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In the battle between struggling Niagara and Winnipeg, one team was assured of a get-right win. The River Lions made sure it was them. Niagara dispatched of the Sea Bears 93-82 on Friday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont., snapping its two-game skid and padding its lead atop the Eastern Conference. Winnipeg, meanwhile, suffered its fourth consecutive loss. Niagara now sits at 8-5, while Winnipeg falls to 5-9. “I mean, it was the bounceback that we needed,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said. “I thought we played hard the entirety of the game. We played better basketball than we have been in the past, so that was a big step in the right direction.” The River Lions controlled most of the game, leading by double digits much of the way, until the Sea Bears injected a scare with a fourth-quarter run that cut their deficit to five. It was as close as they would get. Niagara led 83-74 when the clock stopped for Target Score Time, which began explosively. After Jalen Harris hit a two-pointer to start the proceedings, the teams traded three-pointers on four straight possessions with Khalil Ahmad and Ron Curry hitting for Niagara, while Harris hit both for Winnipeg. Shortly after, Ahmad reinforced yet again why he has become known as the Target Score King, splashing home a step-back three-pointer to seal the River Lions victory. “it's all about continuity and putting together that game after game after game after game, so if we can stay continuous, then we'll be alright,” Ahmad said. For Niagara, the long-awaited win came on the back of its defence. The River Lions entered Friday’s action allowing the most points against per game in the league and having given up a combined 193 points in its two losses. But on Friday, they held the Sea Bears to just 34 points in the middle two quarters and forced 19 total turnovers. “We defended really well, especially for the first three quarters up in the game, really up until the points of the game where Jalen Harris started making shots, I thought we were defending quite well,” Raso said. Ahmad led the way for Niagara with 26 points to go with four assists and three rebounds. He made nine of 17 field-goal attempts, and two of his three triples came during Target Score Time. Elijah Lufile came off the bench for a near-double-double of 10 points and nine rebounds, while do-it-all guard Kimbal Mackenzie contributed 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. Ahmed Hill, the CEBL’s all-time leading scorer, had 12 points to move within five of becoming the first player in league history to reach the 1,500-point plateau (including playoffs). Ron Curry returned for the River Lions after a five-game absence, scoring eight points and dishing three assists. But Ahmad also credited his team’s defence for the win. “Defensive toughness, defensive intensity, just being together on defence because offence isn't really our problem. We just got to stay consistent defensively,” he said. On the flip side, Winnipeg’s defence — which entered just one-tenth of a point better than Niagara per game and will exit with the dubious title of league’s worst defence — continued to struggle. Niagara’s offence made 45 per cent of its three-point attempts and five different players scored in double digits. Head coach Mike Taylor pinpointed focus as the reason for his team’s losing streak. “We really had a spirited comeback, put ourselves in a good position, but there were too many possessions in the early part of the game where we kind of got in our own way. And it's been a theme at times. We've been inconsistent,” he said. “And today that put us behind the eight ball to 19 turnovers. We've been a team that's taken care of the basketball really well all year. Unfortunately, today, we were a little bit disorganized.” Sea Bears leading scorer Simi Shittu was ejected from the game early in the fourth quarter after picking up his fifth personal foul. In his place, Winnipeg native Emmanuel Akot paced his squad with 22 points to go with six rebounds and two assists. Harris ended with 21 points after his Target Time splurge. Akot said Winnipeg let Niagara build too big of an early lead, but he was happy with his team’s spirit to fight back. “But at the end of the day, winning is what matters, and we just got to go back to the office and figure things out,” Akot said. Canadian Olympian Dillon Brooks, who was recently traded from the NBA’s Houston Rockets to the Phoenix Suns, attended the game. The River Lions led 28-24 after a fast-paced first quarter and extended their lead to 51-38 by halftime. They took a 73-58 advantage into the final frame. But in the end, it was Ahmad — as per usual — coming up clutch when it mattered most, and Niagara was able to leave its home arena with a win.
