Saskatchewan Rattlers Miss Post-Season as Ottawa BlackJacks Advance After Victory

It’s spoiler season. The last-place Saskatchewan Rattlers stunned the Edmonton Stingers in a 90-88 win on Sunday at the Edmonton Expo Centre, putting a dagger in the Alberta squad’s hopes of hosting a playoff game. Edmonton fell to 12-9 with its second straight loss, and now sits two games back of the Calgary Surge for second place in the West. Saskatchewan, which has already been eliminated from playoff contention, improved to 6-15. “All season our guys have competed hard, game in and game out, so I know tonight was no different,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said. “In Target Time, our guys just fought and battled and got us some extra possessions down the stretch and we finally got a shot to go in and it got us the win.” The Stingers led 80-77 entering Target Score Time and extended their lead to five points at 86-81 to move within three points of the Target Score. But the Rattlers did not go away quietly, launching a 5-0 run to tie the game and put the pressure directly back on the Stingers. Sean East II then nailed a pair of free throws to put the Stingers one point away from victory, and intentionally fouled Rattlers forward Tevian Jones to ensure Saskatchewan couldn’t win the game with a three-pointer. Jones missed both, and after East II missed a layup, another intentional foul was committed against Devonte Bandoo, who split the pair. But the Stingers just couldn’t get a bucket to go — and after a frantic few possessions, Rattlers guard Jordan Bowden capped a massive night with the game-winning three-pointer. “It was a hard-fought game for both of us. Tough, physical game. Both teams wanted it. We made a couple buckets at the end, got some stops and hit a shot,” Bowden said. Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said his team’s execution could have been better on both ends. “For us it’s a learning experience. We know we’ve got the playoffs that we’ve gotta prepare for, so every bump in the road we’ve gotta try to leverage to get better,” Baker said. The hard-fought battle will have a sequel, too, when these teams line up against each other in a rematch on Wednesday in Saskatchewan. While the Rattlers won’t be competing in the playoffs, you wouldn’t have been able to tell from their compete level throughout the contest. Saskatchewan weathered a few small Edmonton runs and seemed to have answers whenever the Stingers threatened — most notably in Target Score Time. Bowden paced the Rattlers with 28 points, including 20 in the first half and the game-winner. He also contributed four rebounds and three steals while shooting an efficient seven-for-nine from inside the arc. “Obviously Jordan Bowden is a talented player and the gravity for which he pulls the defence just created open shots for other guys, but we did it as a team,” Magdanz said. Bandoo, a former Stinger, put up 23 points for the Rattlers, while Jones added 18 points to go with six rebounds. Bowden said things simply clicked offensively. “Just being aggressive, trusting my work, getting to the spots I like to get and anything in the midrange, that’s my go-to. So my coaches, my teammates put me in the right position to be successful and I took advantage of it,” he said. Nate Pierre-Louis, who leads the league with a record 143 assists, was not available for Saskatchewan after he signed a contract in Europe. Meanwhile, the Stingers must now win at least two of their final three games to have any shot of hosting the West Play-In game, which they’re locked into since they can no longer catch the Vancouver Bandits atop the conference. Edmonton does, however, hold the tiebreaker over the Surge. Still, a home contest against the basement-dwelling Rattlers could now be construed as a massive opportunity gone by the wayside. Baker said he saw room for improvement on both ends of the floor. “They were switching everything and we need to be a little bit more unselfish on that end of the floor. But then defensively we knew who their main guys were and they put the ball in the basket, so we’ve got to do a better job of containing their main dudes,” he said. East II, the league’s leading scorer, led the way for the Stingers yet again with 30 points to go with five assists and three rebounds. Stingers forward Nick Hornsby notched 10 rebounds to climb past 500 for his career, including playoffs. Hornsby is just the fourth player in league history to reach the mark, joining his head coach Baker, Scarborough Shooting Stars forward Kalif Young and the late Chad Posthumus. Hornsby accomplished the feat in double-double fashion, recording 12 points alongside his rebounding haul. Keon Ambrose-Hylton nearly matched that double-double, instead settling for 14 points and nine rebounds. Ambrose-Hylton said it was an “interesting” game. “I felt like offensively we were doing what we could, but in the first half they were hitting some big shots. They were hitting a lot of contested shots and they had things going for them today, but overall we just gotta work on being more aggressive,” he said. A contest between the league’s two worst defences lived up to its billing in the first quarter as the teams combined for 69 points, with Saskatchewan leading 30-29. But the rest of the game was proved to be more of a dogfight. In the second quarter, the pace slowed significantly as the teams combined for 30 points. Edmonton carried a 45-44 advantage into halftime. Saskatchewan punched back in the third quarter and took a 65-63 lead into the final frame. Then, it ripped the hearts out of the fans who filled the Edmonton Expo Centre with its fourth-quarter flurry. Now, it will look to protect its own home court in just a few days’ time. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600662 Up Next The Rattlers and Stingers meet again on Wednesday in Saskatchewan. Next CEBL Action Just one game is on tap for Monday as the Calgary Surge visit Montreal to face the Alliance. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

A timely 13-0 run in the fourth quarter helped lift the Winnipeg Sea Bears to a 98-89 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers at Canada Life Centre on Friday (Aug. 1). Winnipeg built a 17-point cushion in the first half, but the Rattlers rallied back in the third to seize an eight-point lead of their own. The home team regained its rhythm in the fourth on the way to a second straight victory. Sea Bears’ head coach Mike Taylor said Saskatchewan created opportunities in the third by attacking on the pick-and-roll, but an adjustment in the fourth changed the game. “We changed the matchups and that's where we were able to really [hit] our stride. But the effort, the heart, and the teamwork, to me, were the keys today. And that's what we want to keep building on,” Taylor said. Jalen Harris put on a mid-range clinic late in the fourth for Winnipeg and buried the game-winning free throws against his former team in Target Score Time. Harris said it's a big win with Championship Weekend in Winnipeg approaching. “When you're playing the championship here – I mean every game here is big. Every game here is experience under your belt,” he said. Harris finished the game with 28 points and six assists while shooting 12-22 from the field. His pair of triples also vaulted him past the 100-three milestone for his regular season career. Simi Shittu added another monster performance for Winnipeg, tallying 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Trevon Scott and Jarron Cumberland rounded out the Sea Bears’ offensive effort with 14 points and 12 points respectively. Cumberland grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out six assists as well. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan was led by a balanced attack with all five starters scoring in double figures. The three-headed snake of Jordan Bowden, Tevian Jones and Devonté Bandoo led the charge with a combined 61 points in the loss. Bowden netted a team-high 24, while Jones dropped 20 points to go along with five rebounds and four steals against his former squad. Bandoo contributed 17, while Grant Anticevich notched 11 and Jaden Bediako 10. Jones, who passed 500 regular-season points in his CEBL career on Friday, said it felt good to see familiar faces and compete against old teammates. “I think we did a good job competing [but] we just didn't get the win tonight,” he said. The Sea Bears controlled the contest inside, outscoring the Rattlers 48-30 in the paint and snagging 10 more rebounds than their opponents. Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said some timely offensive rebounds for Winnipeg and missteps down the stretch made the difference. “We got a little bit tired. We put a lot of energy into coming back and so I think that affected us. And to their credit, they picked up the defence, they rebounded the ball, and they played with a tremendous pace for a couple of minutes there to really push in transition,” Magdanz said. Winnipeg took control of the game from the jump, going on an 11-0 run to start the contest. Jones stopped the bleeding against his former team with a triple to get Saskatchewan on the board, but Harris immediately answered with a three of his own. The Sea Bears continued to control the tempo, but a strong stretch from Bandoo and Jones helped the Rattlers crawl back to within single digits. Harris attacked the rim for the final bucket of the first quarter, providing Winnipeg with a 29-16 lead after 10 minutes. Harris and Shittu kept the good times rolling into the second with back-to-back triples for Winnipeg. Shittu then showed off his skills as a facilitator, dishing a no-look pass to Nathan Bilamu to put the Sea Bears ahead by 17 – their largest lead of the game. Bowden almost single-handedly kept the game close and received some help from Anticevich to head into halftime down nine. Saskatchewan’s fight paid off in the third quarter. The Rattlers’ defence locked down the Sea Bears' attack, limiting the home team to just 16 points in the frame. Five trifectas propelled the Rattlers to a massive 19-4 