Final regular season standings:
East (5): Niagara (14-10); Ottawa (12-12); Scarborough (11-13); Montreal (9-15); Brampton (5-19)
West (5): Vancouver (19-5); Calgary (17-7); Edmonton (15-9); Winnipeg (11-13); Saskatchewan (7-17)
CEBL stats and amorphous rosters
CEBL roster requirements:
-Roster size: 14, with 10-12 on active roster
-Canadians: 70% of roster
-Imports: Maximum 4 (non-Canadian, non-American) on active roster. Maximum 6 on 14-man roster
-USports: Up to 3 players, who do not count against salary cap
-International: Either a uSports or international player on roster.
-Active roster: Maximum 12, “with at least 2 Canadians on the floor at all times.”
-Allows for a designated player roster spot, who will not count against the salary cap.
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Brampton Honey Badgers: Koby McEwen (Toronto, Ont.), Mike Demagus (Scarborough, Ont.), Ali Sow (Ottawa, Ont.), Quinndary Weatherspoon (Canton, Miss.), Marcus Carr (Toronto, Ont.), Ankit Choudhary (Ottawa, Ont.), Prince Oduro (Toronto, Ont.) Rudi Williams (Hamilton, Ont.), Yohann Sam (Brampton, Ont.), Malik Grant (Brampton, Ont.), Conner Landell (Niagara Falls, Ont.), Wheza Panzo (Mississauga, Ont.), Yaw Obeng-Mensah (Toronto, Ont.), Amari Kelly (Roosevelt, N.Y.), Jasman Sangha (Brampton, Ont.), Bryson Williams (Fresno, Cal.), Jaylan Gainey (Greensboro, N.C.) David Muenkat (Brampton, Ont.), coach Thomas Cory, general manager Jermaine Anderson, assistant Mike Fraser, assistant Christian Bentley, assistant Jeremie Kayeye, assistant Devonte Case, assistant Ceejay Nofuente, assistant Kwaku Agyapong, assistant Michael Rogers, player development consultant Nathaniel Mitchell, analytics Ankit Wadera, video coordinator Ahmad Almalsri, video coordinator Joshua Mootoo, director operations Mark Fronda, manager Angelo Dailey, manager Kyle De La Cruz, manger Michael Faddoul, manager Michael Marzano, manager Sky Smith, therapist Joel Kerr, therapist Aleesha Uthup, assistant therapist Kevin Domaoang, strength & conditioning Eric Matias, assistant strength & conditioning Luc Comire, owner Leonard Asper, president Josie Pingitore
Saskatchewan Rattlers: Devonte Bandoo (Brampton, Ont.); Nate Pierre-Louis (Plainfield, N.J.); Isaac Simon (Regina, Sask.); Anthony Tsegakele (Gatineau, Que.); Grant Anticevich (Sydney, Australia), Jaden Bediako (Brampton, Ont.), Alex Garcia (Sante Fe, N.M.), Deon Ejim (Brampton, Ont.), Elijah Ifejeh (Montreal, Que.), Tevian Jones (Chandler, Ariz.), Jamir Chaplin (Norcross, Ga.), Jordan Bowden (Knoxville, Tenn.), Easton Thimm (Saskatoon, Sask.), coach Eric Magdanz, associate Steve Burrows, assistant Rob Lovelace, apprentice Anthony Skepple, general manager Barry Rawlyk, operations manager Jordan Klimosko, strength & conditioning Jordan Harbidge, doctor Tanner Schatz, intern Levi Peters, physiotherapist Bruce Craven, physiotherapist Michelle Keene Albers, physiotherapist Adrienne Stinson, physiotherapist Jaelyse Gorgchuck, physiotherapist Mitch Hillis, trainer Addison Chapman, trainer Joren Gramlich, trainer Tayha Rolfes, owner Richard Petko, president Lee Genier
In the Eastern play-in round, the host Scarborough Shooting Stars dispatched the Montreal Alliance 92-86. Shooting Stars coach Mike De Giorgio said Terquavion Smith and Donovan Williams “carried us. They carried us offensively. We needed them to score the ball for us. They did a helluva job getting to the rim and making their shots from the outside.” Scarborough led 22-14 after one quarter, 47-38 at the half, 70-58 after three quarters and 83-65 heading at the start of Elam time. But Montreal notched 5-0 and 9-0 runs to draw within six before Michael Foster Jr notched the winning putback. Smith said “I feel like you gotta ramp it up a notch when the playoffs come and just forget about the regular season and lock in on what’s important. And I think I did that a lot