Haviah Mighty, The Funk Hunters, and other top Canadian acts also set to perform at Championship Weekend
On a day of celebration in the Nation’s Capital, Javonte Smart gave the home crowd plenty to cheer about, tying the Ottawa BlackJacks franchise record with 37 points in a dominant 104-80 win over the visiting Winnipeg Sea Bears — the team’s fourth straight victory. The crowd had plenty to get behind early as the BlackJacks got off to a 9-0 lead early thanks to the stifling defense they’ve become known for over their winning streak, having now held their last four opponents to 80 points or fewer. It was more of the same from Ottawa in the first quarter, holding Winnipeg to just 6-of-17 shooting from the floor and taking a 29-16 lead into the break. While the BlackJacks got all their points the old-fashioned way in the first quarter – failing to make a three-pointer – they found their shooting stroke in the second, hitting 4-of-6 from deep. For their part, the Sea Bears managed to push the pace and get the home squad to get away from their preferred playing style but were unable to take advantage hitting just nine of their 24 shots. “I thought our guys did a tremendous job,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said following the win. I thought they followed the plan and executed the plan really well. We had the little hiccup in the second quarter where we didn’t lock in defensively. But after that, we just locked in and did a good job making life really tough for their top three guys.” Those three players for Winnipeg – Tevian Jones, Jalen Harris and Simin Shittu – were held to 15, 11 and 11 points, respectively, though Shittu did finish with a franchise record 19 rebounds, just one behind the league record. Emmanuel Akot had 17 points and five rebounds, while Jaylin Williams had 15 and seven rebounds. “The first thing is giving credit to Ottawa” Seas Bears head coach Mike Taylor said. “Javonte was outstanding, they had a great team game. I felt like our defensive effort was inconsistent. I think that we did not pressure the ball and contain the ball like we needed to, and that gave them some easy baskets in transition that got them feeling good. It comes down to the things… on the road you have to work hard, defend, rebound – all the fundamental parts of the game. Today we were a little bit soft with that and Ottawa took advantage. Credit to them, they played a great team game. But especially from our starting five, we expect a little bit more defensive effort.” Winnipeg would make a passionate push early in the third quarter, scoring 14 consecutive points to cut a 58-41 lead down to just three. But Smart would take over once again and the BlackJacks pulled away for the rest of the game. “He’s a scorer. He’s a legitimate scorer,” DeAveiro said. “He’s done this consistently for four games. How many guys can do that consistently for four games when teams are prepping trying to stop you. We’re lucky to have him. He’s also unselfish and will pass the ball to find his teammates to get a good shot. “You put two people on the ball to stop Javonte and you just throw it up and Isaih is athletic enough to go up and finish it. Javonte puts a lot of pressure on teams’ defenses, so you have to come up with strategies to defend Javonte. Any time they put two bodies on him, it’s either a lob up to Isaih or a kick out for a three.” Smart aside, there were a number of impressive performances from the home side. Isaih Moore had 18 points and 14 rebounds, Deng Adel had 14 points, and Tyrell Tate and Zane Waterman both chipped in with 11. The game was the 100th in the history of the BlackJacks, combing both regular season and postseason games. For a player like Adel, it’s been a great experience seeing the team grown, both on the court and off it, during his extended time with the club. “It’s been dope seeing the fanbase grow each year, people coming out and enjoying themselves,” Adel said. “It’s a great area, and it’s just fun to be a part of. Guys want to come here and play here which has been important, and it’s been good.” On top of being their fourth win in a row, it was also the BlackJacks second win over the Sea Bears this season. For the Sea Bears, it was their third straight loss, and second in as many games giving up 100 points.