run, including a pull-up from Bandoo to give Saskatchewan its first lead of the game. Trailing by six to start the fourth quarter, the Sea Bears showed resilience and stormed back with a 13-0 run of their own. The Western Conference rivals traded blows before Target Score Time with Harris heating up from mid-range. Winnipeg held an 89-85 advantage heading into the final stretch with a target of 98. Shittu kicked off Target Score Time with a putback before Saskatchewan replied with four consecutive points. Then, the bank was open for Scott on a mid-range jumper, and Cumberland connected on a timely three from way beyond the arc to put Winnipeg two points away. Harris capped his strong second half with a pair of free throws to earn the Sea Bears’ fourth win on home court this season. Winnipeg has now swept the season series with Saskatchewan, emerging victorious in all three meetings. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600649 Up next for both teams Both teams head west for matchups against playoff teams on Sunday (Aug. 3), with Saskatchewan visiting Edmonton and Winnipeg hitting the court against Vancouver. Next CEBL action Calgary visits the nation’s capital on Saturday as both the Surge and BlackJacks continue their battle to secure a home playoff game. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

While the season may not have gone the way the Saskatchewan Rattlers would have hoped, there’s no denying there were happy with how Jaden Bediako looked on Saturday afternoon. The Brampton native had a CEBL career high 23 points and tied the league rebound record with 20 to help lift the Rattlers over the Ottawa BlackJacks, 97-96. The team got strong performances across the board, with Devonte Bandoo posting a game high 24 points and Tevian Jones adding 21 points and six rebounds, including nailing the game-winning free throws. Nate Pierrel-Louis finished with nine points and 11 assists to finish just shy of a double-double. “We’ve talked about it from the start of the season: this whole season isn’t the end of the road for anybody here,” said Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz, whose team entered the game mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. “We’re building to become better basketball players, to become better professionals, to set ourselves up for the next opportunity and to set a standard and a culture for our program. A big reason why I was brought on is to give some of that culture setting. I’ve preached that all year and the guys have bought in. We got a good group of professionals.” Despite his obvious dominance on the court, both player and coach were unaware that Bediako was approaching – and eventually met – the CEBL rebounding record until after the game. “I didn’t even know that, but now I’m mad. I should have got 21,” Bediako joked after learning of his record. “That’s my game. It’s been my game since I was at Seton Hall in the Big East,” he continued. “I led the Big East in (offensive rebounds), and then my first year (in the CEBL), for the last six games, I averaged four a game. It’s been a part of my game’s repertoire even overseas. It’s a mental thing.” “We’ve been working with Jaden all year,” Magdanz added. “There’s been times where we haven’t utilized him properly, and I think there’s times where we’ve asked Jaden to sort of grow into a bigger role. Over the course of the season we’ve challenged him. In the last month, he’s really stepped up to that challenge and changed his style of play and his force on the court.” Things got off to a back-and-forth start early in the first quarter, with the BlackJacks looking to punch their ticket to the postseason and the Rattlers determined to make sure that didn’t come at their expense. A 15-9 Saskatchewan lead was erased by a 14-2 Ottawa run, before the away team rattled off seven straight to take a 24-23 lead into the break. The points kept coming in the second quarter with both teams piling up 28 in the period. A 12-4 run by the BlackJacks would put them up by as much as seven, but the Rattlers would storm back to retake the lead at halftime. Jones led the way for the Rattlers with 17 points in the half, while Moore had 15 for the BlackJacks and finished one rebound shy of the early double-double. Things would remain close until an 8-2 run by Saskatchewan would give them a 71-62 advantage, which would by answered by an Ottawa run to make the game 74-70 going into the final period. The teams would trade blows all the way through the final quarter to eventually set up a next basket wins scenario. With the game on the line, Jones drove the ball in from the three-point line and was fouled on his way to the net, setting up the game winning shot. The BlackJacks entered the game at the bottom of the league in terms of rebounding. That was something that the Rattlers joined a long list of teams to take advantage of against Ottawa, and BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro admitted needed to be addressed. “Our toughness is being challenged day in and day out. This is a toughness