Stingers Beat River Lions to Earn Third Straight Win

Jordan Baker led the way for Edmonton with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in what would prove to be his third straight contest as Player of the Game.  

With the loss, Niagara falls to 1-3 and will look to regroup in a hurry ahead of their next game on Sunday against Fraser Valley.

Trae Bell-Haynes was his usual steady self and was a key reason that the River Lions were able to implement the controlled and calculated pace of play that allowed them to be a force during the 2019 CEBL season. Bell-Haynes poured in 23 points, dished out eight assists and had three steals in a losing effort.

“Turnovers have been a big problem throughout all the games, not just today, and defensively we have to be better,” said Bell-Haynes. “We can’t have lapses, and if we can control the glass and rebound a bit better and hopefully get out and run, we’ll get some easy baskets. For a team that’s 1-3 I can’t say it’s one thing – there’s a lot we have to get better at.”

It was a battle of two of last season’s most exciting squads, and it didn’t disappoint. Put-back dunks, offensive rebounds, and highlight reel finishes were a regularity on Friday as both teams flexed the muscles that earned them the respect of fans across Canada during the CEBL’s inaugural season. One of the game’s memorable highlights came late in a tightly contested first half when Mathieu Kamba soared for an offensive rebound, corralled the ball mid-air and slammed it home for an emphatic finish. 

“We knew we were in for a battle. A lot of credit to them – I mean, they have a lot of guys that can play, a lot of guys that can contribute,” Stingers head coach and general manager Jermaine Small said. “But our group, there’s something about it. We always say that we don’t blow anyone out; the tighter it is, the tighter we get and who else but Baker to make the game winning layup?”

Kamba’s high-flying antics were a big part of Edmonton’s transition play as the talented Calgarian finished with nine points and 10 rebounds (three offensive). 

Fast forward to the third quarter and Grandy Glaze proved how valuable he can be with a put-back dunk of his own to even the score at 64-64. 

The back-and-forth affair carried into the fourth quarter and set the stage for an exciting finish that would test both coaches’ execution during the Elam Ending. With the target score set at 87, the River Lions looked as if they might claim victory after Kassius Robertson converted a four-point play after being fouled on a three-pointer. 

Edmonton responded with a 10 to four run to close out the game. A late turnover by Bell-Haynes provided the opportunity for the Stingers to strike and they waisted no opportunity to convert as Baker finished a driving layup to seal the 87-86 victory.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” said Edmonton’s floor leader, Xavier Moon. “We know everybody’s going to give their best shot, so we just need to come out and do what we need to do on both ends of the floor and we’ll be fine.”

Following Friday’s game, Edmonton takes on Saskatchewan (2-2) on Saturday at 3:50 p.m. ET (1:50 p.m. MT). In addition to being televised nationally on local CBC channels across Canada, the game will be shown on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and Twitch (CEBLeague).

Niagara’s next game is Sunday against Fraser Valley (2-1) at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).

All CEBL Summer Series games are available to watch on Twitch, CBCSports.ca and the CBC Gem App. A complete broadcast schedule can be found here.