Saskatchewan’s Wright-Foreman and Winnipeg’s Allen set to battle on Friday night
With the CEBL’s scoring race heating up, the league’s top two scorers go head-to-head at Canada Life Centre on Friday at 7 p.m. CT in a matchup between the Winnipeg Sea Bears (-129) and Saskatchewan Rattlers (-108).
The game will be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
Saskatchewan’s Justin Wright-Foreman enters the game as the league’s points per game leader at 29.8, while Winnipeg’s Teddy Allen is close behind at 26.9 per game. Allen also lays claim to the total points crown.
Friday’s contest is the second of three matchups between Saskatchewan and Winnipeg this season. Earlier in June, the Sea Bears picked up a narrow 96-93 win over the Rattlers at SaskTel Centre.
Wright-Foreman and Allen duelled in the previous meeting with Saskatchewan’s star scoring a game-high 34 points. Allen netted 29 points and hauled in 13 rebounds but earned the win. Late in the game, Wright-Foreman hit a clutch three to bring the Rattlers to within one point, but Jelani Watson-Gayle closed at the free throw line.
The Rattlers will look to Wright-Foreman to snap a four-game losing streak that began with their loss to Winnipeg. The American guard has been lights out from the field at 53.8 per cent and 47.8 per cent from three – both top-five in the CEBL.
For the Sea Bears, Allen’s high usage leaves him near the top of the CEBL in several statistical categories. Allen leads the league in points, minutes, three-pointers made and field goal attempts. The American scorer is averaging 8.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 42 per cent from the floor and 37 per cent from three.
The Sea Bears enter the game as the top team in the league at 6-3, while the Saskatchewan Rattlers are on the outside of the playoff picture with a 2-5 record.
Each team is coming off a matchup with the Vancouver Bandits. Winnipeg began a three-game homestand with a 93-84 win over the Bandits on Wednesday, while the Ratters suffered a tight 92-88 loss in a thriller at Langley Events Centre last Saturday.
The Sea Bears’ success has been fueled by one of the most high-powered offences in the league. Winnipeg is second in the CEBL in points per game at 90.3 while shooting at a high volume and efficiency from long range. The Sea Bears trail only Saskatchewan in three-point makes and sit in the top five in both percentage and attempts.
Winnipeg also excels at taking care of the ball and rebounding with the fewest turnovers per game and the second-most rebounds per game.
On the other side, Saskatchewan has embraced outside shooting more than any other team this season. The Rattlers lead the CEBL in three-point makes and attempts per game while shooting 30.6 per cent (8th). Saskatchewan has also been efficient from inside the arc, leading the league in two-point percentage while attempting the fewest shots from two-point range in the CEBL.
While Wright-Foreman and Allen are bound to get their shots, the supporting cast for each team will look to step up as well.
Winnipeg’s EJ Anosike has proved to be one of the more effective second options in the league almost halfway through the season. He’s averaging 17.1 points on 44 per cent shooting from the field, 36 per cent from three and 81 per cent from the line. Watson-Gayle has been red-hot from beyond the arc at a league-best 50 per cent through nine games. The British sharpshooter is averaging 13.1 points per game off the bench.
Meanwhile, returners Malik Benlevi and Michael Nuga have been the most consistent secondary scorers for the Rattlers this season. Benlevi is averaging just over 11 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Nuga is contributing 13.9 points in seven appearances.
After the last meeting between the two teams, Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor said the team did a good job defensively causing turnovers and creating tough shots. Coach Taylor will look for a repeat performance under the Friday night lights of Canada Life Centre.
The squads will face each other again on July 11 in Winnipeg.
All games are available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 per cent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
