locale de se réjouir, égalant le record de franchise des BlackJacks d’Ottawa avec 37 points dans une victoire dominante de 104-80 contre les Sea Bears de Winnipeg — la quatrième victoire consécutive de l’équipe. La foule avait de quoi se lever dès le début, alors que les BlackJacks ont pris les devants 9-0 grâce à la défense étouffante qui fait leur réputation pendant cette série victorieuse. Ils ont maintenant limité leurs quatre derniers adversaires à 80 points ou moins. Ottawa a poursuivi sur sa lancée au premier quart, limitant Winnipeg à seulement six tirs réussis sur 17 et prenant une avance de 29-16 à la pause. Alors que les BlackJacks ont marqué tous leurs points de manière classique au premier quart — sans réussir un seul tir de trois points — ils ont retrouvé leur rythme au deuxième, en réussissant quatre de leurs six tentatives derrière l’arc. De leur côté, les Sea Bears ont tenté d’imposer un rythme plus rapide et de forcer les locaux à sortir de leur style de jeu préféré, mais ils n’ont pas su en profiter, réussissant seulement neuf de leurs 24 tirs. « Je pense que nos gars ont fait un travail incroyable, » a affirmé l’entraîneur-chef des BlackJacks, Dave DeAveiro, après la rencontre. « Ils ont suivi le plan et l’ont exécuté de façon très efficace. On a eu un petit relâchement au deuxième quart où on n’était pas concentrés défensivement. Mais après ça, on s’est bien ressaisis et on a réussi à rendre la vie difficile à leurs trois meilleurs joueurs. » Ces trois joueurs de Winnipeg – Tevian Jones, Jalen Harris et Simin Shittu – ont été limités à respectivement 15, 11 et 11 points, même si Shittu a terminé avec un record de franchise de 19 rebonds, à seulement un du record de la ligue. Emmanuel Akot a inscrit 17 points et capté cinq rebonds, tandis que Jaylin Williams a récolté 15 points et sept rebonds. « La première chose, c’est de donner crédit à Ottawa, » a dit l’entraîneur-chef des Sea Bears, Mike Taylor. « Javonte a été exceptionnel, ils ont joué un match collectif incroyable. J’ai trouvé que notre effort défensif était inconstant. Je pense qu’on n’a pas mis assez de pression sur le ballon ni contenu le porteur comme il le fallait, et ça leur a donné des paniers faciles en transition qui les ont mis en confiance. Au final, ça se joue sur des détails… Quand tu es sur la route, tu dois travailler fort, défendre, prendre des rebonds – tous les fondamentaux du jeu. Aujourd’hui, on a manqué un peu de dureté dans ces aspects et Ottawa en a profité. Chapeau à eux, ils ont joué un excellent match d’équipe. Mais surtout de la part de notre cinq partant, on s’attend à un peu plus d’effort défensif. » Winnipeg a tenté un retour énergique au début du troisième quart, en marquant 14 points consécutifs pour réduire l’écart de 58-41 à seulement trois points. Mais Smart a repris le contrôle et les BlackJacks se sont détachés pour le reste de la rencontre. « C’est un scoreur. Un vrai scoreur, » a souligné DeAveiro. « Il fait ça de façon constante depuis quatre matchs. Combien de joueurs sont capables d’enchaîner quatre matchs comme ça alors que toutes les équipes préparent des plans pour l’arrêter? On est chanceux de l’avoir. Il est aussi altruiste et va faire la passe décisive pour trouver ses coéquipiers et leur offrir un bon tir. « Quand tu mets deux joueurs sur lui pour le stopper, il n’a qu’à lever le ballon et Isaih est assez athlétique pour aller le finir. Javonte met beaucoup de pression sur les défenses adverses, donc il faut inventer des stratégies pour le contenir. Chaque fois qu’ils envoyaient deux défenseurs sur lui, c’était soit une passe lobée à Isaih, soit une remise vers l’extérieur pour un tir de trois points. » Au-delà de Smart, plusieurs joueurs locaux ont brillé. Isaih Moore a inscrit 18 points et capté 14 rebonds pour un doublé, Deng Adel a ajouté 14 points, tandis que Tyrell Tate et Zane Waterman ont contribué avec 11 points chacun. Cette rencontre était le 100e match dans l’histoire des BlackJacks, saison régulière et séries éliminatoires combinées. Pour un joueur comme Adel, c’est une belle expérience de voir l’équipe évoluer, autant sur le terrain qu’en dehors, au fil des saisons. « C’est vraiment cool de voir la base de partisans grandir d’année en année, avec des gens qui viennent s’amuser, » a déclaré Adel. « C’est un super endroit, et c’est juste plaisant d’en faire partie. Les gars veulent venir ici et jouer ici, et c’est important. Ça a été positif. » En plus d’être leur quatrième victoire consécutive, c’était aussi le deuxième gain des BlackJacks contre les Sea Bears cette saison. Pour Winnipeg, il s’agissait d’une troisième défaite de suite, et d’un deuxième match consécutif où ils ont concédé 100 points. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600626 À venir pour les deux équipes Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa se rendront dans les Prairies le 5 juillet pour affronter les Rattlers de la Saskatchewan lors du premier de leurs deux affrontements cette saison. Les Sea Bears de Winnipeg poursuivent leur voyage de trois matchs à l’extérieur et rencontreront les River Lions de Niagara pour la première fois cette saison le 4 juillet. Prochains matchs dans la LECB Les Honey Badgers de Brampton accueilleront le Surge de Calgary le 3 juillet. Le match sera diffusé en direct sur CEBL+ et TSN+. Pour consulter le calendrier complet 2025 de la LECB et les résultats à jour, visitez le site cebl.ca/games . - LECB -

