Winnipeg Sea Bears complete comeback in 93-90 win over Niagara River Lions
By Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh)
Teddy Allen’s 28 points led the league-best Winnipeg Sea Bears (8-3) to a thrilling 17-point comeback in a 93-90 win over the Niagara River Lions (5-6) on Thursday night.
The league’s second-best scorer (26.4 PPG) added to his growing catalogue of strong performances this season, strengthening his case as one of the front-runners for regular season MVP. The guard also added six rebounds, six assists, and three steals to go with 28 points.
He was joined by E.J. Anosike who put up a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double, his fifth time passing the 20-point mark this season. Jelani Watson-Gayle – one of the favourites for Sixth Man of the Year – finished with 19 points and seven assists in a season-high 32 minutes of action off the bench.
“My team just needs me to come off and be that spark off the bench,” Watson-Gayle said. “Just do whatever the team needs, whether that’s scoring or facilitating, making an impact right away.”
On the other side, the reigning regular season MVP Khalid Ahmad led the way with his 24 points on 56 per cent shooting. Jahvon Henry-Blair and E.J. Onu were the team’s next best scorers as they put up 15 and 14 points respectively.
This game was touted as an offensive battle coming into the night, and that is exactly how things shaped up early. The teams shot a combined 60 per cent from the field – good for 54 points – and showing why they’re one and two in the league in terms of total points per game.
For the River Lions it was Onu leading the way, doing some damage on the long ball. Averaging just 24.1 per cent from beyond the arch this season, the big man went a perfect 2-2 on triples, scoring eight points in the frame.
Not to be outdone, Allen started the game red-hot, scoring 14 points in the first by way of four treys of his own. The star guard tied the CEBL record for threes in a game with nine, exactly two weeks prior, and that record looked in danger of being broken as his Sea Bears went into the second with a 29-25 lead.
Winnipeg seemed to feed off the scorching start by their lead guard, building up the gap to nine points, before a wise timeout by Niagara head coach Victor Raso allowed his team to respond. The River Lions came out of that chat and went on a 13-1 run in under a three-minute span to go up 40-37 at the 6:04 mark of the second frame.
Things didn’t get much better for the Sea Bears the rest of the quarter as Allen’s strong start was neutralized due to foul trouble. With the league’s minutes per game leader riding the bench, the team managed just seven points the rest of the way as they went into the break facing a 55-44 deficit.
A big part of Niagara’s success scoring was their determination to attack the basket. They finished the half with a +10 advantage on points in the paint, with all but six of the River Lions’ 30 points in the frame coming from the interior or the charity stripe.
That double-digit margin grew to as many as 17 points for the River Lions throughout the third as they looked to take a chokehold on the game. However, the league-leading Sea Bears showed some fight after a couple monster Anosike slams and a shot-clock beating triple by Tyler Sagl propelled a 13-2 run, cutting the lead down to 71-66 with the final quarter ahead.
Winnipeg’s usual catalyst for a comeback would’ve been their potent offence, but in that third period it was their defensive efforts that led the way. The squad forced eight turnovers in the frame out of a Niagara team that averages just 13.5 a game.
“It was mental [mistakes] and that’s what bothers me,” coach Raso said reflecting on his team’s 19 turnovers on the night. “When things go badly, you’re supposed to stay fundamental…we didn’t do that. We had the game won and if we didn’t get down on ourselves when they made that run, we would’ve been fine.”
The Sea Bears took that momentum and carried it right over into the fourth as they forced three more giveaways, converting on all three opportunities, Jelani Waston-Gayle capping off the comeback with a layup that gave Winnipeg a one-point lead, their first since it was 35-33 at the 6:46 mark of the second.
The bench guard then knocked down a triple to give his squad an 83-81 lead heading into Target Score Time.
Canada Life Centre was on its feet for the finish to this contest as the teams traded baskets in the final moments where they were tied at 87, when Watson-Gayle showed he wasn’t done taking over just yet. The league’s leader in points off the bench knocked down five of Winnipeg’s final six points, including the game-winning fade away, 93-90 the final.
“My teammates and my coaches trust me,” Watson-Gayle said reflecting on his fifth game-winner of the season. “They look to me to finish the games…they have the confidence in me and that puts my confidence up there as well.”
The Sea Bears take their now three-game win streak on the road as they take on the Eastern Conference leading Ottawa BlackJacks on Sunday.
The River Lions have now lost two in a row, but coach Raso knows they have the ability to stay relevant in a tight Eastern Conference.
“We’re fine,” Raso said. “It’s not physical with us, it’s just being locked-in throughout the course of a game…It's a game we should’ve won and you gotta be pissed-off about it, but we got nine games left.”
His squad will hit the road to start a three-game road trip on Sunday where they face-off with the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
All games are available on TSN+ and CEBL+ Powered by BetVictor. Recap written by Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh).
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL 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.