Red-Hot Sea Bears Seek Fifth Straight Win in Visit to Montreal

July 5, 2024

By Myles Dichter

Winnipeg is set to make its only visit of the regular season to Montreal. The idea is to, eventually, schedule a return for Championship Weekend in August.

The Sea Bears and Alliance clash in their lone game of the season on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at Verdun Auditorium. Live streaming coverage is available on CEBL+, TSN+, RDS.ca and the RDS App.

It’s a battle of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Sea Bears have won four straight games, while the Alliance have dropped five in a row.

Yet, due to Montreal’s automatic semifinal spot as host of Championship Weekend, there’s a chance Friday’s tilt could also represent a CEBL Final preview.

At 7-5, Winnipeg sits third in the Western Conference, two games back of first-place Vancouver.

NEXT HOME GAME - SATURDAY, JULY 13

Their recent resurgence has been fueled by major roster changes, with reigning MVP Teddy Allen waived and replaced by Justin Wright-Foreman, whose point-per-game average is nearly identical to Allen’s at just over 28.

The Sea Bears also released ex-NBA player Byron Mullens and brought in G League champion Noah Starkey, who saw 16 minutes of action in his CEBL debut on Wednesday.

Winnipeg’s winning streak hasn’t come easily, with a pair of double-digit comebacks mixed in with its most recent triumph over Edmonton in which it surrendered a 16-point lead before fighting back in Target Score Time to eke out the one-point victory.

All of those games came with the comfort of being home, too. The Sea Bears are just 1-4 away from Canada Life Centre.

“To really ensure we keep climbing up the standings, we need to get more wins on the road, and that’s the next challenge for our guys,” head coach Mike Taylor said after the win over Edmonton.

The challenge in Montreal, meanwhile, is to keep focused on the regular season, even knowing they’re automatically one win away from the Finals.

Alliance head coach Derrick Alston Sr. admitted after a recent loss that that knowledge could be affecting his team’s mindset.

“Just trying to find a way to keep them motivated,” he said. “I know a few guys in the locker room are a little nervous right now. Because at the end of the day, it’s a job, and if you don’t do your job, change is coming. That’s from me all the way down to the last guy on the bench.”

Still, Alston Sr.’s team has been right in games – none of the losses during this skid have come by more than eight points, and Thursday’s setback against BlackJacks saw the Alliance come within a bucket of the win before Ottawa’s Lloyd Pandi ended the game.

Montreal seems close to snapping its drought – but a tough foe in Winnipeg awaits.

As Wright-Foreman goes, the Sea Bears tend to follow.

In their most recent game, a 10-0 run surrendered just before Target Score Time came as the American started forcing shots and turning the ball over.

But it was also the league’s scoring leader who settled down after the clock turned off and hit three clutch free throws to push the Sea Bears past their rival Stingers.

Another steady game from Wright-Foreman could nudge him further into MVP consideration.

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 20-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 per cent 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 andCourtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube