Sea Bears Leave It All on the Court in a Battle With Surge

The Calgary Surge has booked its ticket to the playoffs for the third straight year with a 93-89 win over the Sea Bears in Winnipeg on Thursday night. Calgary has yet to miss the postseason since the franchise relocated from Guelph in 2022.

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.

Greg Brown III led the charge 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. Brown took over in the first half, keeping the Surge within striking distance during Winnipeg’s early offensive push.

“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.”

“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.”

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.

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.

“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.”

Simi Shittu finished the game with 19 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, including a valuable last-minute play in target time to set up Jalen Harris beyond the arc to bring the Sea Bears closer to the target score of 92.

“I feel like we had the game,” Shittu reflected. “We made it as tough as we can for them, but at the end of the day, we can clean up things.”

Although the Surge pulled away late, the Sea Bears made them earn it. Winnipeg scored 28 points off second-chance possessions and kept applying pressure throughout the game.

Trevon Scott was limited to 10 points but dominated the boards with 16 rebounds — just three shy of the franchise record of 19 set by Shittu less than three weeks ago.

The game stayed tight through three quarters, with both teams trading leads. Calgary led 22–21 after the first quarter, but Winnipeg struck early in the second. The Surge responded with an 11–3 run to regain control.

Scott’s rebounding in the third quarter led directly to 11 of Winnipeg’s 21 points in the frame, helping the Sea Bears keep pace heading into the final period.

In the fourth, Calgary’s depth and composure showed. The Surge limited Winnipeg to just 10 points before target time and built a six-point cushion before the clocks turned off.

Calgary quickly rose to the occasion, extending the lead to 89–79, but Winnipeg surged back, capitalizing on missed shots and late fouls. A Jalen Harris three-pointer brought the Sea Bears within two, 91–89, just short of Harris’s 100th career point.

However, Calgary slammed the door as Evan Gilyard Jr. hit a decisive field goal to seal the victory and deny Harris a final shot.

“This is a tough loss,” Taylor said. “But it’s a type of loss that can turn into a positive when we use adversity to try to get better.”

With the win, the Surge now look ahead to returning to the postseason this August and possibly a return to Canada Life Centre as Winnipeg prepares to host the 2025 Championship Weekend festivities. However, they remain focused on the task ahead: finishing the season strong and motivating each other until the end.

“We always iterate from the start that we want to win a championship,” Brown said. “We want to take the mindset of ‘this is normal’ — this is what we’ve been talking about since day one, so don’t look up, keep your head down, and keep grinding.”