On a day of celebration in the Nation’s Capital, Javonte Smart gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about, tying the Ottawa BlackJacks franchise record with 37 points in a dominant 104-80 win over the visiting Winnipeg Sea Bears — the team’s fourth straight victory. The crowd had plenty to get behind early as the BlackJacks got off to a 9-0 lead early thanks to the stifling defense they’ve become known for over their winning streak, having now held their last four opponents to 80 points or fewer. It was more of the same from Ottawa in the first quarter, holding Winnipeg to just 6-of-17 shooting from the floor and taking a 29-16 lead into the break. While the BlackJacks got all their points the old-fashioned way in the first quarter – failing to make a three-pointer – they found their shooting stroke in the second, hitting 4-of-6 from deep. For their part, the Sea Bears managed to push the pace and get the home squad to get away from their preferred playing style but were unable to take advantage hitting just nine of their 24 shots. “I thought our guys did a tremendous job,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said following the win. I thought they followed the plan and executed the plan really well. We had the little hiccup in the second quarter where we didn’t lock in defensively. But after that, we just locked in and did a good job making life really tough for their top three guys.” Those three players for Winnipeg – Tevian Jones, Jalen Harris and Simin Shittu – were held to 15, 11 and 11 points, respectively, though Shittu did finish with a franchise record 19 rebounds, just one behind the league record. Emmanuel Akot had 17 points and five rebounds, while Jaylin Williams had 15 and seven rebounds. “The first thing is giving credit to Ottawa” Seas Bears head coach Mike Taylor said. “Javonte was outstanding, they had a great team game. I felt like our defensive effort was inconsistent. I think that we did not pressure the ball and contain the ball like we needed to, and that gave them some easy baskets in transition that got them feeling good. It comes down to the things… on the road you have to work hard, defend, rebound – all the fundamental parts of the game. Today we were a little bit soft with that and Ottawa took advantage. Credit to them, they played a great team game. But especially from our starting five, we expect a little bit more defensive effort.” Winnipeg would make a passionate push early in the third quarter, scoring 14 consecutive points to cut a 58-41 lead down to just three. But Smart would take over once again and the BlackJacks pulled away for the rest of the game. “He’s a scorer. He’s a legitimate scorer,” DeAveiro said. “He’s done this consistently for four games. How many guys can do that consistently for four games when teams are prepping trying to stop you. We’re lucky to have him. He’s also unselfish and will pass the ball to find his teammates to get a good shot. “You put two people on the ball to stop Javonte and you just throw it up and Isaih is athletic enough to go up and finish it. Javonte puts a lot of pressure on teams’ defenses, so you have to come up with strategies to defend Javonte. Any time they put two bodies on him, it’s either a lob up to Isaih or a kick out for a three.” Smart aside, there were a number of impressive performances from the home side. Isaih Moore had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Deng Adel had 14 points, and Tyrell Tate and Zane Waterman both chipped in with 11. The game was the 100 th in the history of the BlackJacks, combing both regular season and postseason games. For a player like Adel, it’s been a great experience seeing the team grown, both on the court and off it, during his extended time with the club. “It’s been dope seeing the fanbase grow each year, people coming out and enjoying themselves,” Adel said. “It’s a great area, and it’s just fun to be a part of. Guys want to come here and play here which has been important, and it’s been good.” On top of being their fourth win in a row, it was also the BlackJacks second win over the Sea Bears this season. For the Sea Bears, it was their third straight loss, and second in as many games giving up 100 points. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600626 Up next for both teams The Ottawa BlackJacks will travel to the prairies on July 5 to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers in the first of their two meetings this season. The Winnipeg Sea Bears continue their three-game road trip as they take on the Niagara River Lions for the first time this season on July 4. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers will host the Calgary Surge on July 3, streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Triple programme de la fête du Canada pour lancer la semaine 9

