By Justine Jones
Xavier Moon led the way with 23 points for the Edmonton Stingers (4-0) as the team remains undefeated on the season after a 101-60 victory over the Saskatchewan Rattlers (0-5) at the Expo Centre Thursday night.
The two-time CEBL MVP scored 19 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, including the Elam Ending winner that sealed the victory for Edmonton. With the Fraser Valley Bandits’ (4-1) loss to the Niagara River Lions (3-2), the Stingers sit atop the league standings as the only team with a perfect record.
Before the game, Edmonton raised its 2020 CEBL Title banner after being crowned Summer Series Champions last August. The Stingers carried the momentum from this pre-game ceremony into the first-quarter and opened up a 13-point lead after ten minutes. Edmonton was able to get out in transition and convert the Rattlers’ turnovers into dunks, layups, and three-pointers on the fast break. Mathieu Kamba topped all scorers with 15 first half points for Edmonton, shooting 80 per cent from beyond the arc. Kamba finished with 18 points.
The Stingers had their team chemistry on full display Thursday night. Edmonton tallied 30 assists on the evening compared to the Rattlers’ eight, largely thanks to a strong sense of familiarity among the returning players from their championship-winning roster.
“We just understand we’re trying to get the best shot possible and we have confidence that everyone can make a shot,” said head coach Jermaine Small. “I think that just makes it very easy. We have a group of guys that are selfless and that really enjoy seeing someone else succeed.”
Although leading-scorer Xavier Moon was quiet early on, his mere presence on the court draws the attention of defenders and his playmaking abilities open up scoring opportunities for his Stingers teammates.
“Xavier can break down any defence and kick it out for a three, they scramble and then we find other people because we’re not a selfish team,” said Kamba. “Like you saw today, he can just take over in the fourth quarter, it’s pretty easy for him, he doesn’t miss.”
Adika Peter-McNeilly and Jordan Baker are two players who seized these open looks and stepped up for the Stingers tonight. For the second straight game, Peter-McNeilly provided a boost off the bench finishing with 15 points. Baker took over in the third quarter and was integral in maintaining Edmonton’s lead. The reigning CEBL Canadian of the Year was active on offence and defence, scoring 12 of his 16 points in that frame as well as taking a charge and tallying a block.
Mambi Diawara led the way for Saskatchewan with 21 points on 41 per cent shooting. The Rattlers have been nursing injuries so far this season as starting players Negus Webster-Chan, JaKeenan Gant, and Kemy Osse all did not participate in tonight’s game.
Saskatchewan was able to keep pace with Edmonton early on, but some offensive slumps allowed the Stingers to open up a lead. The Rattlers were able to get into the paint, but a strong defensive effort from Edmonton prevented them from finishing at the rim. The Stingers had seven blocks and the solid interior presence of Brady Skeens, Marlon Johnson, and the aforementioned Baker, proved difficult for Saskatchewan to score against.
“We have to start trusting each other offensively,” said head coach Chad Jacobson. “Right now we’re trying to play a lot of one on one. We come down and set up a difficult shot and guys are just trying to do too much.”
Despite the loss, the Saskatchewan Rattlers (0-5) will have their chance at revenge when they play host to the Edmonton Stingers (4-0) at the SaskTel Centre on July 10 at 3:00 p.m. ET/ 2:00 p.m. local time on national television (CBC TV).
“We don’t have time to hang our heads,” said Jacobson. “We have to focus on the game at two o’clock on Saturday and learn from this one and move forward. That’s all we can do.”
All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service, CEBL+ , cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.