and helped my team. … It’s so easy for me. I love playing with Dono. He’s a fast player and we kinda have the same type of game, he’s just taller. So I tell him all the time I love playing with him. He makes it easy for me. He makes shots, he runs, he dunks. That’s my guy.” De Giorgio said Montreal “send a lot of guys to the offensive boards so when we get a push in transition we often have an advantage, and we wanted to attack the rim early and often and score easy at the rim to allow us to set our defence on the other end.” Alliance coach Jermain Small said “I just think they played a lovely game from start to end. When we came back, they weathered the storm and punched back.” Tavian Dunn-Martin said “I feel like we left a lot out there. They wanted it more than us, and it showed.” Terquavion Smith paced the Shooting Stars with 27 on 0-7, 7-14 from the arc, 6-7 from the line, 2 boards and 6 assists. Donovan Williams added 26 on 6-16 from the floor, 4-10 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 5 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Michael Foster Jr notched 14 on 7-11 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 9 boards. Anthony Walker scored 14 on 1-3 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 10 boards and 2 assists. Manny Diressa added 5 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 0-2 from the line, 2 boards and 3 assists. Khalil Miller scored 4 on 2-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 11 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks. Kobe Elvis added 2 on 1-1 from the floor, 3 boards and 3 assists, while Jayden Coke, Mark Stoop and Danilo Djuricic were scoreless. Djuricic dished 2 assists. Scarborough hit 34-80 (.420) overall, 18-42 (.420) from the floor, 16-38 (.420) from the arc and 8-13 (.610) from the line, while garnering 47 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 25 assists, 11 turnovers, 5 steals, 6 blocks and 17 fouls. Quincy Guerrier (Montreal, Que.) paced the Alliance with 30 on 8-14 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 8-11 from the line, 11 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Michael Diggins Jr (Las Vegas, Nev.) added 14 on 2-2 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 8 boards. Tavian Dunn-Martin (Huntington, W.Va.) notched 13 on 5-7 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc and 10 assists. Kevin Osawe (Brampton, Ont.) scored 11 on 4-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 4 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Brandon Porter (Virginia Beach, Va.) added 6 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 1-4 from the line and 2 boards. Tavis Smith (Detroit, Mich.) scored 5 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 3 boards. Malcolm Duvivier (Toronto, Ont.) added 3 on 0-1 from the floor and 1-2 from the arc. Blondeau Tchoukuiegno (Montreal, Que.) scored 2 on 0-2 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 7 assists. Abdul Mohamed (Ottawa, Ont.) added 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 0-1 from the arc, while Nate Tshimanga (Montreal, Que.) and Abdullah Shittu (Edmonton, Alta.) were scoreless. Montreal hit 31-68 (.450) overall, 22-43 (.510) from the floor, 9-25 (.360) from the arc and 15-21 (.710) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 24 assists, 12 turnovers, 6 steals and 15 fouls. Montreal (coach Jermaine Small, consultant Ryan Thorne, assistant Damian Buckley, assistant Jahmal Jones, assistant Binian Ghebrekidan, assistant Quesly-Marie Moresias, apprentice Kazadi Nyanguila, consultant Ryan Thorne, general manager and co-owner Joel Anthony, president Jo-Anne Charbonneau, co-owner Leo Bouisson, co-owner Ian Philip Paul-Hus) also included Ben Stevens (Halifax, N.S.), Alain Louis (Montreal, Que.), Shamiel Stevenson (Toronto, Ont.) and Sascha Kappos (Miami, Fla.)