Canada Day tripleheader tips off Week 9

The Vancouver Bandits are proud to announce a three-year commitment to the Terry Fox Foundation, supporting cancer research across Canada. The commitment includes the continuation of the club wearing its special edition Terry Fox tribute jersey, which will be worn during its upcoming Canada Day match-up versus the Scarborough Shooting Stars, which tips off at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at Langley Events Centre. Tickets for the game are available for purchase and the game will be nationally televised on TSN. The special edition tribute jersey, which features iconic imagery of Terry Fox and celebrates the legacy of his Marathon of Hope, was launched in 2024. Proceeds from each jersey sold were donated to the Terry Fox Foundation in support of cancer research across Canada and public response was overwhelmingly positive. “Terry Fox is a national hero whose legacy continues to inspire generations. As a team rooted in community, we are honoured to partner with the Terry Fox Foundation over the next three years to carry forward Terry’s message of courage, hope, and determination, “ said Dylan Kular, Vancouver Bandits team president. “The special edition jersey pays tribute to Terry’s vision and a symbol of the strength we all strive to embody, on and off the court.” The jersey is available in both adult and youth sizes online at this link . A limited selection of replica jerseys will be available for sale at the Bandits’ Canada Day match-up, which is dedicated in Terry’s honour. Each replica version jersey available for fans to purchase features the no. 4, which was the number worn by Terry during his season as a member of Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) junior varsity basketball team in 1977. Despite an eventual cancer diagnosis that required his right leg to be amputated, as well as chemotherapy and surgery, Fox continued to excel in sports. He joined Rick Hansen as a member of his wheelchair basketball team and eventually won three national titles with the team before embarking on his Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980. Inscribed on the front and back of the special edition jersey are the names of all the cities, parks, and towns where Terry started and ended his daily run during his tremendous journey from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ontario. Fox’s goal was to run from Canada’s east coast in Newfoundland to its west coast in Victoria, British Columbia, raising awareness and funds for cancer research. Terry’s Marathon of Hope spanned 143 days and 5,373 kilometres before he fell too ill to continue. He ran an average of 26 miles daily – equivalent to the distance of running a marathon each day of his mission across Canada. Fox’s running route spanning Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario is etched on the jersey. Today, his legacy lives through various fundraising initiatives and the annual Terry Fox Run across the country and beyond. The jersey features a black, red, and white colour scheme, as well as colour blocked side panelling inspired by the patterning of Terry’s 1970s jersey worn at SFU. His no. 4 jersey has since been retired by the university as well as the high school he attended. The Bandits are one of 10 men’s professional basketball teams that annually compete in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). The Bandits are midway through the club’s sixth CEBL season. The club’s home venue of Langley Events Centre is located just a 20-minute drive from Terry’s high school alma mater, Port Coquitlam Senior Secondary School, which was later renamed as “Terry Fox Secondary School.” More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter . ### About Vancouver Bandits The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC), while also being committed to growing the game of basketball by fostering meaningful community connections through youth programming, events, and partnerships. About the Terry Fox Foundation: The Terry Fox Foundation honours the vision and spirit of an iconic Canadian while raising critical funds for cancer research. As a leading national charitable organization, the Terry Fox Foundation plays a vital role in building community, engaging more than 20,000 passionate volunteers and 3.5 million students in nearly 10,000 annual fundraising events across the country. Through the generous support of our donors, partners, and volunteers, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised more than $900 million and funded 1,300 innovative cancer research projects, bringing hope and health to millions of Canadians.