The Scarborough Shooting Stars’ roster is starting to take shape and they appear ready to make some noise. Donovan Williams' return from a four-game absence proved momentous, as the CEBL’s leading scorer put up 30 points to lead the Shooting Stars (7-5) to a 103-93 win over the Winnipeg Sea Bears (5-7) on Friday. While it wasn’t quite a repeat of Scarborough’s dominant showing as last Sunday, a 32-point win against the defending champion Niagara River Lions, the victory did mark back-to-back games setting season-highs in scoring for the Shooting Stars, as they’re now just 0.5 games behind first place in the Eastern Conference. Williams entered the road game averaging a league-best 25.5 points per game (among qualified players) and only increased that lead atop the leaderboard after his game-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting to go with six rebounds and four assists. “They made a big run, but we weathered the storm,” Williams said post-game. “We hit a little adversity, but we did all the things we needed to do to win the game.” Right behind him, however, was Terquavion Smith, who finished with 28 points, going 7-for-10 from the free throw line while adding five rebounds and five assists. A late addition to the Shooting Stars, the import is averaging 26.8 points through four games. David Walker’s 12 points and Joirdon Nicholas’s 13 off the bench rounded out Scarborough’s double-digit scoring efforts. “That’s a team win, a gritty road win,” Shooting Stars head coach Mike De Giorgio said after the win. “They hit us back and we just responded. Kudos to our guys, they really locked in.” On the other side, Simi Shittu led the way with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, five rebounds and three blocks. Jalen Harris and Tevian Jones also chipped identical lines of 21 points and three assists. “We fought towards the end, (but) it kind of got away from us in the second quarter,” Harris said after Winnipeg’s second straight loss directly after a four-game win streak. “We’ve got to figure it out before we get back for the next one.” Although the outcome resulted in a second consecutive double-digit victory for the Shooting Stars, it wasn’t without its intrigue. Scarborough appeared to be headed towards another emphatic win when it had built a 21-point edge in the first half, thanks to a 14-0 run in the second quarter and withstood a late 11-3 push by Winnipeg to still lead 58-46 at halftime. That lead was largely built thanks to some hot early shooting, going 6-for-10 from distance in the opening frame, and some opportunistic defence as the Shooting Stars forced eight Sea Bears turnovers in the first half. Quite the uncharacteristic showing from Winnipeg considering it averaged just 13.3 per game entering the night, second-fewest in the CEBL. The Sea Bears cleaned things up coming out of the break, however, only giving it away four times the rest of the way, even winning the turnover battle 17-12 by the final buzzer. “It’s all about effort,” Shittu said post-game. “When teams are making runs like that, it’s all about effort, really … we got a lot of talent, guys who can play. It’s just about being connected.” It was that disciplined second half that helped Winnipeg storm back, cutting what was a 14-point halftime deficit as low as five points in the third before trailing 78-70 after 30 minutes. The Sea Bears also made things easier by upping the rim pressure and getting to the line, scoring without burning clock as they finished plus-15 on free throw attempts and went 28-of-37 from the charity stripe. From there, the Sea Bears did give it one last push, cutting down to nine in Target Score Time what was up to a 15-point deficit early in the fourth, but they couldn’t inch any closer as the Shooting Stars duo of Williams and Smith got to work. The pair of imports scored all of Scarborough’s points with the clock stopped, the first four by Williams before Smith’s game-winning layup capped off five straight points from him. Underscoring the victory was the Shooting Stars' dominance on the glass, finishing plus-13 (43-30), with their 14 offensive rebounds good enough to earn a 17-12 edge on second chance points and a plus-10 edge on paint points (54-44). Fronting that effort for Scarborough was Khalil Miller’s 14 rebounds, which tied a single-game franchise record.
WINNIPEG — The Winnipeg Sea Bears announced the signing of Canadian guard Cody John, a seasoned six-year veteran of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. He began the 2025 season with the Saskatchewan Rattlers. In the team’s first seven games, he averaged 18.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists. His stint with the Rattlers included two standout performances — a CEBL career-high 25 points in the opener against the Edmonton Stingers and a 20-point outing at Canada Life Centre against the Sea Bears on June 15. John has built a respected résumé across the league, suiting up for the then-Hamilton Honey Badgers (2020, 2021), Ottawa BlackJacks (2022), Brampton Honey Badgers (2023) and, most recently, the Saskatchewan Rattlers, where he played last summer and the start of the 2025 season. The Mississauga, Ont., native also brings international experience, having played professionally in Cyprus, Kosovo and most recently the United Kingdom with Manchester in the Super Basketball League. There, he averaged 9.5 points in 18.8 minutes over 27 games during the 2024–25 season. In Cyprus, John signed with Omonia Nicosia in Division A and appeared in 14 games, averaging 17.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 36.1 minutes. In 2024 with Saskatchewan, he reached 500 all-time CEBL regular-season points, averaging 11.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 26.5 minutes while playing in all 20 games. “We are really excited to add Cody John to our team,” said Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor. “We believe Cody's shooting and experience can immediately help our team and boost our bench production. Adding a CEBL starter to deepen our rotation was an opportunity we wanted to capitalize on. Cody has had several good games against us over the last few seasons and we are happy to welcome him to Winnipeg." Before turning pro, John had a standout collegiate career at Weber State University, appearing in 129 games, the fifth-most in school history, and earning two All-Big Sky Conference honours. During his time with the Wildcats, he helped capture the 2015 Gulf Coast Showcase title, the 2016 Big Sky Conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA March Madness tournament. The Sea Bears tip off their next home game on Friday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. CT against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, where John is set to make his Winnipeg debut. Tickets are available now
With team royalty in the building, the Edmonton Stingers showed championship-level resolve. The Stingers weathered a first-quarter storm to beat the Winnipeg Sea Bears 98-85 on Sunday at Edmonton Expo Centre. Prior to the game, longtime Stinger Brody Clarke — who retired after last season — was inducted to the team’s Ring of Honour. Former teammate Xavier Moon, a two-time champion and three-time MVP with the Stingers, was also in attendance for the celebration. And Edmonton’s response to an early deficit might have made them proud. “Resilience is one of our core values and us being able to figure things out when things don’t go our way is part of battling adversity,” Stingers forward Nick Hornsby said. Edmonton was punched in the mouth during the opening 10 minutes as the streaking Sea Bears raced to a 27-19 lead. But the Stingers got off the mat, regained the lead early in the second and never looked back from there. By the time the clocks turned off for Target Score Time, the Stingers led 89-75. While the Sea Bears showed some fight, the deficit ultimately proved too much to overcome. Nick Horsnby ended the proceedings after drawing a shooting foul, making his first free throw to clinch the game. The Stingers moved to 6-6 win the win, while the Sea Bears fell to 5-6 as their four-game winning streak was snapped. Edmonton has now won four of its past five games. “The vibes are high but we’re not satisfied. We’re always longing for that next game and ready to play and get that next win,” Hornsby said. Head coach Jordan Baker added that he was happy with his team’s response after its slow start. “We’re not gonna get too high getting up 10 or 15 and we’re not gonna get too low, so understanding that we’re gonna stick to our stuff,” he said. “I might have to scream at them in a timeout, but they responded very well tonight.” Hornsby, who is in his third year with the Stingers, recorded 17 points, six assists and five rebounds in the win. Sean East II led the Stingers with 27 points while also adding eight rebounds and seven assists. Forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton neared a double-double with 19 points and eight rebounds. But it’s Hornsby who has taken the torch as a Stingers leader in the absence of the likes of Clarke and Moon. The 30-year-old from Irvine, Calif., has quickly made Edmonton his CEBL home. “Too comfortable. I love it here. I enjoy talking to the fans in the off-season and almost a second home, really. It’s great coming back,” he said. The sentiment is still shared by Moon to this day. “It was a huge stepping stone for me getting to the NBA,” he told the broadcast after the game. “Great fanbase here, band of brothers that I’ll have for a lifetime, and the city — I can’t even put it into words.” Luck may have been on Edmonton’s side in its latest win as the Stingers twice beat the buzzer with three-point heaves. Hornsby launched one from halfcourt ahead of the shot clock expiring during a second-quarter possession, and Isiah Osborne added a triple of his own from the wing at the third-quarter horn. Edmonton’s Aaron Rhooms was away from the team as he competes for Canada at the 3x3 World Cup in Mongolia. Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s strong run of play was halted seemingly as soon as the first quarter turned into the second. Head coach Mike Taylor pointed to “readiness” as one of the reasons for the team’s winning streak coming to an end. “You could see us be a little casual with the ball offensively. … We gave up too many points off of those turnovers, we didn’t get very much bench production,” Taylor said. “Our team’s been on a great streak, I’m really proud of the guys, but we’ve gotta work for consistency.” Canada’s Simi Shittu led the Sea Bears with a game-high 30 points and 12 rebounds, while Jalen Harris contributed 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Harris said his team may just have been tired at the end of a road trip that also included a win over Vancouver on Friday. “We just gotta refocus on ourselves. We got a few days in between the next game and that’s kind of our mindset each game, focusing on ourselves — how can we be better? — and doing that moving forward,” he said. Taylor added that the Stingers out-hustled his squad — especially in the middle two quarters. “They beat us to all the loose balls and they did the little things, the physical things that give you an advantage,” he said. The Stingers’ win capped a wild Sunday across the CEBL, which saw all 10 teams play on the same day for just the second time ever.
