12-05-2025
Calgary Surge stage late rallies, stun Edmonton Stingers in CEBL opener
The Calgary Surge opened up the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League campaign with excitement.
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And a dramatic victory.
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Tied heading into the Elam Ending and then by five late in the end-game scenario, the Surgemade up the stagger and soared past the host and rival Edmonton Stingers in an 86-84 triumph Sunday.
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It was Jameer Nelson Jr.'s layup that was the difference in the CEBL's season-opener for the visiting Surge at Edmonton EXPO Centre.
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One of the team's new members in a lineup full of them raced coast-to-coast for to seal the win in his first-ever CEBL game.
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'I didn't know I was gonna get that open,' Nelson Jr., who was named game MVP, told sideline reporter Sarah Ryan.
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'I got full speed, so there was no reason to stop.'
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Nobody could stop Nelson late, as he finished with a game-high 22 points, highlighted by the final three buckets for the victors, including a three-point make to push them one field goal shy of next-one-wins territory.
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His points came on 7-for-12 shooting, adding five rebounds and four assists.
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Nelson was part of a starting five that proved productive for the visiting side, with veteran Sean-Miller Moore, Greg Brown III — including seven rebounds and four blocks — and Gabe Osabuohien each scoring 14 points in the victory.
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It didn't matter that they were in enemy territory.
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'I thought the crowd was great,' Nelson said. 'I thought that was a lot of adversity for us. And it's a rivalry, so I feel like we're gonna be tested, but that was definitely a tough test to start the season.'
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Indeed, the Battle of Alberta picked up right where it left off last year.
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For the Stingers, their season starts in the same bitter way that the last two campaigns ended after they fell to the Surge in the Western Conference semifinals each time.
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Meanwhile, the retooled Surge still seem to have the upper hand on their provincial rival.
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The Stingers took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Surge responded with an 11-1 run to tie things up.
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The rivals remained knotted at 77 apiece when the clock was stopped for target-score time.
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The Stingers again raced to an advantage, scoring the next five points. But the Surge battled back once more with a 7-0 run before the Stingers tied the game at 84, setting the stage for Nelson's heroics.