category,” he said of his team’s rebounding metrics. “This is not skill, this is toughness. You want the ball. These are one-on-one battles that we are not winning. This is who we are. Until we address this, we’re going to have situations where we’re playing really good defense and then we give up an offensive rebound, then we’re playing defense again – then another offensive rebound… I’m proud of my team. We fight and we fight and we fight. But there has to be more. We have to pay attention to detail. Detail wins games. We’re not great at detail.” Javonte Smart and Isaih Moore tied for the team lead with 22 points, with the latter adding 13 rebounds. Deng Adel had 16 points, six rebounds and eight assists, becoming the fifth CEBL player to surpass the 300-assist mark, as well as tying the team record for all-time steals. Keevan Veinot and Tyrell Tate both chipped in with 11 points. The loss prevented the BlackJacks from clinching a playoff berth, which they will do with their next win or Brampton’s next loss. The win snapped a three-game skid for the Rattlers, with their previous victory on July 5 also coming at the BlackJacks’ expense. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600653 Up next for both teams The Ottawa BlackJacks will play host to the Scarborough Shooting Stars on July 29 in a game that will be critical in determining both teams’ playoff positioning. The Saskatchewan Rattlers continue their four-game road trip in Winnipeg when they face the Sea Bears on August 1. Next CEBL action The East leading Niagara River Lions head to Brampton to face the Honey Badgers on July 27, streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday the extension of Kal Tire’s national partnership through the 2027 season, which will see the Official Tire Expert of the CEBL expand its rights to become the presenting partner of the league’s Western Conference and Western Conference Playoffs. The expansion of Kal Tire’s partnership with the CEBL reinforces one of Canada’s largest independent tire retailer’s support of Canadian basketball and further ingrains its commitment to the CEBL’s five Western Conference teams. As part of this landmark partnership, Kal Tire and its 197 locations in Western Canada will support the upcoming Western Conference Playoffs through an enhanced fan experience and brand campaign. “Kal Tire is an incredible partner of the CEBL, and we’re proud to see their commitment grow with the presenting rights to our Western Conference,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “Their ongoing support strengthens our connection and fuels the passion of basketball fans across Canada, especially those cheering on our Western teams.” “We’re thrilled to deepen our partnership with the CEBL as the presenting partner of the Western Conference,” said Jamie Shillingford, Kal Tire’s Marketing Manager, Stores. “Basketball is growing rapidly across Canada, and this partnership allows us to connect with fans in a meaningful way — especially in the communities where our team members live and work. We’re proud to support a league that champions Canadian talent and brings such incredible energy to the court and communities.” Fans can catch the remainder of the CEBL’s 2025 regular season and the race for playoff positioning in the Western Conference presented by Kal Tire, live in Canada on TSN, CEBL+, and TSN+, and in the United States on NLSE. The Western Conference Playoffs presented by Kal Tire begin Thursday, August 14, with the Play-In Game, followed by the Semifinal on Saturday, August 16, where the second-place team will host the Play-In winner. The 2025 CEBL Playoffs will culminate at Championship Weekend (CW25), hosted in Winnipeg from August 22–24. For ticket information for all CEBL games, visit cebl.ca/tickets and cebl.ca/cw25/tickets . - CEBL - 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 15 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 Kal Tire Kal Tire is one of Canada's largest independent tire dealers and one of North America's largest commercial tire dealers. Kal Tire's Mining Tire Group is an international leader in mining tire service and supply, servicing more than 150 mine sites across five continents. The company has warehouse facilities across Canada servicing more than 270 Kal Tire retail and commercial stores. Kal Tire owns and operates 11 truck tire retread facilities across Canada, plus six earthmover retreading facilities located in Canada, the United Kingdom, Chile, Ghana and Mexico. The company employs more than 6,500 team members. For more information, please visit Kaltire.com . Media Contacts : Aaron Gogishvili – Sr. Director, Communications & Community Relations Canadian Elite Basketball League (905) 730-4691 | [email protected] Kyle Warrener – Manager, Communications & Content Canadian Elite Basketball League (905) 870-1262 | [email protected]

