The Edmonton Stingers kept their Basketball Champions League Americas ( BCLA ) dreams alive on Monday night at WinSport Arena in Calgary, AB, defeating Cangrejeros of Puerto Rico 93-87 to remain in contention for advancing to the Final 8 stage of the internationally renowned FIBA tournament.

With the win, Edmonton becomes the first professional basketball team to win a FIBA tournament game on Canadian soil. Fuelling the historic moment was local fan favourite Jordan Baker, who poured in 18 points, 17 rebounds and five assists in front of a raucous crowd.

Heading into Monday’s contest, the Stingers sported a 0-2 record against Cangrejeros, losing by a combined 58 points in previous group phase games on Dec. 14, 2021 and March 5, 2022.

However, Calgary’s rendition of the Stingers had some key additions, including Travis Daniels, Stuckey Mosley, and the return of Baker, a two-time CEBL champion and CEBL Canadian player of the year. Edmonton’s general manager and head coach, Jermaine Small, attributed his team’s victory to its added depth.

“Our roster’s a little bit deeper, obviously we’re playing at home, it’s a lot colder here than it is in Nicaragua and we’re just more familiar with the opponent–we were a little bit embarrassed by how we lost to them before,” Small said. “We had a lot of motivation going and I think that transferred onto the floor tonight and once we started playing desperate and together, I think that’s why we won.”

Cangrejeros entered the game with a 3-1 record, which positioned the Puerto Rican titans at the top of Group A entering the Calgary phase of the tournament.

The Stingers raced out to an early lead 8-4 thanks to five quick points from Mosley but Cangrejeros was able to keep pace with Edmonton thanks to the interior presence of Davon Jefferson, who finished the opening frame with seven points and five rebounds. Jefferson closed the game as Cangrejeros’ leading scorer, racking up 29 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double performance.

Both clubs would trade scoring runs throughout the game, but Cangrejeros did not earn its first lead of the game until midway through the third quarter when a flashy behind the back pass from Emmanuel Andujar to Isaac Sosa pushed the visiting squad ahead.

Edmonton would not be denied a victory on home soil. Chants of “Baker” and “Canada’s team” filled the arena bowl and the Calgarian crowd did its part to disrupt the poise of Cangrejeros. Jefferson credited the Stingers’ tenacity as a key reason for his team’s defeat.

“They was fighting all night like their life depended on it. We knew that, but they played very well and we gave up a lot of threes. They were more physical than us, too–they played very well tonight,” Jefferson said.

The previous two group phases were both played in the coastal city of Managua, Nicaragua, which featured warmer conditions for playing and a drastic difference in sea level, approximately 700 metres.

Cangrejeros’ head coach Ivan Rios referenced the altitude as a contributing factor–one that the team will look to remedy ahead of its next game against Real Estelí, which tips off tomorrow at WinSport Arena at 7:30 p.m. MT.

“We know that we have to be more intense tomorrow. Changes in climate and everything else were very difficult on the team; however, we have to be good defensively tomorrow in order to win,” Rios said.

Prior to Monday’s game, Jahmal Jones had failed to convert a field goal in four games of BCLA action. Entering Monday’s second half, Jones was just 1-of-4 from the field, but the former Ryerson Ram came alive in the final two quarters, scoring 14 of his 17 points in the second half, including a buzzer beater to conclude the third frame.

“The momentum definitely shifted and with Jones, when he’s aggressive and tries to score, it makes him even harder to guard because now he wants to get in the paint and make passes as well. I was begging him to take a couple shots and when he did he made them.”

The Stingers will take on Real Estelí this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. MT. If Real Estelí wins tomorrow, it cements the Stingers’ fate and Edmonton will not advance to the Final 8 of the BCLA. If Cangrejeros wins tomorrow, the Stingers have a chance to beat Real Estelí on Wednesday, which would punch the Canadian champions’ ticket to the next round.

Tickets for both games are on sale now at this link .

“The job’s not done. It takes a win on Wednesday for us to move on to the next round, so we’re going to watch the film, break things down–lots of things we can still improve on–we can obviously watch the game tomorrow, learn what we can and come back on Wednesday focused,” Baker said.