If one thing is for certain, the CEBL Summer Series will feature an exciting finish to round robin play thanks to a logjam at the top, middle and bottom of the standings. Niagara’s record mirrors Saskatchewan’s, while Hamilton is tied with Fraser Valley. Edmonton and Guelph are jockeying for first place with 4-1 and 3-1 records, respectively. Factor in head-to-head win-loss records and point differential for tiebreaking purposes, and matters become all the more interesting.

Something has got to give and Sunday’s results will set the precedent for a climactic finish to the round robin portion of the Summer Series, which concludes Wednesday.

Sunday’s game is available to watch on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and Twitch (CEBLeague). Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. MT).

Addition by Subtraction

The Bandits won their first two games of the Summer Series thanks to swift ball movement and well-distributed scoring predicated on the involvement of multiple players playing key roles on both sides of the basketball. It has been a tale of two teams since Fraser Valley’s stellar start, as the Bandits have lost two consecutive games and have struggled to implement the up-tempo style of play that head coach and general manager Kyle Julius favours. 

Fraser Valley mustered just 14 fastbreak points against Hamilton Saturday and failed to capitalize on 20 turnovers committed by the Honey Badgers. With two games remaining, the Bandits will be without Cameron Forte, who the team granted a release after Saturday’s game so he can pursue an opportunity with a team outside of the CEBL. Despite being Fraser Valley’s leading scorer, Forte’s traditional back to the basket style of play didn’t cater to the Bandits’ run-and-gun style offence. With Forte gone, the Bandits will look to space the floor and create more opportunities for seldom used rim runner, Tavarion Nix, who has been used sparingly up until today’s game. 

Scoring Distribution

The River Lions have no shortage of talent. Between Trae Bell-Haynes, Kassius Robertson, Daniel Mullings, Guillaume Boucard and Ryan Anderson, Niagara has plenty of fire power on its roster, but has yet to see multiple scorers contribute simultaneously since its opening game victory over Hamilton. 

Bell-Haynes stood out from the pack in Niagara’s nail-biting loss to Edmonton on Friday, scoring 23 points, but the next leading scorer for the River Lions, Mullings, tallied just 11 points. 

Next Man Up

The departure of Forte makes Fraser Valley even more thin in the middle. Entering the CEBL Summer Series the Bandits roster featured just three forwards – Forte, Nix and Olu Ashaolu. Heading into Sunday’s action, the team solely has Ashaolu and Nix at its disposal. 

Ashaolu had his best game of the Summer Series yesterday, totalling 14 points, two rebounds and a block in 16 minutes of action. With Forte gone, the former Oregon Duck will now be called upon to shoulder the load offensively when it comes to manning the paint for the Bandits. Ashaolu’s ability to get up and down the floor and contribute on either end by preventing offensive rebounds and wearing down Niagara’s Sam Muldrow will be essential if Fraser Valley hopes to get back on track.

Next Up

Following Sunday’s game, Niagara takes on Ottawa (1-2) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fraser Valley’s next contest is against Guelph (3-1) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT).

Both games are available to watch on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and Twitch (CEBLeague).