Red-hot three-point shooting propelled the Vancouver Bandits to their third straight win on Friday (July 18). The Bandits connected on 17 trifectas on their way to a 100-79 win at Langley Events Centre that eliminated the Saskatchewan Rattlers from playoff contention. Edmonton fans can also celebrate Vancouver’s win as it clinches a playoff berth for the Stingers. The backcourt duo of Zach Copeland and Corey Davis Jr. carried the offensive load for the Bandits on Friday with Mitch Creek out of the lineup. Copeland netted a game-high 26 points, while Davis Jr. notched a double-double with 25 points, 12 assists and seven threes. Clutch contributions also came from Duane Notice with 13 points, including the game winner. Davis Jr.'s 12 assists pushed him past the 200 mark for his CEBL regular season career. On Tuesday, his single season assist record was broken by Saskatchewan guard Nate Pierre-Louis. “[Pierre-Louis] is a great basketball player and he does it the right way. So it's kudos to him. I'm pretty sure if I was here the whole season, I'd probably still be holding on to that. I feel a way about it but nonetheless,” Davis Jr. said. Unselfish basketball pushed the Bandits to the convincing win. Of Vancouver’s 35 field goals, 29 were assisted. The Bandits bounced back from 11 first-half turnovers and seven offensive rebounds allowed to take control in the second. “We've just been moving the ball really well. Our assists have been high, our three-point makes and percentage has been high and it's actually been fun to watch to be honest,” Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said. For Saskatchewan, head coach Eric Magdanz said the team will continue to battle despite its elimination from the playoffs. “Our team has been nothing but competitive this whole year,” he said. “They're a great group of pros and a big thing we've talked about right from the start is saying this isn't the end of the road for any of us. We're all trying to see what's next and advance [our] career.” Recent additions Alex Garcia and Tevian Jones were bright spots for the Rattlers in the loss. With Pierre-Louis out, Garcia stepped up with 25 points in just his third professional game and Jones tallied 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists. “I've had some of the best [coaching] I feel like in the world, and that's really prepared me to play at this level,” Garcia said. “I put in the skill work but more than anything if … you're under skilled, you can play with better competition if you have the mind for it.” The Bandits opened the game strong, but the Rattlers responded quickly. A balanced attack, highlighted by a pair of and-ones from Garcia and Isaac Simon, helped Saskatchewan gain the lead and maintain it throughout the first quarter. Down just five to begin the second, Nick Ward settled in for Vancouver with back-to-back contact finishes inside. But the Bandits couldn’t gain ground, as Devonté Bandoo’s hot shooting pushed the Rattlers’ lead even further, forcing a Julius timeout. An 11-3 run for Saskatchewan capped by a transition jam from Elijah Ifejeh prompted another timeout from Julius. Vancouver narrowed the gap to close the half, culminating in a buzzer-beating corner three from Notice to make it a two-point game heading into the locker room. Copeland drove to the rack and finished through contact to knot the game at 45 to open the third. Kur Jongkuch added another layup on the following Bandits’ possession to seize the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. The trio of Copeland, James Karnik and Davis Jr. made major contributions in the third to give the Bandits a 73-65 lead. Notice delivered another pair of clutch buckets in the fourth and the Bandits locked in defensively. Jongkuch rocked the rim with an alley-oop to cap a 17-10 run and carry a 15-point lead into the final stretch. Vancouver made quick work of Target Score Time, with another alley-oop to Jongkuch, a triple from Davis Jr. and two buckets from Notice — including a contact layup to win it. The Bandits handed the Rattlers a sweep in the season series, while winning their fourth straight at home as well. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600651 Up next for both teams Vancouver hosts Western Conference rival Edmonton on Sunday (July 20). Saskatchewan gets a longer break, returning to action next Saturday (July 26) in Ottawa — the second stop on a four-game road trip. Next CEBL action A battle between the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference unfolds on Sunday with Niagara (11-5) hosting Scarborough (8-8) in the first game of a CEBL tripleheader. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

