Community Coach of the Month | Jessie Smoliak

Canadian Basketball Ventures L.P. (CBV), the corporate entity that owns the Saskatchewan Rattlers, announced today that Lee Genier will be concluding his tenure as President. Lee has been pivotal in shaping the Rattlers since the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s (CEBL) inception in 2019. His leadership, vision, and unwavering dedication have helped build a strong foundation for professional basketball in Saskatchewan and have fostered meaningful connections with fans and the broader Saskatoon community. During his second term as President, Lee once again brought passion and commitment to the organization, contributing to its growth and presence both on and off the court. “It’s been an incredible honour to lead the Saskatchewan Rattlers and contribute to the growth of the CEBL,” said Genier. “I’m proud of what we’ve built together—from the passionate fan base to the strong community ties—and I look forward to cheering on the team as it continues to thrive.” CBV and the Rattlers sincerely thank Lee for his impactful leadership and many contributions. We wish him continued success and fulfillment in his future endeavours.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced the winners of the 2025 CEBL Awards and the All-CEBL Teams at an event held at The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre (The MET) in Winnipeg, MB, on Thursday evening — the first official event of 2025 Championship Weekend (CW25) . The Vancouver Bandits took home four awards, including forward Mitch Creek, who earned top honours as Most Valuable Player. Centre Tyrese Samuel was named both Canadian Player of the Year and Clutch Player of the Year, while Kyle Julius secured Coach of the Year honours for the second consecutive season. This also marked the second straight year the Bandits swept the CEBL’s top three awards (MVP, Canadian Player, and Coach), repeating the feat achieved by Tazé Moore, Koby McEwen, and Julius in 2024 . The full list of award winners is as follows: 2025 CEBL Award Winners Most Valuable Player: Mitch Creek (Vancouver Bandits) Canadian Player of the Year: Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) Coach of the Year: Kyle Julius (Vancouver Bandits) Sixth Man of the Year: Zane Waterman (Ottawa BlackJacks) Defensive Player of the Year: Jameer Nelson Jr. (Calgary Surge) Developmental Player of the Year: Isaac Simon (Saskatchewan Rattlers) Clutch Player of the Year: Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award: Karl Toulouse Creek’s leadership and production were instrumental in Vancouver’s league-best 19-5 record this season. He finished second in the CEBL in scoring with 24.4 points per game, ranked third in three-point percentage (48.6%), and fourth in field goal percentage (58.4%). The 6-foot-5 Australian's 488 total points were the second-highest in the league in 2025 and the fourth-most ever recorded in a single CEBL season. He also ranked among the league's top 10 in several other categories, including free throws made (2nd – 110), field goals made (3rd – 171), minutes played (6th – 687.7), and steals (9th – 30). In his first CEBL season, Samuel was a dominant force for the Bandits and the only player in the league to average more than 20 points (21.4) and 10 rebounds (10.8) per game. Despite playing just 15 games, the Canadian big man tied for the league lead with six Target Score Winners, earning the Clutch Player of the Year award via a tiebreaking vote over Calgary’s Sean Miller-Moore. He also led the CEBL in field goal percentage (65.9), ranked third in rebounds per game, and tied for third with eight double-doubles. Julius led Vancouver to a .792 winning percentage (19-5) in 2025 — the highest ever over a full, non-pandemic-shortened CEBL season — even with the league’s longest and most demanding schedule to date (24 games). The Bandits posted a league-best +250 point differential, more than 50 points ahead of the next closest team, while boasting the top-ranked offence and fourth-ranked defence. Vancouver finished first in total points (2,372), field goals made (868), field goal percentage (48.2), three-pointers made (277), three-point percentage (38.4) and assists (558), and ranked second in steals (208). Despite their high-paced offence, the Bandits committed the third-fewest turnovers (328) and allowed the fourth-fewest points (2,122). Waterman played a significant role off the bench for the Ottawa BlackJacks this summer and was a key contributor to the team’s strong second-half surge, helping secure second place in the Eastern Conference. In just 14 games, he was