The Edmonton Stingers lost to Real Estelí 89-73 on the second night of a back-to-back at the Basketball Champions League (BCL) of Americas Tournament in Nicaragua. Alex Campbell scored a team-high 21 points for Edmonton, Murphy Burnatowski added 17 points and Chad Posthumus recorded his second BCL Americas double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Stingers started the game with renewed energy, looking to bounce back from a 93-55 loss at the hands of Cangrejeros Saturday night. Head Coach Victor Raso said postgame on Saturday that in their next match his team would look to play more physical in the paint in an effort to open up perimeter shots. This is exactly what the Stingers executed early on today with center Chad Posthumus (6) and guard Alex Campbell (7) combining for 13 of Edmonton’s first 16 points. Posthumus established himself down low early on and this allowed for open looks from beyond the arc. A pair of three-pointers from Josh Selby and Murphy Burnatowski helped to extend the Stingers’ early lead, with Edmonton going ahead 25-16 after just 10 minutes of play and shooting 55 percent (11-20) from the field during the opening frame.
The Stingers’ strong play continued into the second quarter with the team attacking the basket on offence. JV Mukama scored a reverse layup, and Posthumus converted a three-point play in transition that helped Edmonton increase its lead to 15 (35-20), the largest of the game. Campbell closed the second quarter with a buzzer-beater three-point field goal, and led all scorers with 17 first half points. Estelí center Ismael Romero headed the charge for the Nicaraguans, with eight points and six rebounds through the first twenty minutes of play.
Real Estelí made a comeback in the third quarter, driving into the lane and getting to the free-throw line. Estelí outscored the Stingers 24-11 in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to just two points heading into the final frame.
A three-pointer by Rigoberto Mendoza at the 9:23 mark put Estelí up 58-57, its first lead since the game was 4-3 early in the opening quarter. The hosts carried this momentum through the final frame, pressuring the ball and using these steals to break out in transition. The 2021 BCLA finalists tallied 13 steals compared to just five from the Stingers.
“We had a good plan but down the stretch of the game we got tired,” said head coach Victor Raso.
Guards Jezreel De Jesus (21) , Ismael Romero (20) and Rigoberto Mendoza (19) led the comeback for Estelí, totalling 60 of 89 points for the 2021 BCLA finalists.
“After yesterday’s loss we came out with a game plan,” said Stingers guard Alex Campbell. “We followed the game plan in the first half, in the second half we did not follow the game plan.”
With the win, Estelí (2-2) moves ahead of Edmonton and currently holds sole possession of second place with six points. The Stingers (1-3) sit in third place in the group with five points, while Cangrejeros (3-1) remains atop of the pool with seven points. The top two clubs in each pool will advance to the single elimination quarterfinals scheduled for April 6. In order to qualify, Edmonton must win both games in the third window.
“ Those are critical for us,” said Raso. “We need to get back home, re-group, and hopefully playing in front of our fans gives us the boost we need to finish 3-3 in the group. This is the most important time for our fans to support us and be there next Monday and Wednesday as we need these next two wins badly.”
The CEBL Champions will host the final window March 14-16 at WinSport Arena in Calgary. To cheer on the Edmonton Stingers at the first-ever BCLA games played on Canadian soil, purchase your tickets today.