In a rematch of the CEBL’s season-opening contest, the Edmonton Stingers (4-2) visit the Calgary Surge (2-4) on Friday night for a Battle of Alberta rivalry game.
Live coverage from WinSport Event Centre begins at 7 p.m. MT/ 9 p.m. ET on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+, the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices, and NLSE in the United States.
We’re three weeks removed from Edmonton and Calgary’s first bout of the season, a matchup the Stingers handily took by a score of 97-79.
It was a classic “do it by committee” victory for Edmonton as they had five double digit scorers, three of which put up at least 15. Davion Warren led the way with 17 points in his CEBL debut while Ben Krikke and Adika Peter-McNeilly chipped in with 15 points apiece off the bench.
The 18-point victory was our first look into why the Stingers have been a top five offence (88.7 points per game) and a top three defence (85 points against per game).
Edmonton forced 23 Calgary turnovers and ran those live ball giveaways down the other end as much as possible. The end outcome was a rim-running assault by the Stingers as they shot 63 per cent from inside the arc for 60 points in the paint (+26).
Since that matchup, however, things have been trending in different directions for both squads. Edmonton, after a 4-0 start, have lost back-to-back games and slipped to third in the Western Conference.
Most recently, the Stingers fell to the Niagara River Lions in a 21-point wire-to-wire blowout. Not a lot went right for Edmonton on Sunday as they gave up 100 points, the most they’ve conceded to any opponent this year, while scoring a season-low 79 points.
A lot of that had to do with the fact that the Stingers were ice-cold from beyond the arc as they hit just six threes (-8) for the game on a 25 per cent clip. Well below their usual averages of 9.2 makes on 34.2 per cent shooting.
Meanwhile, after starting the year 0-3, Calgary has won two of its last three contests. The Surge remain a middle-of-the-pack offence, but their defence has nearly returned to its league-best form from a season ago.
Calgary gave up an average of 100.3 points per game through its winless start but has held opponents to just 77.7 points in the three games since
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Everything came together for the Surge in their latest game, as they walked away with an impressive 32-point victory against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Not only did Calgary score a season-high 110 points, but they also held Winnipeg to a season-low 78 points.
The Surge completely stifled a Sea Bears offence that typically scores 92 points per game, the second-most points in the CEBL. Calgary forced 23 turnovers for 21 points (+9) as they simply out-volumed Winnipeg, limiting them to 18 fewer field goal attempts.
Key matchup
A guard showdown between Davion Warren and Sean Miller-Moore has the potential to swing Friday’s contest one way or another.
Both lead their team in scoring and it’s no coincidence that their performances have coincided with how their respective teams are trending to this point. Warren, who averages 15.7 points per game, put up just six points in Edmonton’s biggest loss of the season, while Miller-Moore (19.5 points per game) is coming off a 25-point performance in Calgary’s best win of the year.
If the Stingers want to snap their losing skid, a bounce back showing from Warren feels like a must. Whereas the Surge are likely going to need more than the 15 points Miller-Moore put up in the previous matchup if they’re going to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Milestone watch
Adika Peter-McNeily – One point away from 800 all-time (regular season + playoffs)
Brody Clarke – 10 points away from 700 all-time (regular season only)
Sean Miller-Moore – 13 points from 600 all-time (regular season only)
About the CEBL
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 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.