It was just as beautiful inside Edmonton EXPO Centre as it was outside on Sunday afternoon, as the Edmonton Stingers cemented an early lead and defeated the Scarborough Shooting Stars, 98-81. Today marked the second of Edmonton’s four-game homestand. In the first quarter, Edmonton resorted to a shot diet that was mostly inside the paint. They were one-for-five beyond the arc, while Scarborough shot two-for-14 from downtown. Edmonton got off to a 26-11 start. One of the keys to the game mentioned on the broadcast was for Edmonton to value their possessions – though every team talks about doing this, whether it’s actually practiced is another issue entirely. In the second frame, Donovan Williams hit a triple, Sean East missed a lay-up, and then Williams hit a step-through lay-up to inch with three points, forcing an Edmonton timeout. After that timeout, Edmonton scored a triple and a two-pointer to force a timeout. While it became a back-and-forth affair, East rose to the occasion and gave his team three three-pointers en route to a 13-6 run to close out the first half. If that second quarter was indicative of the “resilience” Nick Hornsby mentioned at halftime, it wasn’t just their star player answering. At the end of the first half, Edmonton took the wind out of Scarborough’s sails as Hornsby closed out with two made free throws after getting a deflection on the defensive end, gaining possession of the ball, and drawing a foul from David Walker. Right before the buzzer, Isiah Osborne got a block on Terquavion Smith that would deflate even the most confident of scorers. Edmonton built up a 15-point halftime lead, but they had to regain their lead as they came back sleepwalking at the start of the second half. It took a 13-0 run, punctuated by Smith’s back-to-back threes to force an Edmonton timeout. Scarborough was suddenly inched with two points with a lot more basketball to be played. “I mean I wanted to. I should have, honestly,” Edmonton head coach Jordan Baker said about how he should have taken a timeout earlier. “But we want our guys to work through some things…We’re a resilient group.” Smith made four three-pointers for Scarborough, and his squad was trying to overtake Edmonton. A tussle between Hornsby and Joirdon Nicholas made the third a chippy one as the game built up to a physical climax. Edmonton displayed resilience, however, by closing out the third quarter, just as they did in the first and second. Mike Nuga hit a three-pointer and Osborne hit a corner three after getting a pass from the opposite wing. The very first bucket at the start of the fourth was Osborne immediately hitting another three-pointer to give Edmonton a 11-point buffer. Edmonton closed out the game and never let their fourth-quarter lead get closer than eight points. Osborne now has 50 regular season steals and the defensive player had a strong offensive performance tonight. “He’s a guy that does a lot of the intangibles. He executes our game plan very well, he was disruptive against their top guys all night,” Coach Baker said. While Edmonton relies on the sum of its parts, East, the fourth-leading scorer in the league, had 27 points, shooting six-for-nine from downtown. East came into this game shooting a miraculous 50% (30-for-60) from three-point range. Keon Ambrose Hylton, who is second in the league in field goal percentage, hit a big three-pointer in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 points on five-for-eight shooting. Scarborough’s Williams, the league’s leading scorer, had 17 tonight. “It was a roller coaster,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said after tonight’s game. Scarborough’s hunt for consistency continues after blowing out last year’s CEBL champions, defeating Winnipeg on the road, and losing tonight. “I thought our energy to start the game wasn’t as high. We weren’t locked into our coverages,” he said. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600623 Up next for both teams The Edmonton Stingers (7-6) host the third of their four-game homestand against the Montreal Alliance (5-5) on Canada Day. Scarborough (7-6) will move further west to face the league’s best Vancouver Bandits (9-3) on the same day as well. Next CEBL action There will be a total of three Canada Day games on Tuesday, July 1. Aside from the two mentioned above, the Winnipeg Sea Bears (5-7) will face the Ottawa BlackJacks (5-6) in the nation’s capital. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

