River Lions Coach/GMs selected for International Games

Written by Bernie Puchaliski for BPSports Niagara



Niagara River Lions head coach/GM Victor Raso and Antwi Atuahene, the team’s head of basketball operations and assistant GM, will have the chance to pad their basketball resumes this winter and spring.

Raso has been named an assistant coach and Antwi Atuahene will serve as assistant GM on Jermaine Small’s Edmonton Stingers staff as the 2021 Canadian Elite Basketball League champions will compete in Group A of the Basketball Champions League Americas playdowns.

The Stingers will play: Real Estelí from Nicaragua and Cangrejeros from Puerto Rico on Dec. 13 and 14 in Managua, Nicaragua; Real Estelí Feb. 1 and Cangrejeros Feb. 2 in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Cangrejeros March 14 and Real Estelí March 16 in Edmonton.

The top two teams from Group A will qualify for the Final 8 and play in quarterfinal matchups starting April 6. Twelve teams from seven countries are taking part in the event and the BCL Americas champion will earn a spot into the 2023 FIBA Intercontinental Cup.

Raso isn’t sure what his exact duties will be on the team other than he will be in charge of scouting the team from Nicaragua.

“I am looking forward to experiencing international basketball, especially in South America, and obviously the other one is representing Canada and the CEBL over there,” he said. “We think highly of how our league matches up because we watch players from other leagues and how they do in our league. To actually get to compete with CEBL players against these top teams in South America is going to be a cool experience and it will hopefully show how good our league is and how good our players are.”

It is also great for Raso’s development as a coach.

“For the last two years, my plan was to try and be an assistant coach whether it was on a USPORTS team or whatever but COVID interrupted that,” he said. “The more experience in different leagues with different players is all good for me. I want to be an assistant coach at this time and learn as much as I can.”