In the Western play-in round, the host Calgary Surge dispatched the Edmonton Stingers 103-95. Surge coach Caleb Canales said having Evan Gilyard II and Jameer Nelson Jr in the backcourt is “ super special and we’re super spoiled having both of them. Both are knocking on the door of an NBA contract. They play both ends at a high level, so we’ve been very spoiled by both of them. … I loved the fight from our group. We stuck to our identity, especially in the second half. We did a good job taking Edmonton’s punch in the first half and we made plays down the stretch … it was a great way to end our games at home.” The score was knotted at 25 after one quarter. Edmonton led 50-48 at the half. Calgary led 78-69 after three quarters and 94-87 at the start of Elam time. Gilyard notched a trey and Nelson Jr a layup on an inbounds to pass to win for the Surge. Gilyard said playing with Nelson “makes the game easy for everybody around us. He makes the game easy for me, I make the game easy for him … and it keeps our opponents on their heels. … (At halftime), we came into the locker room and had a talk about giving it our all. Playing with effort, play as a team and live with the results. … We played hard, put everything on the line and fought through to get the win.” Stinger Sean East II said “we fought, we fought hard. We just didn’t come out with the win because of lapses … turnovers, not getting back on defence and we just never got control, we just didn’t pull it out.” Stingers coach Jordan Baker said “we let them do what they do best, turning us over and getting going in transition. We didn’t take care of the basketball … some of the discipline stuff we talked about all year long. We didn’t do it for 40 minutes.” Evan Gilyard II paced Calgary with 28 on 6-8 from the floor, 4-10 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards and 5 assists. Jameer Nelson Jr added 26 on 6-10 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 5-7 from the line, 6 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Sean Miller-Moore notched 19 on 7-12 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Greg Brown III scored 17 on 5-6 from the floor, 2-10 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 8 boards, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Khyri Thomas added 6 on 0-2 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 2 assists. Gabe Osabuohien scored 4 on 0-1 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards, 8 assists and 2 blocks. D.J. Jackson added 3on 1-1 from the arc, while William Tong, Ben Kamba and Javonte Brown were scoreless. Brown nabbed 3 boards. Calgary hit 38-76 overall, 24-39 (.610) from the floor, 14-37 (.370) from the arc and 13-18 (.720) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 28 assits, 15 turnovers, 5 steals, 8 blocks and 19 fouls. Sean East III (Louisville, Ky.) paced Edmonton with 36 on 11-17 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 8-9 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Scottie Lindsey (Oak Park, Ill.) added 17 on 1-4 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 9 boards and 3 assists. Taye Donald (St. Thomas, Ont.) notched 15 on 1-2 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 5 boards and 3 steals. Nick Hornsby (Irvine, Cal.) scored 11 on 3-6 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 5-7 from the line, 7 boards and 2 assists. Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Toronto, Ont.) added 7 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Elijah Miller (Rexdale, Ont.) scored 7 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 3 assists and 2 steals. Mason Bourcier (Kelowna, B.C.),) added 2 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 2 boards, while Sabry Philip (Edmonton, Alta.), Fareed Shittu (Edmonton, Alta.) and Kevin Bercy (Ottawa, Ont.) were scoreless. Bercy nabbed 3 boards. Edmonton hit 32-73 (.430) overall, 22-41 (.530) from the floor, 10-32 (.310) from the arc and 21-25 (.840) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 15 turnovers, 8 steals, 2 blocks and 17 fouls. The Stingers (coach and general manager Jordan Baker, assistant George Hoyt, assistant Adika Peter-McNeilly, assistant Jay Tomlinson, assistant Eric Fawcett, assistant Kaden Hruska, assistant Brad Farish, associate general manager Steve Sir, therapist Tamara Wilson, manager Kai Dunkley, director sport science Scott Gilroy, psychologist Lindsay Piper, dietician Madeline Herbers, strength & conditioning Marcel Desmarais, strength & conditioning Andrew Gibbs, co-owners Manjit Minhas, Ravinder Minhas, Taranvir Vander, James Burns and Reed Clarke) also included Mike Nuga (Toronto, Ont.), Aaron Rhooms (Mississauga, Ont.) and Chris Smith (Chicago, Ill.)Jordan Baker