part of nine wins, averaging 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 23.1 minutes per game, while shooting 52.9 per cent from three-point range. Nelson Jr. delivered a strong two-way performance for Calgary in 2025, making a particularly significant impact on defense. He set a new CEBL single-season steals record with 57 in just 19 games and added five blocks. His 3.0 steals per game led the league by a full steal over MVP runner-up Sean East II, and his total steals shattered the previous record of 44 set by Lloyd Pandi in 2024 by 13. He also showcased his offensive prowess last Saturday in the Western Conference Semifinal against Vancouver, scoring a CEBL playoff-record 39 points in a 105-103 Surge win to secure a berth at CW25. Simon contributed valuable minutes for the Saskatchewan Rattlers in 2025, emerging as the top performer among this year’s class of Developmental Players. He appeared in all 24 games — including six starts — and averaged 4.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest. Simon will return to the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the upcoming U SPORTS season. Toulouse, a day-one member of the CEBL as Manager of Minor Officials, was honored with the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award. He oversees 150 minor officials across all 10 CEBL markets, audits numerous games nationwide to ensure statistical accuracy, and has attended every CEBL Championship Weekend to support score table staff. A member of the Toronto Raptors stats crew since the team’s inception in 1995, Toulouse exemplifies the spirit of basketball development in Canada through more than 30 years of dedication and high-level performance. The 2025 All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian Teams were also revealed at the CEBL Awards: All CEBL First Team: Greg Brown III (Calgary Surge), Mitch Creek (Vancouver Bandits), Sean East II (Edmonton Stingers), Javonte Smart (Ottawa BlackJacks), Donovan Williams (Scarborough Shooting Stars) All CEBL Second Team: Khalil Ahmad (Niagara River Lions), Jameer Nelson Jr. (Calgary Surge), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits), Simi Shittu (Winnipeg Sea Bears), Terquavion Smith (Scarborough Shooting Stars) CEBL All-Canadian Team: Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Edmonton Stingers), Quincy Guerrier (Montréal Alliance), Sean Miller-Moore (Calgary Surge), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits), Simi Shittu (Winnipeg Sea Bears) Award nominees, winners and All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian Teams are determined by votes cast by the league’s head coaches, general managers, assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and internal media personnel. Team representatives are prohibited from voting for a player or head coach from their own team. All CEBL award winners will receive a customized ring from Jostens, the Official Supplier of Award Rings of the CEBL; a custom trophy from protocole, crafted from maple and solid metal with a silkscreened CEBL logo; and a special gift from the league’s partner, Foot Locker. The Conference Finals doubleheader at CW25 on Friday, August 22 will feature the defending champion Niagara River Lions taking on the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the East matchup at 5 p.m. CDT / 6 p.m. ET, followed by the host Winnipeg Sea Bears facing the Calgary Surge in the West tilt at 7:30 p.m. CDT / 8:30 p.m. ET. Ticket and event information is available at cebl.ca/championshipweekend . - 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 per cent 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 . 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]

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Wednesday the individual award nominees for the 2025 CEBL Awards, taking place on Thursday, August 21 at 7 p.m. CDT at The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre (The MET) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The CEBL Awards serve as the first official event of 2025 Championship Weekend (CW25) , which runs from August 21 to 24. Most Valuable Player finalists Mitch Creek of the Vancouver Bandits and Sean East II of the Edmonton Stingers headline the list of nominees revealed across six player award categories. In total, eight individual CEBL awards will be presented in 2025. 2025 CEBL Award Finalists Most Valuable Player: Mitch Creek (Vancouver Bandits), Sean East II (Edmonton Stingers) Canadian Player of the Year: Sean Miller-Moore (Calgary Surge), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) Sixth Man of the Year: Chris Smith (Edmonton Stingers), Zane Waterman (Ottawa BlackJacks) Defensive Player of the Year: Greg Brown III (Calgary Surge), Jameer Nelson Jr. (Calgary Surge) Developmental Player of the Year: Aaron Rhooms (Edmonton Stingers), Isaac Simon (Saskatchewan Rattlers)

Saskatchewan Rattlers’ big man Jaden Bediako made CEBL history on Sunday (Aug. 10) in a 96-85 victory over the Brampton Honey Badgers at SaskTel Centre. In the season finale for both teams, Bediako’s five blocks pushed him to 49 on the campaign, surpassing the single-season blocks record of 46 set by EJ Onu with the Niagara River Lions in 2022. Bediako, a Brampton native, also secured a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead his team to victory. “All of us know it's been a rough season but we've all been together, and … it's good to get a win, especially against my hometown team,” Bediako said. Rattlers veterans Devonté Bandoo and Anthony Tsegakele were also major contributors to the win. Bandoo dropped a game-high 22 points while Tsegakele set a new career-high with 18 points, including a series of highlight dunks and the game-winner. Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said it was great to see Tsegakele end the season with a big game. “He's a fan favourite. He's a guy who does anything we ask of him, and most of the time that's asking him to pick up defensive assignments,” Magdanz said. “To see him do a great job defensively tonight but also be rewarded with the ball going through the hoop is a great thing to see.” Tevian Jones notched a double-double as well with 16 points and 10 assists, and Isaac Simon was the fifth Rattler to score in double figures with 11 off the bench. Brampton also had five players reach at least 10 points on Sunday. Ankit Choudhary paced the offence with 17 points off the bench, while Yaw Obeng-Mensah led all starters with 16 points. Mike Demagus was lethal from long range with 15 points in the loss, Prince Oduro added 14, and Quinndary Weatherspoon scored 11 points before an ejection in the second quarter. A trio of rookies also scored their first pro buckets on Sunday, including Easton Timm for Saskatchewan and Conner Landell and Malik Grant for Brampton. Choudhary said providing maximum effort was the mindset coming into the final game of the season. “I feel like that's what we did,” Choudhary said. “Maybe at times, we may have just rushed a bit … and I feel like coach did a great job of putting us in a position to be successful. We had some good looks and we just missed … that's just how the game goes sometimes.” Brampton head coach Sheldon Cassimy was proud of his team’s effort despite a roster that hasn’t played many minutes together. “I feel like all the guys that played hard and played through to the end of the game … they all played well. They were able to showcase what they could do,” Cassimy said. Early in the contest, Tsegakele came off the bench firing. He began the game with back-to-back dunks and continued to attack the paint with eight points in the first quarter. Brampton trailed for the majority of the opening frame and entered the second down 30-24. Weatherspoon carried the offence for the Honey Badgers for the bulk of the first half with 11 points, but picked up a pair of technical fouls in the second quarter that ended his day. Despite the absence of Weatherspoon, Brampton hung tight and headed into the locker room down six after 20 minutes. In the third quarter, Bediako was a paint beast for Saskatchewan. He blocked shots, dominated the glass and scored six points for the Rattlers. However, Obeng-Mensah was active inside for Brampton as well, leading the Honey Badgers on a run to tie the game at 62. Jones quickly regained the lead for the Rattlers in the third, and Saskatchewan answered with a run of its own to head into the final frame with a 73-65 advantage. The squads traded buckets to start the fourth before Landell and Obeng-Mensah pulled the Honey Badgers closer with back-to-back finishes before Target Score Time. Brampton continued to roll as the teams raced to 96 with Oduro and Demagus slicing to the hoop for layups and cutting the deficit to four points. But the Rattlers buckled in for the final stretch with strong takes from Bediako and Tsegakele. The longtime Rattler Tsegakele ended the season on a high note for the home fans, banking in the game winner from inside the elbow on Fan Appreciation Day. With the season now over for Brampton and Saskatchewan, both coaches said there are lessons to be learned from the summer. Magdanz said he’ll be looking back at some of the Rattlers’ close losses. “That was due to our level of compete and something that we're very proud of. But we got to get over the hump, and we got to win some of the more close games. So for me, it's going to be finding ways that I can put guys in successful positions so that when we do get into those Target Times, we feel confident to come up with victory,” he said. Meanwhile, Cassimy said a focus moving forward is managing the ups and downs and the highs and lows of the season. “[It’s] just trying to navigate when you have to make those adjustments and hopefully I'll have another opportunity where I'll be able to implement the things that I've learned,” he said. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600683 Next CEBL action The CEBL postseason tips off on Thursday (Aug. 14) with Montréal facing Scarborough in the Eastern Conference play-in and Calgary hosting Edmonton in the Western Conference play-in. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

Calgary’s defence-to-offence formula was on full display in a 105-76 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Friday (Aug. 8), clinching second place in the Western Conference. Twenty Rattlers’ turnovers led to 28 points for the Surge, including high-flying finishes to wow the crowd at WinSport Events Centre in another signature performance. After trailing by two after the first quarter, the Calgary defence locked in and held Saskatchewan to 18 points or less in each of the final three quarters. Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said the intensity picked up after the opening 10 minutes. “We played our brand of basketball – defence-to-offence. [It’s been] our identity all year, our style of play, so we're excited to get the win,” Canales said. Sean Miller-Moore was dominant for Calgary in the win, netting a career-high 30 points that included the game-winner. On the defensive end, he added a pair of steals and blocks. “I had a big second half. Shout out [to] my teammates getting me in transition … that's where I strive,” Miller-Moore said. Surge forward Greg Brown III notched another double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Evan Gilyard Jr. chipped in 17 points and seven assists. For Saskatchewan, Jaden Bediako and Jordan Bowden led the way in the loss with 15 points each, with Bediako snagging 13 rebounds as well. Calgary outscored Saskatchewan 62-36 in the paint and won the transition battle 20-4 on Friday night while shooting 46 per cent from the field. The Surge are now locked into a play-in showdown at home against their provincial rivals Edmonton on Thursday night (Aug. 14). “[I’m looking forward to] being in a home environment with our fans and putting on a show. And then hopefully taking it possession by possession to get a win,” Miller-Moore said. Saskatchewan started Friday’s game on a 7-0 run, powered by the interior presence of Bediako. Calgary quickly battled back to within one possession and Brown III sparked the home crowd’s interest by climbing the ladder for a massive left-handed alley-oop in transition. Jones replied with another alley-oop and the Rattlers stayed efficient offensively to lead 24-22 after 10 minutes. After fighting back to tie the game four times, the Surge finally seized the lead just over three minutes into the second quarter with another transition flush from Brown III. The Western Conference rivals hung tight for much of the frame and Bowden briefly regained the lead for Saskatchewan with five consecutive points. However, Brown III closed the half with five straight points of his own to carry Calgary into the locker room with a 44-41 advantage. After Bandoo scored to open the second half for Saskatchewan, Calgary took control. The Surge went on a 17-2 run that included high-flying finishes from Miller-Moore and inside-the-arc mastery from Gilyard Jr. Calgary’s attack continued to assert itself and Gilyard Jr. closed the third with an open three to take an 18-point advantage into the fourth. The Surge kept pushing in the final frame and extended its lead to 26 heading into Target Score Time. Miller-Moore finished off the Rattlers with a pair of buckets in the final stretch and clinched the home playoff game for Calgary. With Friday’s result, the Surge and Rattlers split the season series with two wins each. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600678 Up next for both teams All 10 CEBL teams are in action again on Sunday (Aug. 10) in the regular season finale. Calgary hosts Niagara in a possible Championship Weekend preview, while Saskatchewan hosts Brampton in a battle between last-place teams. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

A 10-3 run in Target Score Time propelled the Edmonton Stingers to a bounceback victory over the Saskatchewan Rattlers at SaskTel Centre on Wednesday (Aug. 6). After trailing for the majority of the second half, Edmonton rallied in the fourth to defeat Saskatchewan 100-94 to keep hopes of a home playoff game alive. Edmonton head coach Jordan Baker said defence made the difference down the stretch. “When we execute defensively and get stops, we're a pretty efficient team. We held them in the second half to 18- and 19-point quarters. As we look towards the playoffs, you're not going to outscore teams, you need to play defence,” Baker said. The Stingers also avenged a tight 90-88 loss to the Rattlers on Sunday (Aug. 3) at Edmonton Expo Centre in the first half of a home-and-home. Sean East II was clinical in the win, pacing the Stingers’ offence with 24 points on 9-16 shooting. He followed up a quiet first half with 18 points in the second, including the game-winner. The American guard became the third player in CEBL history to score 500 points in a single season and now sits 29 points away from the scoring record with two games remaining. “[It’s] just a great coaching staff, great players, and they allow me to be myself and put me in great positions to be successful,” East II said. Nick Hornsby’s well-rounded skillset also helped the Stingers to the victory with 20 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals. Former Rattler Scottie Lindsey added a double-double for Edmonton with 18 points and 11 rebounds while Keon Ambrose-Hylton chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds. On the other side, the Rattlers continued to compete after elimination from playoff contention almost three weeks ago. The duo of Jordan Bowden and Tevian Jones were a handful for the opposing defence yet again, scoring a combined 51 points on Wednesday. “Edmonton put a lot of bodies their way and they handled it well,” Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said. “They found spaces in order to get their shot up. They attacked the rim, they got some open threes, and they did a good job moving the ball to other people as well.” Jones netted a game-high 27 points on 10-for-20 shooting, while Bowden added 24 on 8-for-13 shooting. Down the stretch, Jones said it was a lack of composure that led to the loss. “We kind of let the emotions of the game get the best of us. I think really, that was it. I think if we were able to just kind of keep our heads down the stretch that we would have been able to pull out that win,” Jones said. Both teams started hot offensively in the first quarter. The Stingers and Rattlers exchanged blows throughout the frame as Jones came out of the gates with a 13-point flurry in the opening 10 minutes. A pair of timely Saskatchewan threes from Devonté Bandoo and Isaac Simon put the home team ahead 30-26 after one quarter of action. The Rattlers kept firing from long range in the second quarter, extending their lead to nine and forcing back-to-back timeouts from Baker. Bowden took control offensively in the second for Saskatchewan while Chris Smith helped the Stingers fight back to within one possession. However, the Rattlers headed into the locker room with a bit of breathing room, ahead 57-51. Edmonton fought back to tie the game twice in the third quarter, but the duo of Bowden and Jones kept Saskatchewan in front. Powered by a pair of floaters from East II, the Stingers went on a 6-0 run to claw back within one heading into the fourth. A back-and-forth final quarter saw four ties and two lead changes ahead of Target Score Time. East II showcased his deadly floater while Ambrose-Hylton and Horsby helped Edmonton seize its first lead since the opening quarter. Trailing by three, Jaden Bediako scored back-to-back buckets to provide the Rattlers with a one-point lead heading into Target Score Time. From there, the Stingers dominated. Lindsey regained the lead with a putback finish and scored another acrobatic layup several possessions later to cap an 8-0 run. Bandoo buried a shot from long range to get the Rattlers back to within four but East II put the finishing touches on a stellar second half with a mid-range jumper to win it. Edmonton claimed the season series against Saskatchewan with the victory after splitting the first two games earlier in the campaign. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600672 Up next for both teams All 10 CEBL teams are in action on Friday (Aug. 8) with Saskatchewan hosting Calgary and Edmonton facing the Niagara River Lions. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .

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 .