Latest news with #SeaBears
Winnipeg Free Press
4 minutes ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sea Bears make Surge pay
It was personal for the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Last week, the Calgary Surge social media team made an Instagram post poking fun at the Sea Bears for having four players from their 2023 roster: Simi Shittu, Trevon Scott, Maurice Calloo and Jordy Tshimanga. 'At this point y'all aren't building a roster — you're building a fan page. See you Sunday,' wrote the Surge prior to Sunday's showdown. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS files Simi Shittu was making big plays at both ends of the court in the Sea Bears victory over the Surge. When the dust settled in Calgary, it was Winnipeg that had the last laugh as they prevailed 79-78 in dramatic fashion. After scoring the game-winning bucket off a nice dish by forward Emmanuel Akot, Shittu slammed the basketball over the Calgary bench and into the crowd before celebrating with teammates. 'It wasn't something that was on our mind, but I mean, we saw it. They went out of their way to tag us. I'm like, it's funny, ha, ha, ha, but like, grow up,' said Scott on Tuesday. 'We got real estate in their head over there. They just miss us, that's all that it means.' They certainly miss Shittu as the Canadian centre ate their lunch. He finished with 28 points, 15 points and three blocks. His biggest rejection came late when he swatted away a Sean Miller-Moore layup from behind that would've given the Surge the victory. 'When you talk about rundown blocks, everyone thinks about LeBron in (Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals on Golden State guard Andre Iguodala) and you think of these fantastic athletic plays, and that was right on par with it,' said Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor. 'For Simi to make that play, it was something special. It was like an exclamation point that we're ready to come back.' Calgary had a dozen chances to hit the winning score and the Sea Bears trailed by as much as eight in Target Score Time before somehow pulling it out. The Sea Bears are now 8-11 while the Surge, who were riding a four-game winning streak, fell to 13-6. It's the first time Winnipeg has left Cowtown with a win. 'There was a little tension going on there, and that (post) really what sparked it,' said Shittu. 'It was just a tough game against a good team, a physical game, and you know, I think everyone on our team wanted to win that game.' Sunday also marked the debut of import guard Jarron Cumberland. The 27-year-old, who appeared in three games with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers in 2021-22, signed on Friday. He played 16 minutes and picked up three points, three rebounds and three assists. Cumberland — the MVP of the NBA G League's Winter Showcase in 2021 — has never suited up in the CEBL but played four seasons at the University of Cincinnati alongside Scott. 'When Mike told me he was thinking of bringing him in, I was all for it. That's my brother. We're super close and had great chemistry in college,' said Scott. '(He brings) a lot of versatility on both sides of the ball, a lot of playmaking, a lot of scoring, a lot of everything. He's an all-around player and he affects the game in every category. It's most definitely a positive for us.' Adding Cumberland was necessary since point guard Terry Roberts, who left the team to play in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with the Brooklyn Nets, has not returned to Winnipeg. Cumberland's arrival gives the Sea Bears five imports, meaning one needs to sit out every game. Forward Jaylin Williams was the odd man out Sunday. Players need to be on the active roster for at least three games to be eligible for post-season play. 'Everyone welcomed me, and I was appreciative. I felt good coming here,' said Cumberland, who was most recently in the NBA G League with the Delaware Blue Coats. 'Guys can feel some type of way (about someone now having to sit out), and I mean, it's a job… People sacrifice being away from their family and everything, so, I understand if they feel some type of way. But the guys put their feelings aside and want the team to win.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Sea Bears have made five signings this month. With the CEBL's transaction window now closed, bringing aboard an extra import was key just in case they lose one before hosting championship weekend (Aug. 22-24). 'There's been a lot of roster moves, but it's all been with a purpose,' said Taylor. 'We got respect for all our players, we love all our players. Last game it was Jaylin (sitting), but we'll see. We've got to make game time decisions. We need to get to stability. We need to get the roster settled before we get to championship weekend. We want to kind of have an idea of the roles and team structure before we get to that point.' The Sea Bears host the Saskatchewan Rattlers (5-14) Friday at 7:30 p.m. Taylor AllenReporter Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor. Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Surge break even in packed weekend homestand