In the Eastern semis and league quarterfinals, the Scarborough Shooting Stars dusted the host Ottawa BlackJacks 114-81. “When you’re going against a team that is missing some of their guys, oftentimes the overall sentiment is it’s going to be easy. Nothing is easy in basketball. You have to make it easy and I thought we really had that mindset in the second half,” said Shooting Stars coach Mike De Giorgio. Shooting Star Donovan Williams said “that’s kind of like the step-on-their-neck mentality that we wanted to have. And that’s something that we’ve been missing a lot this season. We get big leads, and [Target Score Time] they get back in, so today was really a test for us to get a lead … and hold it.” Khalil Miller said “everyone said we just had to come together and take care of business and that’s what we did.” The BlackJacks were playing without league-leading scorer Javonte Smart, Sixth Man of the Year candidate Zane Waterman, longtime BlackJack Deng Adel, post Isaih Moore and Canadian Keevan Veinot, forcing them to start an all-Canadian lineup for the first time in league history. They took a 9-0 lead and then collapsed, trailing 26-25, 54-42 and 81-67 at the quarters, and by 105-79 at target time. BlackJacks coach David DeAveiro said “those guys played, left everything [on the court] and represented the organization as best as they possibly could. My hat’s off to all the guys.” Donovan Williams paced the Shooting Stars with 26 on 5-9 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 7-11 from the line, 2 boards and 5 assists. Khalil Miller added 19 on 6-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 17 boards and 2 blocks. Kobe Elvis notched 19 on 3-3 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 2 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Terquavion Smith scored 17 on 2-9 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 5 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. Michael Foster Jr added 13 on 5-9 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 3-5 from the line, 8 boards, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Anthony Walker scored 12 on 1-2 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 1-2 from the line. Danilo Djuricic added 8 on 1-1 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 4 boards, while Manny Diressa, Samuel Wong and Daniel Mullings were scoreless. Diressa dished 5 assists and pilfered 3 balls. Scarborough hit 38-71 (.530) overall, 23-41 (.560) from the floor, 15-30 from the arc and 23-32 (.710) from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 24 assists, 11 turnovers, 8 steals, 9 blocks and 17 fouls. David Walker (Toronto, Ont.) paced Ottawa with 19 on 7-18 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 4 boards and 3 steals. Tyrrel Tate (Calgary, Alta.) added 17 on 0-3 from the floor, 4-10 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Christian Rohlehr (Toronto, Ont.) notched 6 on 8-11 from the floor, 6 boards and 2 assists. Justin Ndjock-Tadjore (Gatineau, Que.) scored 14 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 3-6 from the line, 9 boards and 3 assists. Shakur Daniel (Ajax, Ont.) added 11 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Brock Newton (Fergus, Ont.) scored 4 on 1-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 3 boards, while Calvin Epistola (Toronto, Ont.), Justin Jackson (Toronto, Ont.), Deng Adel (Juba, South Sudan) and Alvin Icoygere (Ottawa, Ont.) were scoreless. Epistola nabbed 2 boards, dished 6 assists and pilfered 2 balls. The BlackJacks (coach David DeAveiro, assistant Matt McLean, assistant Hennessy Roppovalente, assistant Brandon Edwards, assistant Jafeth Maseruka, general manager James Derouin, senior advisor Scott Morrison, skills development Merrick Palmer, performance director Kajeel Grant, doctor Jessica Curran, medical director Adrian Huynh, therapist Finley Miller, equipment manager Isaac Taylor, owner Richard Petko, president Mark Wacyk) also included Isaiah Moore (Columbia, S.C.), Javonte Smart (Baton Rouge, La.), Keevan Veinot (Port Williams, N.S.), Zane Waterman (Winston-Salem, N.C.), and Owen Kenney (Barrie, Ont.). Ottawa hit 29-77 (.370) overall, 22-51 (.430) from the floor, 7-26 (.260) from the arc and 16-26 (.610) from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 11 turnovers, 8 steals, 2 blocks and 21 fouls.
