Sea Bears Look to Keep Momentum Against Rival Rattlers
The resurgent Winnipeg Sea Bears (4-5) will look to ride the momentum of Wednesday’s come-from-behind win as they host their rival Saskatchewan Rattlers (5-4) tonight at Canada Life Centre. It will be the second of four meetings between the CEBL’s two prairie clubs this season.
The Sea Bears are coming off a thrilling come-from-behind victory that saw them overcome a 12-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to best the league-leading Bandits 88-84 Wednesday night.
It was an ending eerily similar to the last time these two teams met at Canada Life Centre, as Justin Wright-Foreman, last year’s CEBL MVP runner-up with Saskatchewan who joined Winnipeg on June 10, pulled up for a deep three to ice the game in an affair that was decided by only a basket.
Wright-Foreman led the charge for the Sea Bears with a season-high 32 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. He’ll look to keep his foot on the gas as he faces off against his former squad for the first time tonight.
The Rattlers are seeking to snap their two-game losing streak after dropping a 105-77 decision Thursday to the Calgary Surge.
Despite the departure of Wright-Foreman, Saskatchewan has seen no shortage of production from their guards this season. Former Toronto Raptor and Scarborough Shooting Star Jalen Harris has shouldered much of the scoring load for Larry Abney’s group, breaking the league single-game scoring record with a 45-point explosion in a June 12 win against Brampton.
Harris and Wright-Foreman rank among the league’s top scorers, at 26.7 and 27.7 points per game, respectively. It should make for an explosive matchup between the two point guards tonight.
Ontario Clipper Elijah Harkless followed Abney, his coach in the G League, from California to Saskatoon to form a strong backcourt continent with Harris. The former UNLV Rebel is averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists in a strong campaign with the Rattlers thus far.
The Sea Bears have received vital contributions from their new additions, too. Local product Emmanuel Akot, who played two games with Ottawa last season and recently wrapped up a postseason run with Heroes Den Bosch in the Netherlands, chipped in 15 points, three rebounds and four assists on Wednesday night.
Winnipeg will look to avenge their season-opening loss to the Rattlers on May 22. That contest saw Harris lead Saskatchewan to a 94-86 home victory with 23 points.
Though the Saskatchewan roster looks largely the same as it did in that matchup, Winnipeg has undergone some sweeping changes. Following the addition of Wright-Foreman, the team released 2023 league MVP Teddy Allen on June 17. They announced this morning the signing of 6-6 guard Scottie Lindsey, who averaged 19.8 points per game with the Rattlers in 2022, to fill their third American import spot alongside Wright-Foreman and Byron Mullens.
The Sea Bears assuaged any reservations that they would lose a step without Allen by besting the league’s top team in Vancouver in their first game without their leading scorer. The victory came with an upswing in their transition offence and paint defence, as they reached season highs in steals (seven) and fast break points (27) while limiting the Bandits to only 24 paint points.
Aside from limiting each team’s dynamic scoring star, physicality will be a key factor in tonight’s contest. Saskatchewan draws a league-high 20.4 fouls per game, translating to another league high in 24.1 free throw attempts per game. They also edge out the Sea Bears in rebounding at 38.3 per game, compared to Winnipeg’s 36.7. The battle down low and on the glass should be instrumental in picking up a victory tonight.
Following tonight’s matchup, the Sea Bears will wrap up their homestand in a date with the Niagara River Lions on June 27. The River Lions will travel to Saskatoon to face the Rattlers in their next contest June 29.
Tickets are still available at
seabears.ca ahead of tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT. Live coverage is also available on
CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+, Game+ and on the Sea Bears mobile app.
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
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