Winnipeg Sea Bears travel to Saskatchewan for first match-up of prairie rivalry

By Josh Kozelj

Two prairie rivals are meeting for the first time in CEBL history tonight, as the Winnipeg Sea Bears (3-1) take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-1) at the SaskTel Centre at 9:30 pm ET.

The game will also be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.

Tonight’s game will see the league's two most proficient scorers go head to head.

Saskatchewan’s Justin Wright-Foreman, who is leading the CEBL in points per game at 26.7, will matchup in a backcourt duel against Winnipeg’s Teddy Allen—who is averaging 23.8 points per game, good enough for second in the league.

Allen is coming off a pair of games that saw him tie the CEBL record for most points scored in a single game (42) and come four assists shy of notching a triple-double in a win against the Vancouver Bandits on Tuesday afternoon.

Wright-Foreman, meanwhile, recorded a season-high 36 points, six rebounds and four assists in his last game for the Rattlers, a 96-84 win over the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Sunday. Wright-Foreman is also fourth in the league in steals per game, and he has a top-three field goal percentage (54.9 per cent).

Michael Nuga has also been impressive off the bench for the Rattlers to begin the season.

The Toronto product is averaging 15.3 points per game in a hair over 25 minutes per contest.

Taking care of the basketball will be key for Saskatchewan in tonight’s matchup against Winnipeg.

After giving up the ball just seven times in their first game of the year, the Rattlers have turned the ball over 21 and 20 times in their last two games, respectively.

The Sea Bears are off to a blistering start in their expansion season.

Winnipeg has won three of four games to begin their inaugural CEBL campaign, and with a win and a Calgary loss in Ottawa tonight, will take sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.

Alongside Allen, Jelani Watson-Gayle has helped contribute on offense. The London, UK product is leading the CEBL in three-point percentage at 61.1 per cent.

Expect a high-scoring affair, as Saskatchewan and Winnipeg come into this game as the first and third-highest scoring offenses in the league. 

The Rattlers are averaging 93 points per game, while the Sea Bears are putting up a little over 91 points per contest.

Full broadcast schedule of CEBL Games of the Week on TSN can be found here. All games will also be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, and on the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices. 

The Winnipeg Sea Bears will return to Canada Life Centre June 12 and June 15. Get your tickets here. 

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow @CEBLeague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

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