In the Western semis and league quarterfinals, the Calgary Surge edged the host Vancouver Bandits 105-103 as Evan Gilyard II notched three free throws to pull out the win. The game was marred by a ridiculous sequence of events that saw three Surge fouls overturned (by official review, a CEBL rule that all calls that can result in game-winning free throws are automatically reassessed) in the final minute before a marginal call against the Bandits was held up, sending Gilyard II to the line. Vancouver led 27-26 after one quarter. Calgary led 61-51 at the half and 78-74 after three quarters. Vancouver led 96-95 at the start of target time. Surge coach Caleb Canales said Jameer Nelson Jr, who notched a CEBL playoff record with 39 points, ‘spoils’ the Surge. “He’s knocking on the door of the NBA, so we’re just going to keep enjoying him while we have him. He’s been phenomenal for us, an elite two-way player.” Nelson Jr said “it’s about going through situations. I feel like everyone on the floor has gone through situations like that … being consistent with what you know and you have to figure it out because no one else is going to help you do it.” Bandit Mitch Creek said “we were sluggish walking around in the first half, but we came in the huddle at halftime and said, ‘we got this.’ We changed gears, we switched mentalities and (the Langley Events Centre) woke up because we woke up. … We hunted them down, got to a position to win the game. We did our job … I’m beyond proud of this organization. It’s been an incredible season, we had so much fun. But it’s so heartbreaking.” Jameer Nelson Jr paced Calgary with 29 on 8-15 from the floor, 6-8 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Evan Gilyard II added 29 on 1-2 from the floor, 8-20 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 7 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Greg Brown III notched 16 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 3 boards and 3 blocks. Khyri Thomas scored 11 on 1-6 from the floor, 3-3 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 steals. Sean Miller-Moore added 5 on 1-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 4 assists and 3 steals. Javonte Brown scored 3 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-1 from the line and 4 boards. Gabe Osabuohien added 2 on 1-4 from the floor, 2 boards and 3 assists, while D.J. Jackson, William Tong and Olumide Adelodun were scoreless. Calgary hit 36-80 (.450) overall, 16-41 (.390) from the floor, 20-39 (.510) from the arc and 13-15 (.860) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 9 turnovers, 11 steals, 5 blocks and 20 fouls. Zach Copeland (Oakland, Cal.) paced Vancouver with 30 on 2-4 from the floor, 7-14 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 6 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Tyrese Samuel (Montreal, Que.) added 25 on 11-15 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 3-6 from the line, 13 boards, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Mitch Creek (Horsham, Australia) notched 22 on 6-10 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 7-8 from the line, 12 boards and 7 assists. Kyle Mangas (Warsaw, Ind.) scored 12 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 8 boards and 2 assists. Shamar Givance (Brampton, Ont.) added 7 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 6 boards and 6 assists. Duane Notice (Toronto, Ont.) scored 5 on 1-1 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 4 assists. Sam Maillet (Moncton, N.B.) added 2 on 1-1 from the floor, while Grant Shephard (Kelowna, B.C.), Majok Gum (Surrey, B.C.) and Mikyle McIntosh (Toronto, Ont.) were scoreless. The Bandits (coach and general manager Kyle Julius, assistant Ransford Brempong, assistant Tony Scott, assistant Matthew Barg, assistant Loui Al-Hafidh, assistant Steve Bennett, director mental skills Jon Giesbrecht, director strategy Jaxson Creasey, director athletic performance Tanner Care, strength & conditioning Judd Beltran, head sports medicine Kosta Ikonomou, leadership and performance Tyrell Mara, owner Kevin Dhaliwal, owner Bryan Slusarchuk, president Dylan Kular) also included Izaiah Brockington (Philadelphia, Pa.), Tristan Jass (Kenosha, Wisc.), Corey Davis Jr (Lafayette, La.), James Karnik (Surrey, B.C.), David Mutabazi (Langley, B.C.), Nick Ward (Gahanna, O.) and Kur Jongkuch (Juba, South Sudan). Vancouver hit 36-72 overall, 26-44 (.590) from the floor, 10-28 (.350) from the arc and 21-28 from the line, while garnering 55 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 23 assists, 21 turnovers, 7 steals, 4 blocks and 19 fouls.
