Down to the Wire: Niagara Takes On Top-Ranked Shooting Stars as CEBL Regular Season Winds Down
St. Catharines, ON – The Niagara River Lions are on the road Friday afternoon looking to bounce back after a tough loss against the Edmonton Stingers last Saturday. A matchup that ended in a 102-91 loss pushing Niagara to 9-11 on the season and moving the River Lions into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Niagara moves its attention to an important away game against the top ranked team in the league and an Eastern Conference rival. The Shooting Stars currently sit in first place in the Eastern Conference and have already secured their trip to the playoffs within the last week.
Niagara enters Friday’s game having won the last matchup against Scarborough 98-89 after falling short the previous two games this season, going 1-2 in the season series against Scarborough. Niagara's new trio has continued to produce night in and night out on all sides of the ball, providing the River Lions with a needed scoring punch and defensive versatility that has been lacking. Vinales and Tutu have made an immediate impact, with Vinales averaging 19.2 points and 2.4 assists, while Tutu has contributed 8.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.4 steals per game.
The 4-1 record of the last 5 games and the success of Niagara began with the presence and leadership of the River Lions veteran guards. Although a tough loss in the previous game, Kyle Vinales dropped 23 points on 4 three-pointers made against Edmonton while Khalil Ahmad put up 23 points and 4 assists, forming one of the league’s most dangerous backcourts alongside the consistent play of Keonte Kennedy. Through this stretch, Ahmad has locked in on scoring the basketball, averaging 23.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.4 on an incredible 59% shooting over the last five games on stellar defence.
Scarborough enters Friday’s matchup with a 16-4 record after a close win against Ottawa ending in a 113-106 final score on Wednesday. The Shooting Stars currently occupy first place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Myles Powell leads the way for the Shooting Stars, averaging 23.9 points (3rd in CEBL), 3.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. While St. Bonaventure product Frank Michell has been a dominant presence for Scarborough, averaging 15.0 points, 10.6 rebounds (1st in CEBL), and 2.6 assists per game. Defensively, former Delaware Blue Coats guard Kellen Tynes is currently tied for first in the CEBL with 2.3 steals per game, providing elite perimeter defence for the Shooting Stars. The Shooting Stars lineup will also feature the return of 2026 Summer League participants Charles Bediako and Akoi Yuot which will strengthen one of the CEBL’s deepest lineups.
With a chance to get a bounce back win and climb the Eastern Conference standings, Friday’s matchup carries significant playoff implications as the River Lions are down to their last 4 games of the season.
Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
Fans can tune in live on CEBL+, CBC Gem, and YouTube.
For more information, visit www.riverlions.ca or follow on social: @NiagaraRiverLions on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & LinkedIn and @RiverLions on X.
Game Information
Date: Friday, July 24th, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Toronto Pan Am Sports 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
Communications Coordinator