Terry Roberts caught fire in Target Score Time to secure a statement road win for the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Friday (June 20). The Sea Bears weathered a fourth quarter run from the Bandits to win 92-85 in front of a packed house at Langley Events Centre. Winnipeg picked up its fourth straight victory and ended Vancouver’s three-game winning streak in the process. The trio of Roberts, Jalen Harris and Simi Shittu carried the offensive load for Winnipeg with a combined 74 points in the victory. Roberts netted 25 points, including the final seven points of Target Score Time, and Harris showed off his ability to score at all three levels with 22 points on 10-20 shooting from the field. “I love the fact that we've got two dynamic play-making guards,” Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor said. “There are times when Jalen Harris carried us in the first half and then they … put [their] best defenders on him. And then Terry is dynamic enough to go make plays. I think a lot of people would say shooting threes is not his forte – he's a guy that's attacking the paint – but he's just a guy that makes winning plays.” Taylor added that Shittu is a game-changer for the Sea Bears as well. The big man from Vanderbilt notched a double-double with a team-high 27 points and 14 rebounds. Shittu said the win will help build confidence for the Championship Weekend hosts. “As a team, we just came together and we saw what we’re made of down the stretch. It was good for us,” Shittu said. On the other side, Aussie Mitch Creek continued his MVP-calibre start to the season with 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists before leaving the game with an injury in Target Time. Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius voiced his frustration with losing Creek and said the team will have to evaluate its slow starts after going down by double digits in back-to-back games. “We've had some really soft starts. I thought tonight overall we were soft. The main takeaway is that we were soft overall,” Julius said. Curtis Hollis added 14 for Vancouver with recent acquisitions James Karnik and Corey Davis Jr. contributing in just their second game of the season as well. Karnik battled inside with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Davis Jr. was lethal from long range with 16 points and seven assists. Davis Jr. said the Bandits did a good job of fighting back in the third and fourth quarter, but the second quarter hurt them. “We did fight hard – we brought it back to be able to win the game – and I think that's always something you can look back on and build from. But I mean putting yourself in those types of situations is something that we have to stay away from,” Davis Jr. said. The star power for both teams was on full display in a fast-paced start to the game. Creek showed off inside touch and Davis Jr. hit from distance for Vancouver. Meanwhile, Shittu was a force on the boards and Harris cooked from mid-range for Winnipeg. The west coast squads traded leads late in the first, with a buzzer-beating corner three from Nathan Bilamu putting Winnipeg ahead 21-20 after 10 minutes. The Bandits and Sea Bears hung tight early in the second, but Winnipeg took control with a 17-4 run and led by as much as 13. The Sea Bears were active on the offensive glass during the stretch, with highlight-reel putbacks from Shittu and Harris. Vancouver started to pick up the pace late in the half, but Winnipeg caught fire from long range and carried a 54-42 lead into the locker room. The Bandits climbed back with an 11-2 run to start the second half and made it a one-possession game. Out of a timeout, however, the Sea Bears regained a double-digit lead capped by an and-one from Shittu. Creek and Shittu exchanged buckets to close the quarter with Winnipeg taking a 75-70 advantage into the fourth. Five free throws and a floater from Curtis Hollis tied the contest at 77 early in the final frame. With the shot clock winding down, Creek drove strong to the hoop to give Vancouver its first lead of the half. After trading leads, Harris buried a mid-range jumper for Winnipeg to head into the final stretch with a one-point advantage and a target of 92. Hollis kicked off Target Score Time with a triple, but a Shittu slam and four straight points from Roberts left the Sea Bears three points from victory. Roberts stayed hot and buried a contested wing trifecta to finish the game.