Calgary guard Evan Gilyard Jr., who joined the team after a June 26 loss to Saskatchewan, hit his stride with a second consecutive 30-point performance to lead the Surge to a 103-81 victory over the Rattlers on Tuesday (July 15) at SaskTel Centre. The team-high 30 points included four threes and the game winner, almost a week after setting a franchise record with 37 points against Montréal. “The guys have welcomed me with open arms. I’m coming in, playing aggressive, and still playing my style of game,” Gilyard Jr. said. After a tight first quarter, the Surge pulled away in the second and third to earn their second straight win and first of the season against Saskatchewan. “I feel like we came out in the second half and set the tone with our defence,” Gilyard Jr. said. Greg Brown III added 17 points and seven rebounds to the Surge attack, while Khyri Thomas scored 12 points and Sean Miller-Moore contributed 11 points. Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said his team played a complete game that was to their standard. “We knew it was going to be a tough matchup [and] tough environment against these guys but I felt we came to play today on both ends,” Canales said. The Surge spoiled a record-breaking night for Saskatchewan guard Nate Pierre-Louis and a stellar debut for Tevian Jones. Pierre-Louis set the CEBL single-season record for assists with another eight on Tuesday, surpassing the standard of 126 assists set by former Surge guard Corey Davis Jr. last season. With seven games remaining in the 2025 campaign, Pierre-Louis’ record sits at 131 assists. Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said the passing from Pierre-Louis has been a highlight of their offence all season. “Nate’s grown a ton as a point guard over the course of this season. His ability to move the ball and get into the key and draw two defenders has been a big part of what we’ve done,” Magdanz said. Meanwhile, Jones had the green light in his first game with the Rattlers. The former Sea Bear netted a game-high 31 points on 12-20 shooting in the loss, including six threes. “I think I incorporated pretty well. I was able to play off the guys out there … I feel like we could’ve played together a little bit more down the stretch. But I think, overall, for a first game it was good,” Jones said. To open the game, recent acquisitions for both teams showcased their talent. Jones was on fire in his first quarter as a Rattler, dropping 13 points to lead all scorers after 10 minutes. On the other side, Gilyard Jr. scored at the rim and free-throw line while drilling jumpers from long range on his way to nine points in the first. Calgary led for the majority of the first quarter, fueled by efforts on the offensive glass that led to a 7-1 advantage in second chance points. But the Surge squandered the extra possessions with a flurry of turnovers to close the frame. A corner three from Jones and a transition layup from Pierre-Louis provided Saskatchewan with its first lead of the game heading into the second. The Surge regained the advantage in a back-and-forth start to the second quarter. Calgary wrestled away control of the contest with a 12-3 run capped off by a coast-to-coast finish from Brown III. Saskatchewan stopped the run with a historic bucket. A Jones layup in transition came off the 127th assist of the season from Pierre-Louis – a CEBL single-season record. However, the Surge led 51-43 after 20 minutes. Calgary came out of the halftime break with energy on both ends of the floor. Brown III was scorching hot in the frame, soaring for a dunk early in the quarter and drilling a trio of corner threes. The Surge dominated the quarter 24-12 and carried a 20-point lead into the fourth. A 10-2 run early in the final quarter extended Calgary’s advantage to 28 points. However, Saskatchewan carved the deficit back to 18 heading into Target Score Time, highlighted by a massive putback slam from Jones. Miller-Moore got things started in Target Score Time for Calgary before Jamorko Pickett pulled the visitors even closer with an and-one baseline jam. Gilyard Jr. put an exclamation point on the win with a scoop layup and game-winning pull-up three. The Rattlers and Surge meet once more this season on Aug. 8 in Calgary. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600642 Up next for both teams Calgary visits Winnipeg on Thursday (July 17) in another Western Conference clash, while Saskatchewan heads to Langley Events Centre to face the top-seeded Vancouver on Friday (July 18). Next CEBL action Brampton visits Niagara on Wednesday (July 16) in the lone game of the night. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

Saskatoon, Sask. - The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Monday that the club has signed 6-foot-7 guard Tevian Jones from Chandler, Arizona for the remainder of the 2025 season. Jones will make his Rattlers debut on Tuesday July 15, when the Rattlers host the Calgary Surge at SaskTel Centre. “Tevian had a CEBL all-star season in his first year in the league in 2024,” said General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Barry Rawlyk. “The start of the 2025 season was a bit of a challenge for him just in terms of fit with a new team, so when the opportunity came available for a fresh start with us, he jumped at the opportunity. Tevian is a serious offensive threat and should add some needed scoring punch to our lineup.” During his three-year professional career, Jones has played in the NBA Summer League, NBA G League, and the CEBL. He has a career average of 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 24.8 minutes in 130 games.