A Friday win, Saturday kids camp, and Sunday loss filled the Surge's rollercoaster end of July weekend. The team entered the weekend on a three-game winning streak, which continued with their two-point win over the rival Vancouver Bandits on July 25. The Surge's Rugzy Miller-Moore led the team with 27 points, and Evan Gilyard sealed the win with a three-pointer, coming off his franchise record, 39-point performance in the Surge2Stampede game. Between games, Surge players and coaches hosted a free to play camp for kids ages seven to 14 inside of CF Chinook centre. That camp featured a player and coach meet and greet in the middle of the day, and registration was full well in advance. On Sunday, the Surge's powerful start to the double header weekend seemed to run out of steam against the Winnipeg Sea Bears, with the Surge missing a dozen chances to win the game. After entering target time down 70-68 against the Sea Bears, the Surge went on a 8-0 run, setting the score at 76-70. Eventually up 78-71 and needing a single point to win, the team missed some opportunities to cinch the win, including a pair of off-target Greg Brown III free throws. After storming back to a one-point, 78-77 deficit, former Surge player Simi Shittu decided to end the game on a lay-up, his 27th and 28th points of the night, breaking the hearts of Surge fans. Shittu, one of five former Surge players now playing for Winnipeg, said the win was personal after the Surge's marketing called the Sea Bears a fan page for Calgary on social media . 'They (the Surge) kind of shouted us out in the media … but at the end of the day, we're a whole new team, a whole different vibe, so we wanted to come in and show everybody that we're here in the CEBL and ready to play,' Shittu said. Calgary has the opportunity to move past the loss on Thursday against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, but will be away from home until mid August when they return for a pair of games including the season's second game at the Saddledome game on Aug 10 . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Stingers top Sea Bears in back-and-forth battle
It's heartbreaking being one point away from a win with possession and still losing, and it's even worse when the winning basket comes at the hands of a former player at home. The Winnipeg Sea Bears fell 95-92 to the Edmonton Stingers Friday night at Canada Life Centre, as former Sea Bear Scottie Lindsey stunned the crowd of 7,104 in a close target time with the winning basket. Going into target time up 84-83, the Sea Bears looked like they would be the first to reach 93 points, leading the entire time until the Stingers tied things up 92-92. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Sea Bears forward Trevon Scott drives to the hoop against the Stingers Scottie Lindsey on Friday night in Winnipeg. In next-point-wins territory, some fans were on their feet as Jalen Harris drove the net for the victory for the Sea Bears, but a defensive play by another former player, Mason Bourcier, turned the ball the other way and the rest was history. 'I felt the team gave great effort,' said Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor. 'I love the effort of the players, but we've got to do a better job. Today we had some breakdowns and they cost us the game.' Lindsey's winning three-pointer added to his team-leading 26 points in a strong performance for the guard. 'We'll bounce back because we're resilient,' said Taylor. 'But that was, you know, team was mad. Team was upset. There's no doubt about the fact that we put ourselves in a position to win, and again, we have to respect our hard work. We have to respect the effort that we're putting in. And in those opportunities to win the game, we have to execute and do a better job with detail.' The first quarter was relatively close between the two teams, with the Sea Bears finding themselves up 26-25. Lindsey and Bourcier were immediately the ones to pay attention to on the Stingers, with Lindsey putting up double-digits by the first quarter and Bourcier looking all over the ball. Bourcier asked the Sea Bears for his release at the beginning of the season after being relegated to third-string point guard, but has since been taking on a bigger role with the Stingers. The back-and-forth affair continued in the second quarter, with neither team holding more than a four-point lead, but this time it was the Stingers who ended up with a one-point advantage heading into the break, up 49-48 — although it could have gone either way with the lead changing 15 times in just the first half. Despite the tough loss, the Winnipeg crowd still had a winner to celebrate during halftime, as none other than Lily, the reigning Sea Bears wiener dog race champion, brought her nine-inch tall frame to another victory. Although the Sea Bears pulled away with their biggest lead of the game in the third quarter, up 73-65, the final frame just