Stars know how to respond, and Jalen Harris showed how bright his game can be. After his quietest outing of the year — four points on 1-for-10 shooting — the import guard bounced back with a season-high 32 points as he led the Winnipeg Sea Bears (4-5) to a 91-84 win over his former Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-7) at the Canada Life Centre on Sunday. Harris’s buckets weren’t only plentiful, finishing a lights-out 7-of-10 from distance, they were also timely. Whether it was an and-one finish to give Winnipeg some breathing room when Saskatchewan pushed a once 16-point gap down to two right before Target Score Time, or his five points — capped off by a game-winning dunk — to seal the Sea Bears' third-straight win, the star guard routinely answered the call. “He was extra motivated,” Winnipeg head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said post-game. “His family arrived (for Father’s Day) and this is a former team of his … I had a feeling Jalen was going to have a big game today. “We knew at some point he was going to get it going. It was really a difference in the game.” Behind Harris’s heroics was Simi Shittu as he chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds, his first double-double for Winnipeg. Meanwhile, Terry Roberts proved why he ranked sixth in the CEBL for assists entering the day, finishing with 10 dimes to go with his 15 points. Jaylin Williams did his part as well, scoring eight points with seven rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. The Rattlers have now lost three straight despite multiple strong efforts on Sunday. Jamir Chaplin led the way, finishing with 22 points with four triples to go with four rebounds and three steals. Behind him were Cody John and Nate Pierre-Louis who scored 20 and 19 points, respectively, and Jaden Bediako who added a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double. Taylor made one thing abundantly clear about Sunday’s matchup before tip-off: “It’s always a rivalry.” And the Father’s day matchup proved as much, the Western Conference foes spending the majority of the opening quarter deadlocked before a Kyler Filewich putback gave Winnipeg the lead in the waning moments and rewarded Roberts’ early effort — the import scored 11 points in the opening frame on a perfect 3-for-3 start from the field and 4-for-4 from the line. Not to be outdone, however, John matched Roberts’ 11 first-quarter points as he started 4-for-4 with three made triples, blowing kisses to the 9,620 in attendance after each deep make. His lone miss of the first — a side-step three-point attempt at the buzzer — proved to be the difference as his Rattlers trailed 25-24 after the first. Then came Harris’s turn to catch fire, single-handedly scoring Winnipeg’s first 14 points of the frame after a torrid 4-for-4 stretch from beyond the arc and a precursor of what was to come. The former NBAer helped the Sea Bears build their lead up to 49-43 at the break. “It was due time,” Harris said after the win. “The past few games I hadn’t been really getting a feel for it, but I got a couple easy ones early (on Sunday) and it helped me get in a rhythm.” Underscoring Winnipeg’s first-half lead was a heightened level of urgency on the glass, something Taylor emphasized entering the matchup. The Sea Bears held a 25-20 rebounding lead after 20 minutes, namely their nine offensive boards (plus-three) leading to a plus-seven edge (16-9) for second-chance points at the break. “What killed us was the offensive rebounds,” Bediako said after the loss. “Something to look back on in the tape and clean things up … we need to be the aggressive team. Winnipeg went on to finish with 50 rebounds (plus-nine), a more inspiring effort than the 39 they averaged entering Sunday, which ranked seventh in the CEBL. Again, most of their impact was on the offensive glass, finishing with 17 on that end and earning a 31-13 advantage on second-chance points for the game. “It’s really been a point of emphasis for us,” Taylor explained on his team’s improved rebounding. “That’s a testament to the players. When you get guys committing to the details and physical stuff like that, it’s really going to help your team.” Meanwhile, Harris didn’t stop there, his fifth triple of the day at the 1:44 mark of the third gave the Sea Bears the first double-digit lead — a margin they held and built to 72-59 after 30 minutes. The Rattlers did respond, however, going on an 11-0 run in the fourth as they cut their deficit to just 82-79 when Target Score Time got underway. Erasing what was once a 16-point deficit was in large part thanks to Chaplin — Saskatchewan outscored Winnipeg 20-10 prior to the clock stopping on the back of his 11 points. Saskatchewan’s comeback didn’t get any closer as the team was held to just one field goal and a couple free throws throughout Target Score Time. Fittingly, it was Winnipeg’s inspired effort on the offensive glass, from a team that entered the day ranked second last in that regard, which helped seal the victory. Roberts corralled a Tevian Jones miss from deep and astutely found Harris (who had also crashed in looking for a rebound) wide-open underneath the basket for a game-sealing slam.