In the East final and league semis, held in Winnipeg, the Niagara River Lions edged the Scarborough Shooting Stars 93-91 as Khalil Ahmad notched the winning trey. The Shooting Stars led 26-25 after one quarter and 50-49 at the half. The River Lions led 74-68 after three quarters and 84-83 at target time. Scarborough forward Donovan Williams notched a driving layup. Ahmad answered with a pair of free throws. The pair then repeated the feat. Shooting Star Michael Foster Jr tipped in a putback. Elijah Lufile countered with a pair of free throws. Foster hit another layup, setting the stage for Ahmad’s winner. Ahmad said “there wasn’t a lot of thoughts going through my head. … We needed a three, so why not take it? Stepped into it with confidence and knocked it down. … We were just being where our feet are and trying to be locked into the moment, take every possession for what it was. Because, look, we won by two, so it was a close game. Every possession mattered and we took care of the little things.” River Lions coach Victor Raso said “my God, that guy (Ahmad) has something inside of him that is just built for Target Time. … (He’s a) mental monster. He has the physical tools, the physical skills and the mental confidence to be able to want it in those moments. Because those are shots that all of these guys are capable of making, but not all of those guys are capable of taking them.” Shooting Stars coach Mike De Giorgio said the team’s plan was foul Ahmad in the backcourt. We handled the adversity we wanted to handle. We had chances to win the game. It just didn’t go for us and then Khalil made a big shot. That’s what he’s shown that he can do and he’s done it for years now.” Khalil Ahmad paced the River Lions with 29 on 2-4 from the floor, 5-13 from the arc, 10-10 from the line and 6 boards. Nathan Cayo added 16 on 5-10 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 9 boards and 4 assists. Ron Curry notched 14 on 4-10 from the floor, 1-7 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 2 boards and 5 assists. Guillaume Boucard scored 9 on 2-5 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 7 boards. Curtis Hollis added 9 on 0-3 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 assists. Elijah Lufile scored 8 on 2-5 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 15 boards and 3 assists. Ahmed Hill added 6 on 0-2 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 3 boards. Kimbal Mackenzie scored 2 on 0-5 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 5 boards, while Connor Vreeken, Gatluak James and Meshack Lufile were scoreless. The River Lions hit 29-83 (.340) overall, 15-44 (.340) from the floor, 14-39 (.350) from the arc and 21-21 from the line, while garnering 56 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 10 turnovers, 2 steals, 2 blocks and 16 fouls. Donovan Williams paced the Shooting Stars with 29 on 3-12 from the floor, 5-9 from the arc, 8-10 from the line, 11 boards and 2 assists. Terquavion Smith added 16 on 4-9 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 3 boards, 10 assists and 2 steals. Kobe Elvis notched 12 on 3-4 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 2 boards and 5 assists. Michael Foster Jr scored 11 on 5-10 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 10 boards. Anthony Walker added 10 on 5-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 7 boards. Khalil Miller scored 7 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 3 boards. Manny Diressa added 3 on 1-2 from the arc. Jaden Campbell scored 3 on 1-2 from the arc, while Samuel Wong and Danilo Djuricic were scoreless. The Shooting Stars hit 24-77 (.440) overall, 22-44 from the floor, 12-33 (.360) from the arc and 11-18 (.610) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 7 turnovers, 5 steals, 4 blocks and 13 fouls.
In the other semi and West final, the Calgary Surge dispatched the host Winnipeg Sea Bears 90-79. The Surge led 28-19, 42-36 and 68-52 at the quarters, and 81-68 at target time. Surge guard Sean Miller-Moore said “we knew all summer that we’re a third-quarter team. We see what they’re giving us and we just adjust.” Calgary coach Kalbe Canales said “we knew it was going to be a heavyweight fight. It took 12 rounds.” Sea Bears coach Mike Taylor said “give them credit, they played really well. Even though we didn’t have our best offensive performance, I’m proud of our team and the way we battled today … the effort was there but the execution was not where it needed to be.” Evan Gilyard II paced the Surge with 24 on 3-9 from the floor, 6-12 from the arc, 4 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Sean Miller-Moore added 20 on 4-8 from the floor, 4-8 from the arc, 7 boards and 2 assists. Jameer Nelson Jr notched 16 on 6-9 from the floor, 1-10 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 4 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Greg Brown III scored 12 on 4-5 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 1-4 from the line, 11 boards and 4 blocks. Olumide Adelodun added 12 on 4-6 from the arc. Khyri Thomas scored 4 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Gabe Osabuohien added 2 on 0-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 8 boards and 4 assists, while D.J. Jackson, William Tong, Ben Kamba and Javonte Brown were scoreless. Brown nabbed 4 boards and blocked 2 shots. Calgary hit 34-80 (.420) overall, 18-36 from the floor, 16-44 (.360) from the arc and 6-9 from the line, while garnering 54 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 17 turnovers, 8 steals, 8 blocks and 20 fouls. Trevon Scott paced Winnipeg with 18 on 6-12 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Will Richardson added 17 on 4-6 from the floor, 3-9 from the arc, 10 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals. Simi Shittu notched 13 on 4-14 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 5-9 from the line and 20 boards. Emmanuel Akot scored 9 on 1-4 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. Jarron Cumberland added 9 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Jalen Harris scored 8 on 3-5 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Nathan Bilamu added 5 on 2-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards, while Alex Campbell, Geoffrey Janes, Maurice Calloo, Jaylin Wiliams, Kyler Filewich and Jordy Tshimanga were scoreless. The Sea Bears hit 29-79 (.360) overall, 22-48 (.450) from the floor, 7-31 (.220) from the arc and 14-20 (.700) from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 15 turnovers, 9 steals, 1 block and 12 fouls.