The CEBL got its first look at the new-look Winnipeg Sea Bears on Friday night, and if early returns are any indication, the roster moves are already paying dividends. With Terry Roberts and Jaylin Williams away from the team while plying their trade in NBA Summer League, Will Richardson and Trevon Scott stepped in and looked like established veterans on the squad as the Sea Bears led nearly from buzzer to buzzer to take a 94-70 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Simi Shittu had a game-high 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jalen Harris had 19 points. Emmanuel Akot finished with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists while Richardson introduced himself to the league with 18 points and a game-high eight assists. Scott had 16 points and five rebounds off the bench. “Today was a game where we really played well together. I thought we brought a good energy,” Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said afterwards. “The last couple of games, there were distractions and stuff going on within the team that really prevented us from being our best. I thought this was a credit to the players today. They really played hard, they really played well. It was just an excellent performance on both ends.” Richardson – the Oregon Ducks alum – and Scott – former member of the Calgary Surge – made their impact felt immediately. The former played every second of the first quarter and quickly tallied up eight points. The latter checked in at the start of the second quarter and never came off, piling up 11 points of his own. “Really pleased with the way they played,” Taylor said of his new additions. “They brought a fresh energy to the team. Both guys fit in really, really well. They played like they’ve been here a while. You saw the natural point guard talent of Will in terms of his playmaking and hitting big shots. (Trevon) contributed in so many ways on both ends of the floor. Those two new guys fit in seamlessly and we’re really pleased with their play today.” It was all Sea Bears in the first half, as they led 40-25 heading into the break and held the home team to just 37 per cent from the floor. Winnipeg – on the other hand – seemingly could do no wrong on offense, making 56 per cent of their shots and hitting six three-pointers in the first half. The Saskatchewan Rattlers would regroup and try to take a run at it to start the third quarter. They opened the second half by outscoring the Sea Bears 16-6. Nate Pierre-Louis led the way for Saskatchewan, scoring 11 of his 14 points through the first three quarters. He finished the game with six assists, leaving him just three shy of the CEBL single-season record. Johnny Hughes III had a team high 16 points to go with eight rebounds, while Devonte Bandoo chipped in with 10 points. Australian big man Grant Anticevich finished just shy of a double-double, scoring 11 points – nine of them in the first half – and grabbing nine rebounds. “It was just an individual check within each of ourselves about who we are, who we want to be and how we want to play,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said of his halftime message. “And credit to our guys, they took that message to heart and competed in the second half.” Although the Rattlers were able to cut the lead down to 13 and flirted with bringing the score within single digits on a few occasions, it was all for naught. Winnipeg would hold onto a 15-point lead heading into target time, where a clean 9-0 run put an end to the Rattlers night. “We just came out flat,” Magdanz said. “We didn’t have the energy, the effort, the level of compete that we’ve had for the entire season in the first half, and that dug us a hole. And once you dig yourselves a hole in this league, it’s pretty hard to come back.” The win was the Sea Bears’ first since June 20, snapping a four-game losing streak. For the Rattlers, it was another disappointing setback after a spirited effort in Target Time earned them a win in their last outing. The loss to Winnipeg dropped their record to 4-12. “It’s just been a tough season. Every game has been like this. We’re either sad that we didn’t get the win or we’re mad that we lost or just happy that we got the win,” Pierre-Louis, the Rattlers team captain, said after the loss. “I just tell the guys to keep their head up and stay together. There’s going to be days like that. You just have to stay even keel and get back to the drawing board on Monday. Myself, I have to be better. I felt that today wasn’t my best one. I’ve been playing well but today wasn’t one of my high standard games. Just got to get back to the drawing board. Never too high, never too low.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600636 Up next for both teams  The Winnipeg Sea Bears return home following a three-game road trip to host the Calgary Surge on July 17. The Saskatchewan Rattlers wrap up a four-game homestand as they take on the Calgary Surge on July 15. Next CEBL action The Brampton Honey Badgers take to the road to face the Scarborough Shooting Stars in their second of three meetings on the season, streaming live on CEBL+, TSN+, and NLSE. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

Saskatoon, Sask. - The Saskatchewan Rattlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-4 Alex Garcia from Santa Fe, New Mexico for the 2025 season. Garcia will make his professional debut Friday, July 11th when the Rattlers host the Winnipeg Sea Bears at SaskTel Centre. “We are pretty excited about signing Alex to his first professional contract,” said General Manager and Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Barry Rawlyk. “He is coming off an outstanding college career and carries forward a skill set that will allow him to continue to produce at a high level as a pro. He has an exceptional basketball IQ, tremendous work ethic, and is a high-character team-first guy.” During his seven-year collegiate career, Garcia has played Cal State Dominguez Hills. He has a career average of 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 29.1 minutes in 91 games while shooting 40.1 per cent from behind the arc.