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and Winnipeg Sea Bears, in collaboration with the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg, announced Thursday that acclaimed Canadian rapper k-os will be the official halftime performer of the 2025 CEBL Championship Final, set for Sunday, August 24, at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. The game and performance will be televised live on TSN as part of 2025 CEBL Championship Weekend (CW25). k-os, born Kevin Brereton, is a Juno-winning Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer known for his genre-blending sound. He gained international recognition with Get Yourself High, his Grammy-nominated 2003 collaboration with The Chemical Brothers. His platinum-certified 2004 album Joyful Rebellion featured the hit single Crabbuckit, which won multiple national awards. k-os remains one of Canada’s top-selling hip-hop artists, with a new studio album, Everyone in Your Dream Is You, executive produced by Drake, expected later this year. Additionally, Winnipeg-based musicians The Lytics and Boogey The Beat will perform at halftime of the CW25 Conference Finals doubleheader on Friday, August 22. Boogey The Beat takes the stage during the Eastern Conference Final, while The Lytics perform at the Western Conference Final, featuring the CW25 host team Sea Bears. The Lytics are a local hip-hop group known for their soulful, genre-blending sound and high-energy performances. Gaining attention with their 2009 breakout “Big City Soundgirl,” the group has toured internationally and shared stages with The Roots and Shad. Their critically acclaimed albums blend hip-hop with funk, soul, and indie influences. Boogey The Beat, born Lesley Boulanger, is an Anishinaabe DJ and producer from Winnipeg known for fusing traditional Indigenous rhythms with electronic beats. He has collaborated with The Halluci Nation and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and his debut EP Cousins showcases his signature powwow-step sound. Considered Canada’s largest annual basketball celebration, CW25 will feature the CEBL’s top teams competing for the championship trophy; the annual CEBL Awards, honoring the league’s top talent; the Commissioner’s Luncheon, presented by Telpay, with speakers from NBA Canada, Canada Basketball, Telpay, and True North Sports & Entertainment; the CEBL Coaches Clinic, presented by Fox40; and the free, family-friendly PlayNow CW25 Street Festival from August 22–24 in downtown Winnipeg at True North Square and along Graham Avenue between Edmonton Street and Hargrave Street. The three-day PlayNow CW25 Street Festival offers live music, food trucks, 3x3 basketball competitions, the Champions Market powered by Third + Bird, and interactive fan activities. More details on festival performers and programming will be announced soon. Tickets for all three CW25 games are available now via Ticketmaster at this direct link . Fans can find more details, ticket offers, the full event schedule, and become a CW25 Insider for exclusive offers and updates on all CW25 events at cebl.ca/CW25 . ### 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 73% of its rosters being Canadian and more than 10 players with NBA game experience in 2025. 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. More than 20 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 Tonybet, TSN, TSN+, RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube . About the Winnipeg Sea Bears The Winnipeg Sea Bears joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) as an expansion franchise in 2023. The city's only professional basketball team plays out of Canada Life Centre from May to August in a 24-game regular season schedule. Winnipeg businessman and lawyer, David Asper, is the organization's owner and chairman. More information on the Sea Bears can be found at seabears.ca and @wpgseabears on Instagram , X , TikTok , LinkedIn & Facebook .
Simi Shittu couldn’t have made a better first impression if he tried. Facing the prospect of blowing a 19-point lead, the Canadian forward played hero in his Winnipeg Sea Bears debut to seal a 92-89 victory over the Montreal Alliance in the CEBL’s milestone 500th game on Wednesday. “I’m kind of speechless,” Shittu said after scoring five points in Target Score Time, including a game-winning hookshot. “The crowd was there with us the whole time, obviously it wasn’t a perfect game … but we’ve got a lot of chemistry already.” The win marked the Sea Bears' first time this season winning back-to-back games, doing so emphatically by handing the East-leading Alliance their first loss of the year while snapping a three-game home losing streak. Winnipeg got plenty of contributions outside of Shittu’s team-high 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting, starting with Tevian Jones and Jaylin Williams, who chipped in 17 and 15 points, respectively. Terry Roberts added a double-double effort of 10 points and 12 assists, while Jalen Harris added a career-high tying nine assists despite finishing with just four points. On the other side, Montreal was led by captain Quincy Guerrier, who scored a game-high 25 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter, on 8-of-12 shooting. Meanwhile, Tavian Dunn-Martin and Dontay Bassett rounded out the Alliance’s double-digit scoring efforts with 14 and 17 points each. “We tried to fight all the way to the end,” Dunn-Martin said after the loss. “We didn’t start off too hot, but we showed our fight and we showed our heart.” Although Shittu’s late-game heroics stole the show, it didn’t take long for him to make an