In the final, the Niagara River Lions captured their second consecutive crown after dispatching the Calgary Surge 79-73. The River Lions led 21-20, 42-36 and 63-51 at the quarters, and 70-67 at target time. River Lion Khalil Ahmad nailed a trey. Surge forward Sean Miller-Moore hit a free throw but Elijah Lufile notched a putback to draw Niagara within four points of the target. Calgary hit 2-4 from the line. River Lion Nathan Cayo hit two free throws. Evan Gilyard II answered with a trey for Niagara. But Ahmad hit a pair from the line to win it for the River Lions. “Redemption,” said Ahmad, who was chosen Finals MVP for the second consecutive season and who had missed a free throw in the same situation in the 2024 final. “I thought about exactly that, [when] I made the first one, missed the second. I was like, ‘Oof, I can’t do that again.’ … We fought through so much adversity. We deserved this win.” River Lions coach Victor Raso said Ahmad is “the greatest player to ever play in this league and he’s just a phenomenal person, so he won’t say all the things that I say, but that’s the truth.” River Lion Kimbal MacKenzie said “[It’s] getting a little bit ridiculous at this point, quite frankly. When he hit that shot [in the semis] against Scarborough, I was like, ‘How many times is this guy gonna do this?’ He just has a knack for when those moments get big, just playing off his instincts.” Guillaume Boucard said “it doesn’t even feel real right now. It’s just full circle. … It’s been something that I’ve been chasing for a long time. It’s something that we always want every summer in Niagara.” Raso said “these guys cared a lot. There was no in-between moments that we lost. These guys were thoughtful on every defensive possession and we just kinda forced them to play to their weaknesses instead of playing to their strengths. … I read a lot about teams who repeated and it all rang true. It’s not gonna be like the first time. It’s gonna be hard. There’s gonna be ups and downs. You’re gonna have to find a new why. You have to shed last year. … “It took a while for this team to gel and find their rhythm. We have Ahmed Hill coming off the bench. He’s the leading scorer in CEBL history. That’s what bothers me when people talk about us this year the way they did. This was a really, really good basketball team and when it mattered, we were awesome.” Surge coach Kaleb Canales said “we didn’t make enough plays, but we’re a team. I’ve said it all year long.” Miller-Moore said “every loss is a heartbreak. Even when we lose in the regular season, it’s a heartbreak. So of course this was the last game and the last time I’m gonna be with this particular group, so it hurt more, but we were a good team all season and we just came up short today.” Khalil Ahmad paced the River Lions with 16 on 2-6 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 9 boards and 2 steals. Nathan Cayo added 14 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards and 3 assists. Ahmed Hill notched 13 on 2-4 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 6 boards and 2 assists. Ron Curry scored 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Kimbal Mackenzie added 8 on 4-6 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2 boards and 5 assists. Curtis Hollis scored 7 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 3 boards. Elijah Lufile added 6 on 1-5 from the floor, 4-6 from the line, 9 boards and 2 assists. Guillaume Boucard scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists, while Connor Vreeken, Gatluak James and Meshack Lufile were scoreless. The River Lions hit 29-74 (.390) overall, 19-42 (.450) from the floor, 10-32 (.310) from the arc and 11-14 (.780) from the line, while garnering 50 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 13 turnovers, 3 steals and 20 fouls. Sean Miller-Moore paced Calgary with 19 on 7-12 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 2-4 from the line and 4 boards. Khyri Thomas added 13 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3-3 from the line and 3 steals. Jameer Nelson Jr notched 13 on 1-5 from the floor, 3-12 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 4 assists. Evan Gilyard II scored 13 on 1-7 from the floor, 2-8 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 2 boards and 4 assists. Greg Brown added 9 on 3-4 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 0-2 from the line, 17 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and 5 blocks. Gabe Oabuohien scored 4 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 8 boards and 5 assists. Javonte Brown added 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 5 boards, while D.J. Jackson, William Tong, Ben Kamba and Olumide Adelodun were scoreless. The Surge hit 25-73 (.340) overall, 16-36 (.440) from the floor, 9-37 (.240) from the arc and 14-21 from the line, while garnering 46 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 11 turnovers, 7 steals, 8 blocks and 20 fouls.
