After 81 long days, CEBL basketball returns to the hardwood Saturday, March 5 when the Edmonton Stingers begin the second window of the Basketball Champions League of America (BCLA) Tournament in Nicaragua.

Originally scheduled for January 28-30 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the group stage is set to resume this weekend after being postponed due to health and travel-related COVID-19 restrictions.

The Stingers take on Cangrejeros of Puerto Rico on Saturday, followed by the host club, Real Estelí of Nicaragua on Sunday. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. ET. Cangrejeros and Real Estelí will begin this round of games. This leg marks the second of three windows in the group stage of the BCLA tournament, with the Stingers set to host the third and final installment of pool play March 14-16 at WinSport Arena in Calgary.

Created through a collaboration between FIBA, national federations and professional basketball leagues, this prestigious tournament consists of 12 teams from seven different countries across North, Central, and South America. The representatives are divided into four groups of three teams, with each group playing three windows of games (whereby each participating team hosts one leg of competition).

The top two clubs in each group will advance to the single elimination quarterfinals scheduled for April 6, with the eventual tournament champion earning a berth for the 2023 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

Edmonton currently sits in second place in their three-team group with three points after going 1-1 during the first window in December. The Puerto Rican club Cangrejeros is undefeated (2-0) atop Group A with four points, while Nicaragua’s Real Estelí rounds out the trio in third place with two points (0-2).

The Stingers earned the opportunity to represent Canada after winning the 2021 CEBL Championship last August. With a renewed roster for the second window composed of nine Canadians and two international players, Edmonton sports representation from across the CEBL. From Malcolm Duvivier and Alex Campbell of the Fraser Valley Bandits, to Ottawa BlackJack veterans Junior Cadougan and Chad Posthumus, to Edmonton Stinger staple Jahmal Jones, building team chemistry quickly will be imperative for this squad. This roster has been constructed by the coaching staff specifically for the BCLA Tournament.

The team was able to gel quickly in its first game on December 13th, defeating the 2021 BCLA finalists Real Estelí, 84-81. Trahson Burrell led the way for Edmonton with team highs of 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. The second game in the December window saw a slow start for the Stingers against Cangrejeros, with the Canadian contingent down 22-9 after just one quarter. Edmonton ultimately fell, 89-68.

Although Burrell will not be competing for the Stingers in this window, American guards Zack Rollins and Josh Selby will be joining the team and will look to have an impact.

Protect the Paint

Imperative to Edmonton’s success in this upcoming window will be the ability to force perimeter shots and protect the paint. Defending Real Estelí center Ismael Romero will be a “tall” task as the 6-foot-8 Puerto Rican recorded a game-high 27 points (10-20 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-12 FT), along with 11 rebounds last time these two teams met. In contrast, Edmonton held Real Estelí to .174 (4-23) shooting from three-point range in their opening night victory.

Stingers forward Chad Posthumus (who recently re-signed with the Ottawa BlackJacks for the upcoming CEBL season) will be an integral piece of the team’s offence and defence this weekend. Posthumus tallied a team-best 18 points and game-high 14 rebounds in Edmonton’s December matchup with Cangrejeros and is currently tied for second at the BCLAs in rebounding average (11.5).

The Winnipeg, Manitoba native will likely be assigned the role of guarding the aforementioned Romero, as well as Real Estelí power forward Renaldo Balkman, who leads the tournament with 25 total rebounds.

Building Chemistry

Another key element to victory will be the ability to build chemistry and limit turnovers. With head coach Jermaine Small honouring his U SPORTS commitment as leader of the University of Lethbridge men’s basketball program, Victor Raso will assume the duties of bench boss. Raso, alongside assistants Charles Dube-Brais and Roy Rana, will be tasked with cultivating team cohesiveness among players who compete for a variety of different clubs during the CEBL offseason.

The Stingers’ roster has changed from the first window, with eight different players set to make their BCLA debut. A full team effort will be necessary to secure the all-important four points available throughout this round of competition. Last window, the Stingers’ reserves outscored Real Estelí 21-to-5 in the first BCLA matchup and added 28 of the team’s 68 points in the second game.

“The beauty of having these new players here is how they integrate and mold together with the other players because they know each other, because there’s history,” said CEBL commissioner Mike Morreale. “Whether that history is growing up in the Toronto-area playing together, playing on different teams in different leagues or playing on some of our teams collectively.”

The Canadian Way

When constructing their roster for this window, a central focus for the Stingers was athleticism, and ensuring the team plays “the Canadian way.” This is evident given the talent Edmonton has recruited for the second round, including Hamilton Honey Badger standout Jean-Victor (JV) Mukama. The six-foot-eight forward recently represented Team Canada at the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, where the team remains undefeated.

“It speaks to the depth of talent we have, and the depth of talent to come,” said Morreale. “A lot of our players are currently playing overseas, some are playing in the NBA, many are playing in the G league, so we do cast a really wide net when it comes to our talent.”

Mukama is best-known for his length as he prides himself on modelling his game after Kevin Durant. The Stingers hope to take advantage of their athleticism and get out on the fast break as this is a staple quality of Victor Raso’s teams. Niagara’s Jaylen Babb-Harrison and Fraser Valley’s Alex Campbell bring their sharpshooting to the roster so look for these two to contribute three-pointers in transition.

Looking Forward

While the Stingers made history in the first window as the first Canadian team to win a BCLA’s match, they are not done yet.

“There’s a lot of pride with our guys, we talk about the Canadian way because we say it proudly,” said Morreale. “We are building something here and Canada wants to take a big, giant leap on the international stage.”

Edmonton has the opportunity to solidify a top-two spot and qualify for the quarterfinals this window. This can happen if either Edmonton wins both games or if Real Estelí loses both games.

 Regardless of how this round plays out, the third and final window will be important if the Stingers hope to finish in the top two of Group A and advance to the quarterfinals. To cheer on the Edmonton Stingers at the first-ever BCLA games played on Canadian soil March 14-16 in Calgary, purchase your tickets today.