didn't go their way. However, for a team that has had no shortage of roster changes before the CEBL's transaction deadline today, chemistry looks to be building. Trevon Scott, a new addition who was brought in with the departure of Jaylin Williams to the NBA Summer League, led the team in points with 23, Williams recently made his return to the Sea Bears in Sunday's game against Montreal. However, not every Sea Bear returned from the Summer League. It looks like starting point guard Terry Roberts, who was at the summer league with the Brooklyn Nets, won't rejoin his former Winnipeg squad. Luckily for the Sea Bears, his replacement, Will Richardson, has proven to be just as valuable, averaging 17 points in his first three games and putting up 18 against the Stingers. Newly signed forward Jordy Tshimanga made his debut as a Sea Bear on Friday, with the 6-11 ex-Nebraska Cornhusker putting up five points off the bench. 'We love the guys in the locker room,' said Taylor. 'And we believe in them, so the chemistry is in a great place, and maybe this is one of those tough growing experiences of a group that has some new faces together.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Sea Bears will go back on the road Sunday, where they will face the Calgary Surge at 3 p.m. The Sea Bears have lost five in a row against their Western Conference rival and hope to break the trend. 'We know that Calgary is a physical team,' said Taylor. 'I think the last time we played them here, the turnovers were a big factor. We've got to take care of the basketball.' The signing of American guard Jarron Cumberland, announced earlier today, could help. Cumberland is expected to make his debut in the game and brings NBA experience from his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. He has also played for Raptors 905 and the Delaware Blue Coats in the NBA G League.
CBC
18-07-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Importance of braids in Indigenous culture celebrated before Sea Bears game
An awareness event to highlight the significance of braids in Indigenous culture, and the importance of cultural training in basketball, was held at Winnipeg's Canada Life Centre before Thursday's Sea Bears game. This comes after a 12-year-old boy was asked to tuck his braid into his jersey by a referee at a minor league game in May. Cheryl James says her son, who only started wearing a braid two years ago, was deeply hurt.
Calgary Herald
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Surge outlast Winnipeg Sea Bears, book ticket to CEBL playoffs
Article content WINNIPEG — The Calgary Surge have booked their ticket to the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs for the third straight year with a 93-89 win over the Sea Bears in Winnipeg on Thursday night. Article content The win moves the Surge to 12–6 on the season, making them the third team to clinch a spot in the 2025 CEBL playoffs. Meanwhile, the Sea Bears drop to 6–10. Article content Calgary has yet to miss the postseason since the franchise relocated from Guelph, Ont., in 2022. Article content Article content Greg Brown III led the charge on Thursday with a double-double, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds. The former G-Leaguer has made an instant impact in his debut CEBL season, climbing past Vancouver's Mitch Creek to take over second place in league scoring. Article content Article content Brown took over in the first half on Thursday, keeping the Surge within striking distance during Winnipeg's early offensive push. Article content 'My teammates have been helping me get to my spots and opening up the game for me,' Brown said on what has been the greatest factor in his success. 'They keep talking to me, where the angles are, where the space is … they have been helping me this whole season.' Article content 'I watched Gremlins growing up, and they run when light comes,' Brown added, explaining his unconventional inspiration. 'You always must show up when it matters and when the lights come on. I've always had that mentality from when I started playing until now.' Article content Article content While Brown stole the spotlight, the Surge's success continues to come from balanced contributions across the roster. Four other players hit double figures, including 16 points off the bench from Jamorko Pickett — a testament to Calgary's status as a multi-headed offensive monster that's tough to slow down. Article content Sean Miller-Moore (18 points), Khyri Thomas (16) and Evan Gilyard Jr. (15) also reached double figures for the Surge. Article content Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor stressed the importance of strong defensive execution to contain Calgary's firepower, aiming to force them into transition and create opportunities on the other end. Article content 'I think we did a very good job executing our game plan,' Taylor said. 'Controlling the tempo and trying to keep them out of transition for the majority of the game. But in terms of those crucial possessions, we've got to be better.'