No Quinndary Weatherspoon, no problem for the Brampton Honey Badgers. Even without the services of their leading scorer, the home team managed to earn a wire-to-wire 91-66 win over the defending champion Niagara River Lions on Sunday afternoon. It was the Honey Badgers’ first double-digit victory of the season and improved the squad to a winning 4-3 record at the CAA Centre this season, all while evening the regular-season series 1-1 in after the second of four matchups between the conference rivals. Meanwhile, the loss dropped Niagara into a tie with the Scarborough Shooting Stars atop the East standings and made it back-to-back defeats, both by double-digits. David Muenkat led that charge as he finished with a season-high (and game-high) 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting and five made threes, capping his third consecutive game of scoring 20 or more. Behind him were the pair of Koby McEwen (19 points, 10 assists) and Amari Kelly (15 points, 12 rebounds), who chipped in double-double efforts. Rounding things out was Marcus Carr, scoring 13 of his 15 points in the final frame to go with eight assists on the night. “I thought we were solid with our energy throughout the game,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said post-game. “There were some runs, at times when we might’ve gotten flustered, but I thought we were able to weather Niagara’s runs and play a full 40 minutes.” On the other side, Ahmed Hill led the way with 13 points, the lone River Lions starter to shoot over 40 per cent from the field. Behind him was Khalil Ahmad with 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Meanwhile, Kimbal Mackenzie chipped in 12 points and five assists off the bench — spearheading a 29-9 edge in second-unit scoring, one of the few areas Niagara won on Sunday. “We’re not a good team right now, we can’t make shots.” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said after his team finished 33 per cent from the field (21-of-63) and 17 per cent from distance (5-of-17). “Can’t make shots, can’t consistently get stops, we’ve just lost our confidence … it’s not good enough.” It was clear as early as the opening frame that the Honey Badgers — after losing their first matchup of the season against the River Lions by 14 points — had revenge on their mind. And after carving out a 31-16 lead after 10 minutes of play, it’s safe to say some of that comeuppance was exacted. Brampton earned that big early lead thanks to a lights-out shooting effort, using a 3-for-3 start from downtown to spark an 11-2 run. The Honey Badgers, not long after, took the game’s first double-digit lead on yet another deep make, Ali Sow hitting their fourth triple of the quarter. “It was just about sharing the ball,” Cassimy explained of his team’s hot-shooting start. “We were giving up good shots to get great shots, getting into the paint and kicking the ball out, so it generated better team shots for us.” The Honey Badgers ultimately went 7-for-8 from beyond the arc in the opening frame, more than they made in the entirety of their 14-point loss to the River Lions, and in stark contrast to the 8.1 they usually make per game, which ranked second-fewest. All the while, Niagara went 0-for-7 from distance in the first, underscoring what was a struggle scoring all around as the River Lions went just 3-for-15 (20 per cent) from the field. “Disappointing,” Mackenzie said after the loss. “Not a good loss for us. Anytime you lose, it doesn’t feel good … they played better than us. It’s never just making (or missing) shots.” That trend only continued in the second quarter despite the River Lions cutting the deficit down to 10 points on a Mackenzie triple at the 8:25 mark, just their first long-distance make of the game. The Honey Badgers responded immediately with a 10-0 run, ballooning their lead as high as 23 points en route to a 56-35 advantage at halftime. Muenkat led that charge as he scored 12 of his game-high 17 halftime points in the second quarter, including Brampton’s final eight points going into the break. He shot 6-for-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc through 20 minutes. The Honey Badgers ended up making a season-high 15 threes, two shy of their franchise’s