impact in his first minutes as a Sea Bear. The former CEBL All-Canadian selection nailed his first two shots of the game, starting with a three for Winnipeg’s first points and then a dunk in transition after sealing off his defender in the paint — bringing the 6,505 fans in attendance at the Canada Life Centre to their feet. And while Shittu was forced to the bench shortly after due to two quick fouls in the first, that leak out from him proved to be a precursor for the Sea Bears’ efforts in the opening frame. They pushed the pace on makes, misses and turnovers alike, rattling off an 8-2 run en route to a 25-21 lead after 10 minutes. “Complete difference-maker,” Sea Bears head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said of Shittu post-game. “He started so strong, he had such a great start, and then the fouls limited him in the first half. But the rest of the team, the bench players, really stepped up … I was really pleased with the team effort.” Winnipeg kept up that high temp throughout the second quarter, but its defence ultimately did the heavy lifting, forcing five turnovers in the frame from a typically disciplined Montreal team that entered Wednesday averaging a CEBL-low 11.0 giveaways. “We started off slow, playing careless basketball,” Dunn-Martin said of his team’s uncharacteristic ball-handling miscues on Wednesday. “They played way more aggressive than us in the beginning … We got punched in the mouth.” The Sea Bears' defensive activity not only led to 11 points off the seven total turnovers forced through the first half, but also helped them limit the Alliance to just 16 points in the second. And Winnipeg’s offence rewarded the effort on the other end as it finished the quarter on a 10-2 run, capped off with back-to-back threes — Jaylin Williams nailed his second of three triples in the game at the halftime buzzer to extend the Sea Bears' lead to 52-37. “We’re in a great position,” Williams said on the team’s outlook moving forward after his 6-for-6 shooting performance on Wednesday. “We still have room to grow.” To the Alliance’s credit, they came out of the break and responded, doing so largely thanks to their success on the glass. Montreal’s first three field goals of the second half all came on putbacks to extend its lead on second-chance points to 17-4 after 30 minutes — that margin was extended to 19-9 by the end of the game thanks to a total of 13 offensive rebounds. And while that effort helped the Alliance chip their deficit back down to single digits throughout the frame, it didn’t hold. The Sea Bears' hot shooting — punctuated by back-to-back triples from Harris and Williams — ultimately rebuilt their double-figure advantage, going up by as many as 19 points before taking a 78-61 lead into the fourth. Not to be outshone, however, Winnipeg’s defence made the statement play of the third quarter as Williams swatted a turning hookshot attempt from Kevin Osawe to close the frame. That miss brought Montreal’s field goal percentage below 40 per cent through three, before the Alliance eventually finished the game shooting 43 per cent from the field (32-of-74) while their two-game streak of scoring 100-plus points was snapped. The Alliance did make things interesting to close the game, starting the final frame on a 9-0 run, making it an eight-point deficit on a Dunn-Martin triple at the 7:27 mark of the fourth. And although the Sea Bears did stymie some of that momentum, rebuilding their advantage to double digits off a slick transition lob feed from Roberts to Shittu, the Alliance persisted. Montreal sparked a 9-2 run, punctuated by five straight points from Bassett to bring the deficit heading into Target Score Time down to 83-79. The Alliance then got big makes from their leading scorers, back-to-back triples from Guerrier and Dunn-Martin to take their first lead since the 4:57 mark of the opening frame. But like Winnipeg had done all game, it responded. Emmanuel Akot dropped two timely layups with the clock stopped — part of 13 points and nine rebounds from the Winnipeg native — before Shittu sealed the deal. The forward corralled a slick bounce feed from Harris, who made his first appearance at Canada Life Centre since joining the Sea Bears, and Shittu made sure not to waste the high-percentage look to cap off his storybook debut in Winnipeg. “Jalen actually called that last play for Simi,” Taylor explained post-game when describing the final possession. “So, as a coach, when you see these two new guys work for each other on the floor, that’s a really good sign. “Really proud. It didn’t come easy, and it shouldn't. We want to keep developing and keep working, but it was a great win.”  About the Winnipeg Sea Bears The Winnipeg Sea Bears joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) as an expansion franchise in 2023. The city's only professional basketball team plays out of Canada Life Centre from May to August in a 24-game regular season schedule. Winnipeg businessman and lawyer, David Asper, is the organization's owner and chairman. More information on the Sea Bears can be found at seabears.ca and @wpgseabears on Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn & Facebook. 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 12 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. More than 20 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+ , TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .