The Edmonton Stingers (9-4) could be the second team to clinch a playoff berth in the CEBL Championship Weekend with a win at Guelph (4-10) on Saturday, combined with a Fraser Valley loss in Niagara.

(Tickets available at TicketMaster. Watch via CEBL TV or the CBC Gem App ).

There has been no stopping the Stingers lately, winners of five straight, including a pair of victories over the Nighthawks. Edmonton’s current winning streak matches Niagara’s run from May 16 to June 8 as the longest stretch of consecutive victories. During this time span, the Stingers are averaging 104.0 points, shooting a blistering 51.3% from the field, 43.8 rebounds (they lead the league in rebounds at 42.9), and 23.4 assists. Bench boss Jermaine Small, who took over for Barnaby Craddock as the Stingers head coach and general manager on June 20, has yet to lose. While they have made small adjustments to the lineup, many of Edmonton’s familiar faces – Daniels, Glaze, Kamba, and Moon – have played through this tremendous transformation.

The Guelph Nighthawks are coming off a historic evening in Saskatoon on Thursday night. The 93-85 win against the Rattlers was the first for new head coach and general manager Charles Kissi. The long distance record book was rewritten by Connor Wood, who made a CEBL-best nine triples as part of a game-high 29 points. The previous mark was seven three-pointers, set three times, most recently by River Lions guard Ryan Anderson on June 26 versus Hamilton.

The win kept Guelph’s faint playoff hopes alive.

Edmonton is playing its third consecutive game against Guelph. It’s the only time this season that a team competes back-to-back-to-back with the same foe. The Stingers have dominated the Nighthawks all season, outscoring its opponent by an average of 10.3 points. Xavier Moon is averaging 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists against Guelph, while teammate Grandy Glaze has contributed 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and is shooting 67.6% (25-37) in the season series.

The Stingers have not played since defeated Guelph, 110-91 at home on July 11. Nine days is a long time between games. The Nighthawks will hope their hot shooting can carry over 48 hours despite having to travel home from Saskatoon in between game days. Time may be running out for Guelph, but a new era has generated hope for a brighter future. Can the Nighthawks delay Edmonton’s celebrations for another day?

May 24, 2019 at Edmonton: Edmonton 82, Guelph 80

Leading scorers: Edmonton (J. Baker, 23), Guelph (C. Lufile, 18)

Leading rebounders: Edmonton (J. Baker, 13), Guelph (E. Marshall, 11)

July 6, 2019 at Guelph: Edmonton 99, Guelph 89

Leading scorers: Edmonton (X. Moon, 21), Guelph (O. Famutimi, 20)

Leading rebounders: Edmonton (G. Glaze, 13), Guelph (C. Lufile, 9)

July 11, 2019 at Edmonton: Edmonton 110, Guelph 91

Leading scorers: Edmonton (G. Glaze, 28), Guelph (O. Famutimi, 15)

Leading rebounders: Edmonton (G. Glaze, 15), Guelph (O. Famutimi, 8)