all-time single-game mark, doing so on a 45 per cent clip. The River Lions did build a bit of momentum toward the end of the third, however, capping off the quarter on an 8-2 while holding the Honey Badgers scoreless for the final two minutes to shrink their deficit to 16 points (67-51). Although that effort was short-lived as Brampton outscored Niagara by seven points through the first six minutes of the final frame, pushing its lead to 82-59 headed into Target Score Time. Carr was in charge of that response as he scored the Honey Badgers' first eight points in the fourth quarter. It was smooth sailing for the Honey Badgers from there, again, in part due to the Toronto native. He scored five of the necessary nine points for Brampton once the clocks stopped while Kelly bookended the effort with a pair of layups. “We can play, we’re not a pushover team,” Muenkat said when asked what beating the defending champions proved. “I don’t think our record is a real representation of the kind of team we are.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600622 Up next The Honey Badgers return Thursday to host the 8-4 Calgary Surge to wrap up a five-game homestand. Meanwhile, the River Lions head back to Niagara as they’ll host the 5-7 Winnipeg Sea Bears on Friday with hopes of putting an end to their skid. Next CEBL action Sunday’s double-header wraps up with a cross-conference matchup between the visiting 7-5 Scarborough Shooting Stars and 6-6 Edmonton Stingers at 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. local. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -

Sometimes it’s not about how you start, just how you finish. The Vancouver Bandits (9-3) proved as much with their 97-85 come-from-behind victory over the Saskatchewan Rattlers (3-10) on Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre. Vancouver won the second half by 22 points (52-30), turning what was a 10-point halftime deficit into a 12-point win that not only extended their lead atop the Western Conference but also snapped a two-game skid. Tyrese Samuel led that effort for the Bandits with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds on a team-best 7-for-11 shooting. Right behind him was a pair of returnees in Mitch Creek, who chipped in 23 points of his own, and Kyle Mangas, who scored 22 on 6-for-11 shooting from distance. Meanwhile, Nick Ward, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, made his season debut, albeit finishing with just two points on 1-of-4 shooting in seven minutes of action. Nate Pierre-Louis spearheaded Saskatchewan’s effort with a double-double as well, putting up 19 points and a game-high 11 assists. Jordan Bowden also scored 19 points to go with five rebounds and seven assists, while Deon Ejim (off the bench) and Grant Anticevich added 15 and 13 points, respectively. “It was a tough loss,” Ejim said with a tone of optimism post-game, noting how in the first two of four matchups against the Bandits this season, the Rattlers lost both by more than 20 points. “We didn’t have the ending that we wanted, but I was happy with the fight and the fact that we weren’t dominated like the last two games. Conventional wisdom would’ve said the Bandits ought to have led after the opening frame on Saturday, considering they finished the quarter 6-for-10 from distance, went 10-for-13 from the free throw line and forced three turnovers to their zero. Yet after Pierre-Louis’ triple in the final seconds of the frame capped off a 10-3 run, part of nine points in the first for him, it was the Rattlers that led 28-27 after 10 minutes. While Vancouver won the battle outside the arc, it was a completely different story on the interior as the Bandits were 0-for-6 on two-pointers throughout the first quarter, giving up an 8-0 edge on paint points to the Rattlers. Vancouver’s first two-point make didn’t come till 9:13 of the second. And after seizing the momentum, Saskatchewan made the most of it. Or rather, Ejim did, as the bench forward caught fire to the tune of 4-for-4 from distance in the second. His lights-out shooting led to a game-high 15 points at halftime as the Rattlers led 55-45 after winning the second quarter by nine points (26-17). “We’ve been in every single game this year,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said following the loss, noting how seven of the team’s losses