The Saskatchewan Rattlers are looking to win three games in a row when they take on the Newfoundland Growlers on June 28 at 7:30 pm CT/9:30 pm ET. The Growlers are still searching for their first franchise victory.
The Rattlers are coming off a 98-86 victory over the Montréal Alliance, where their offence took over in the second half. Saskatchewan leads the CEBL in three-point shooting (40.6 per cent) and showed that against Montréal. They went 16 for 35 from beyond the arc (47 per cent).
Devonte Bandoo shot eight for 10 from deep as part of his 28 points, five rebounds performance. Malik Benlevi went two for five from deep and scored 11 points while captain Scottie Lindsay had 21 points and Tony Carr had 10.
The Rattlers’ depth was on display. Guard Sebastian Åris brought energy and tenacity off the bench, finishing with 12 points and five assists. Forward Ishraad Hunte had two points and two rebounds in his club debut.
One of the strengths the team can carry into the Newfoundland game is their ball movement. Åris mentioned after the game how they play better when they play as a unit. The Rattlers had 20 assists against the Alliance, up from their season average of 14.4. Players moved the ball well for the open shot.
Saskatchewan also pushed the ball in transition and made big runs, going up by 23 points at one point. The Growlers will have to be wary of their opponent’s three-point shooting and ability to run out to a big lead.
The Growlers have yet to win but came very close on the road against the league leading Fraser Valley Bandits last game, losing 94-92. They also lost a close 95-91 game to the second place Hamilton Honey Badgers and a 98-97 nail biter to the third place Niagara River Lions earlier this season.
The team gained more experience playing and practising together. They had a 10-day break between the Hamilton and Fraser Valley games.
The Growlers’ recent additions have made a significant impact. Centre Nysier Brooks had 20 points, nine rebounds and two blocks against Fraser Valley. Guard Terry Thomas scored 22 points against Hamilton and 19 points off the bench against Fraser Valley. Meanwhile, Brandon Sampson is tops among all players with an average of 22.6 points.
Their transition defence is a staple for them. They lead all teams with an average of 10.8 steals while guard Shaquille Keith is tied with Hamilton’s Christian Vital for a league-best 2.4 steals on average.
The focus for head coach Patrick Ewing Jr’s squad will be to finish off games. They led by 13 points in the fourth quarter against the Honey Badgers. They led 85-79 midway in the fourth against the Bandits.
The Rattlers (5-4) are looking to move closer to the top half of the standings while the Growlers are tenth at 0-8.
All games will be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ and on CEBL Mobile the official app of the CEBL for iOS and Android devices. Games are also available to stream live in Canada via cbcsports.ca , the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and the free CBC Gem streaming service.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 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 runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .