All I Want for Christmas (in July) is Five Straight Wins: River Lions Host Stingers
St. Catharines, ON – The Niagara River Lions are back at home Saturday afternoon looking to keep the wins coming after four straight wins and a home-and-home sweep of the Brampton Honey Badgers. Thursday night’s matchup ended in a 99-90 win improving Niagara to 9-10 on the season and moving the River Lions into second place in the Eastern Conference.
Niagara now turns its attention to a nationally televised showdown against the Edmonton Stingers Saturday afternoon. The Stingers currently sit in fourth place in the Western Conference and are hoping to secure their trip to the playoffs.
Niagara enters Saturday's matchup with the momentum on their side after four straight victories since the additions of Kyle Vinales, Gorjok Gak, and Munis Tutu. The trio has continued to produce night in and night out on both ends of the floor, providing the River Lions with improved scoring depth and defensive versatility. Vinales and Tutu have made an immediate impact, with Vinales averaging 18.3 points and 2.8 assists, while Tutu has contributed 8.8 points and 3.0 steals per game.
Much of Niagara's recent success has started with the play of its guards. Vinales scored 25 points on 5 three-pointers made against Brampton, forming one of the league’s most dangerous backcourts alongside Khalil Ahmad and Keonte Kennedy. Through this stretch, opposing defenses have been trying everything to contain Ahmad, who has averaged 24.0 points and 5.0 assists on an outstanding 59% shooting over the last four games. Keonte Kennedy continued his strong play on Thursday, with 16 points and 3 assists, adding a block and a steal while continuing to establish himself as one of the River Lions’ top perimeter defenders.
Edmonton enters Saturday’s matchup with a 7-11 record after a tough 107-97 loss to the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Thursday. The Stingers currently occupy fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
Former G-League guard Nick Hornsby leads the way for the Stingers, averaging 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists (5th in CEBL) per game. Scottie Lindsey is coming off one of his best performances this season, dropping 25 points, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block while averaging 12.8 points on the season. As a team, Edmonton ranks fourth in the CEBL in assists, rebounds, steals and free-throw percentage, making the Stingers one of the league's most balanced clubs despite their record.
With a chance to extend their winning streak to five games and create further separation from Brampton in the Eastern Conference standings, Saturday's matchup carries significant playoff implications as the regular season enters its final stretch.
In addition to the on-court action, fans can celebrate the River Lions' Christmas in July game, featuring holiday-themed entertainment and festive fun throughout the afternoon at Meridian Centre.
Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET at Meridian Centre.
Fans can tune in live on CEBL+, CBC Gem, and YouTube.

Game Information
Date: Saturday, July 18th, 2026
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Meridian Centre
Broadcast: CEBL+, CBC Gem, YouTube
For more information, visit www.riverlions.ca or follow on social: @NiagaraRiverLions on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & LinkedIn and @RiverLions on X.
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Media Contact:
Cole Meyering
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