Shooting Stars Aim to Avenge Defeat Against River Lions

The Scarborough Shooting Stars are looking to avenge a defeat against the Niagara River Lions when they visit them on July 22 at 7 pm ET. Scarborough lost to Niagara 93-70 on July 17.

This game is also important for determining playoff seeding. The Shooting Stars (9-7) are in fourth place having snapped a two-game losing streak. They are one win away from clinching a playoff berth after beating the Edmonton Stingers in their previous game. 

The River Lions (12-4) are one win behind the league-leading Hamilton Honey Badgers in the battle for the top overall seed and a bye to the CEBL Championship semi-finals. They have four games remaining to Hamilton’s three. 

Niagara comes into this game having won five games in a row. They also had a four-day break between games. Against Scarborough previously, they came out strong, leading 24-18 after one quarter. The River Lions outscored the Shooting Stars in the following quarters as they built their lead. 

Guards Khalil Ahmad and Elijah Mitrou-Long led the team with 20 points apiece. Antonio Davis Jr. had 14 points and Daniel Walden-Mullings chipped in nine points, 11 rebounds and three steals. 

Niagara’s defence had 14 steals and they scored 21 points from 23 Scarborough turnovers. The River Lions only turned it over eight times. They lead the league with an average of 9.4 steals. The team that can cause more turnovers could be a key factor in deciding this game. 

The River Lions’ bench also outscored the Shooting Stars 36-14. The River Lions’ strength lies in their depth with six players averaging over 10 points and four players over five rebounds. 

The home team will also have some new additions as they welcome back forward EJ Onu from his time with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Summer League. Onu leads all CEBL players with 3.5 blocks on average. The team also signed St. Catharines native Abu Kigab after he played for the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Summer League. Kigab is the first player the River Lions have signed from the Niagara region. 

The Shooting Stars also have a recent signing in former Carleton Ravens and Guelph Nighthawks guard Marcus Anderson. He made his season debut in their 97-74 triumph over the Stingers. 

In that game, guard Calvin Epistola made his mark by running the offence and making plays. Epistola finished with 12 points, two assists, one rebound and one steal. 

Scarborough shot well from the field (51 per cent) and from beyond the arc (47 per cent). Forward Isiaha Mike played a notable role, hitting five-of-seven threes as part of his 30 points and six rebounds. Kameron Chatman and Epistola also made two threes each. 

One thing to watch for is whether Scarborough can carry its hot shooting into this game to match the River Lions’ efficient offence (top of the league in average points and field goal percentage). The Shooting Stars have positives from their performance against Edmonton. 

“We played with a lot of purpose from the beginning of the game all the way to the end,” Scarborough head coach Chris Exilus noted. “I think it’s one of our more complete games of playing at a strong pace all the way through…we were trying to do everything right, execute, being smart with the ball so that’s what we need to continue to do.” 



Fans will be able to live stream all games including the playoffs on the CEBL’s OTT streaming service CEBL+, the CEBL’s official app, CEBL Mobile for iOS and Android devices, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and Android devices and on NXT Level Sports in the U.S. As part of its playoff coverage, CBC Sports will broadcast the quarterfinal games Sunday, August 7, semifinal games Friday, August 12, and the Championship game on Sunday, August 14. For the complete broadcast and streaming schedule, click here. All times are subject to change. 

The CEBL’s fourth regular season began May 25 and ends August 1. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL is the largest pro sports league in the country with 10 teams located in six provinces. It has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.