Edmonton Stingers Host Saskatchewan Rattlers in Playoff Rematch
The Edmonton Stingers Host Saskatchewan Rattlers
The Edmonton Stingers (2-3) (-133) and Saskatchewan Rattlers (2-3) (-103) will grapple for sole possession of third place in the CEBL Western Conference in a matchup at Edmonton Expo Centre at 7:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday.
The game will be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
It’s the first matchup between the two squads since Saskatchewan eliminated Edmonton in the playoffs last year in what proved to be Stingers’ head coach Jordan Baker’s last game as a player.
“We've always as a club had some up and down games against Saskatchewan,” Baker said. “We've had some big successes and some tough losses – I think back to last year, in the playoffs when they ended our season. We owe them a little bit [while] understanding it's a brand new team over there.”
The Rattlers will look to bounce back from a poor offensive performance in an 80-63 home defeat to the Calgary Surge that gave them two consecutive losses. Meanwhile, the Stingers will attempt to stay hot after a dominant 97-68 win on the road in Winnipeg.
Saskatchewan’s star guard Justin Wright-Foreman was inactive for Sunday’s loss to Calgary while he attended a workout with the New York Knicks. Wright-Foreman has been spectacular to start the season for the Rattlers, averaging a league-best 28.5 points per game on 55.7 per cent shooting from the floor and 51.4 per cent from the field. The Queens, New York product is also top-ten in the CEBL in both assists per game and steals per game.
The supporting cast for Saskatchewan will need to step up against a stingy Edmonton defence. Michael Nuga has been the most productive Rattler offensively outside of Wright-Foreman. He’s averaging 15 points per game on 39 per cent shooting, largely coming off the bench.
The Rattlers tend to let loose from long-range on offence, with Malik Benlevi and Drake Jeffries dangerous threats from three. They’re each averaging just over 10 points per game with Benlevi shooting over 40 per cent from beyond the arc and Jeffries ranking in the league’s top 10 in three-pointers made.
As a team, Saskatchewan attempts more threes per game than anyone else in the league—seven more than second-place Edmonton. They’re shooting at an efficient 33.5 per cent (third) and make a league-best 12.4 per game.
On the other side, Edmonton will look to build on a strong effort on both ends in Wednesday’s contest. The Stingers held the Winnipeg Sea Bears to just 68 points earlier in the week.
The Stingers rank in the bottom half of the CEBL in most offensive categories through a quarter of the season, but moved the ball well and shot efficiently against Winnipeg. They had 26 assists on 37 field goals in Monday’s win.
In two games with the team, Isiah Osbourne has provided Edmonton with an offensive spark, averaging 18 points per game. Meanwhile, Brody Clarke remains a steady presence for the Stingers with 14.4 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game on 42 per cent shooting from the floor and 47 per cent from three. Another Edmonton veteran Adika Peter-McNeilly is having a solid season off the bench again with over 10.2 points per game. Nick Hornsby is also off to a solid start for the Singers with 14 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds per game on 45 per cent shooting.
Edmonton has been effective from inside the arc and on the glass this season, ranking third in the league in both two-point percentage and rebounds per game. However, the Stingers are second in the league in turnovers with 16.8 per game.
The Rattlers also struggle with turnovers, just behind the Stingers at 16.4 per game in third place. Both teams will look to take care of the ball as they seek a step ahead in the standings.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Rattlers will head to Langley Events Centre for a matchup with the Vancouver Bandits at 7 p.m. PT while the Stingers host the Alliance on Saturday (June 17) at 7 p.m.
All games are available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
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 per cent 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. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.