Sea Bears Clinch a Playoff Spot, First in the West to Do So, in 96-83 Win Over Saskatoon

Wednesday night in Saskatoon, the Winnipeg Sea Bears clinched a playoff spot with six games still to play, becoming the first team in the Western Conference to do so in 2026. It was a complete performance from wire to wire, Winnipeg led by as many as 14 and outscored Saskatoon in three of four quarters. "Our ultimate goal isn't to make the playoffs, but we're happy about the accomplishment," said head coach Mike Raimbault. "More than anything, we're pleased with the effort of the group bouncing back after less than our best performance the other night."

Teddy Allen was the engine all night, finishing with 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists for his latest double-double, before sealing the victory by hitting the Target Score winning bucket, his first of 2026. Coming off the bench, D.J. Burns was nothing short of electric, posting 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting in just over 12 minutes of action. "It was just my goal to win," Burns said. "I'm just glad my name was called this time, and I'm sure next game it'll be somebody else's. I'm just doing what I get paid to do and enjoying it at the same time."

Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. added 12 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting night and crossed the 500 career CEBL points milestone along the way. The feel-good story of the night came from Jelani Watson-Gayle, who made his 2026 Sea Bears debut and delivered immediately. The guard tallied 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists in 25 minutes. "When you think about how far he had to travel, how little time he's actually been here with us, it goes a long way to showcasing his basketball acumen, his maturity, his ability to step in with some new teammates and play with poise and confidence," Raimbault said. "We're super happy to have him for the rest of the way."

Isiah Osborne chipped in 14 points, and the bench as a whole contributed 42 points. For Burns, the night was as much about the team as it was about individual contributions. "It's a team effort. Everybody bought into the system and what we wanted to do as a family, and we're all just happy that we were able to pull it out and get the dub."



With the playoff spot secured, the focus turns to home court advantage. "At home we're dangerous," Burns said. "Everybody knows that. We lost one time, but you can't get us too many times at home."

Winnipeg remains first in the Western Conference and is the first team in the West to clinch a playoff spot.

UP NEXT

The Sea Bears are on the road again, heading to Calgary to take on the Surge on Friday, July 17 at 8:30 p.m. CT. Catch all the action live on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports YouTube, and CEBL+.