Calgary Surge soar past Saskatchewan Rattlers, secure home playoff tilt with Edmonton Stingers
Calgary's defence-to-offence formula was on full display in a 105-76 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Friday night, clinching second place in the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference.
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Twenty Rattlers' turnovers led to 28 points for the host Surge (16-7), including high-flying finishes to wow the crowd at the WinSport Events Centre in another signature performance.
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After trailing by two after the first quarter, the Calgary defence locked in and held Saskatchewan (6-17) to 18 points or fewer in each of the final three quarters.
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'We played our brand of basketball — defence-to-offence. (It's been) our identity all year, our style of play, so we're excited to get the win,' Canales said.
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Surge forward Greg Brown III notched another double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Evan Gilyard Jr. chipped in 17 points and seven assists.
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For Saskatchewan, Jaden Bediako and Jordan Bowden led the way in the loss with 15 points each, with Bediako snagging 13 rebounds as well.
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The Surge are now locked into a Battle of Alberta play-in showdown at home against the rival and third-place Edmonton Stingers (14-9) on Thursday (7:30 p.m.).
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'(I'm looking forward to) being in a home environment with our fans and putting on a show. And then hopefully taking it possession by possession to get a win,' Miller-Moore said.
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Saskatchewan started Friday's game on a 7-0 run, powered by the interior presence of Bediako. Calgary quickly battled back to within one possession and Brown III sparked the home crowd's interest by climbing the ladder for a massive left-handed alley-oop in transition.
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