The co-bronze medalist Winnipeg Sea Bears: Terry Roberts (Amityville; N.Y.); Trevon Scott (Townsend; Ga.); Will Richardson (Hinesville; Ga.); Alex Campbell (Brampton; Ont.); Emmanuel Akot (Winnipeg; Man.); Geoffrey James (Edmonton; Alta.); Maurice Calloo (Windsor; Ont.); Jaylin Williams (Nahunta; Ga.); Simi Shittu (London; England); Nathan Bilamu (Hamilton; Ont.); Kyler Filewich (Winnipeg; Man.); Jalen Harris (Dallas; Tx.); Jarron Cumberland (Wilmington; O.); Jordy Tshimanga (Montreal; Que.); Geoffrey James (Edmonton; Alta.); coach and general manager Mike Taylor; assistant coach and assistant general manager Ryan Thomson; assistant Mike Raimbault; assistant Braeden Floyd; assistant Tevonn Walker.
The co-bronze medalist Scarborough Shooting Stars: Anthony Walker (Baltimore; Md.); Donovan Williams (Houston; Tx.) Cat Barber (Hampton; Va.); Hason Ward (St. Thomas; Barbados); Joirdon Nicholas (Pearland; Tx.); Jaden Campbell (Brampton; Ont.); Danilo Djuricic (Brampton; Ont.); Jayden Coke (Ajax; Ont.); Khalil Miller (Scarborough; Ont.); Kobe Elvis (Brampton; Ont.); Aaron Best (Scarborough; Ont.); Koat Thomas (Waterloo; Ont.); Samuel Wong (Scarborough; Ont.); Michael Foster Jr (Milwaukee; Wisc.); Terquavion Smith (Farmville; Va.); Kalif Young (Vaughan; Ont.); Manny Diressa (Toronto; Ont.); coach Mike De Giorgio; assistant Daniel Fanone; assistant Kyle Johnson; assistant Daniel Mullings; owner Nicholas Carino; owner Sam Ibrahim; target score strategist Nick Elam; owner David Asper; president Jason Smith
The silver medalist Calgary Surge: Khyri Thomas (Omaha; Neb.); Greg Brown III (Dallas; Tx.); Gabe Osabuohien (Toronto; Ont.); Olumide Adelodun (Calgary; Alta.) Jameer Nelson Jr (Haverford; Pa.); Sean ‘Rugzy’ Miller-Moore (Brampton; Ont.); Javonte Brown (Toronto; Ont.); Enoch Boakye (Brampton; Ont.); Jamorko Pickett (Washington; D.C.); Evan Gilyard II (Chicago; Ill.); D.J. Jackson (Mississauga; Ont.); William Tong (Calgary; Alta.); Ben Kamba (Calgary; Alta.); coach Kaleb Canales; assistant John Ross; assistant Mike Girling; assistant Tyson Campbell; assistant Dean Haidar; assistant Kenny Otieno; general manager Shane James; senior advisor Steve Konchalski; physician Cale Moore; therapist Dave Bertrand; massage therapist Vladimir Botez; co-owner and chairman Usman Tahir Jutt; co-owner and chairman Jason Ribeiro
The champion Niagara River Lions: Khalil Ahmad (Corona; Cal.); Kimbal Mackenzie (Oakville; Ont.); Elijah Lufile (Milton; Ont.); A.J. Davis (Buford; Ga.); Guillaume Boucard (Montreal; Que.); Ahmed Hill (Augusta; Ga.); Gatluak James (Windsor; Ont.); Connor Vreeken (Kingston; Ont.); Ron Curry (Pennsauken; N.J.); Meshak Lufile (Burlington; Ont.); Curtis Hollis (Arlington; Tx.); Nathan Cayo (Montreal; Que.); coach and general manager Victor Raso; assistant Troy Stevenson; assistant Andrew Sergi; assistant Joel Friesen; assistant William Garchalian; assistant Saud Juman; consultant Marlo Davis; junior assistant Ryan Alford; chief of staff Jeff Zwolak; operatons manager Jack Beckett; therapist Marc-Henri St. Francis; chiropractor Mark Lessey; physician Jason Profetto; strength & conditioning Matrixx Ferreira; strength & conditioning Myles Methner; owner Richard Petko; owner Darren Peters; president Michelle Biskup