have come by seven-or-fewer points. “We’re a team that competes hard … it’s a huge credit to our guys. “For us it’s about continued growth and we saw another step forward tonight.” It was a much-welcomed outburst for a Rattlers team that averaged just 8.6 makes from distance per game entering the night, third-fewest in the CEBL. They finished 13-for-28 (46 per cent) from distance as a team on Saturday. Whereas the taps turned off in the second for Vancouver after its perfect 5-for-5 start from distance on Saturday, as the Bandits made just one of their next 11 three-point attempts going into the break. That trend didn’t last, however, and ended up being a catalyst for their rally, making nine second-half threes on a 52 per cent clip. “We started off slow, we’ve had a lot of guys in and out of the lineup … so we really struggled in the first half to find our rhythm,” Creek said after the win. “It’s a bit of a chess match at the moment.” The first two of those makes came on back-to-back hits from Corey Davis. Jr and Mangas to open the third, they were part of a 14-4 run that was then capped off by a Creek fastbreak layup that gave Vancouver its first lead since the 0:41 mark of the opening quarter. And it was Mangas who punctuated that effort by Vancouver as he nailed a running, fading triple at the buzzer to extend the Bandits' lead to 72-68 after the third. The import had missed the last two games Vancouver had lost as he went through workouts south of the border with NBA clubs, and it didn’t take long for him to remind the 4,984 in attendance what he was capable of, as his six threes in the game put him up to first in the CEBL for total triples (40) this season. The Bandits didn’t slow down from there as they opened the fourth on a 10-2 run, carving out an 11-point lead at the start of Target Time on the heels of Creek’s second of three triples on the night. And while the Rattlers did go blow-for-blow with the Bandits once the clocks were stopped, they needed more to overcome the double-digit deficit. Ultimately, a 5-0 burst thanks to another Creek make from distance and a pair of Samuel free throws — finishing 8-of-9 from the charity stripe — were enough for Vancouver to walk away with a win. It was fitting that Saskatchewan committed back-to-back turnovers just before Samuel closed out the ball game, as it was an issue that underscored their loss. In a game where the Rattlers shot better across the board aside from the free throw line, and won the rebound and assist battle, it was self-inflicted miscues that loomed large. The usually disciplined Rattlers, who commit the third-fewest turnovers on average (13.4), finished with 18 as they gave up a 23-8 edge on points off giveaways. Meanwhile, they sent the Bandits to the line for 27 free throws (plus-13), of which Vancouver nailed 22 (plus-14). “They made us second-guess ourselves,” Ejim said. “And just that simple second-guess cost us the game.” The skid snapping victory capped off the Bandits' second-annual Filipino Celebration Game , an event that included fan activations, commemorative merch and special edition jerseys. All the while, the team wore a black-stiped patch with the word “Kapwa,” which describes the Filipino experience of community and shared humanity, to honour the lives tragically lost a the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival on April. 26. “It’s the sixth man that people don’t really notice sometimes,” Creek said of the raucous sellout crowd. “All of a sudden, the momentum is in your favour … there’s a different effect. That’s what basketball is all about.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600621 Up next The Bandits stay put in Vancouver, continuing a three-game homestand when they return to action on Tuesday to host the 7-5 Scarborough Shooting Stars. Meanwhile, the Rattlers head back to Saskatchewan for their next three games, starting with a matchup against the 5-5 Montreal Alliance on Thursday. Next CEBL action Sunday’s double-header slate opens with an Eastern Conference matinee matchup between the defending champion Niagara River Lions and host Brampton Honey Badgers at 2 p.m. ET. After that, the Edmonton Stingers welcome the Scarborough Shooting Stars out west for a 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. local tip-off. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -