Stingers Best Growlers 89-74

The Edmonton Stingers cruised past the Newfoundland Growlers 89-74 at Memorial University Fieldhouse in St. John’s to spoil their inaugural game in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). 

The back-to-back champs from Edmonton showed off their squad’s experience and depth against the newest CEBL franchise in a game that was never really in doubt. Jordan Baker and Devon Bookert paced the Stingers’ offence with 17 points each, with Baker adding 6 rebounds and 2 assists.  Edmonton received contributions from their entire roster on Friday night with Freddie McSwain Jr. scoring 11 points, Rowell Graham-Bell ringing in 10 off the bench, and Brody Clarke and Jahmal Jones each adding 9 points. 

“It’s strength in numbers,” Stingers’ head coach Jermaine Small said. “The new guys were really good today. They’re getting adjusted and I demand a lot of them right now but I thought they did a good job and contributed. Different guys contributed at different times and they took a step forward today.” 

Meanwhile, Jahvon Blair and Brandon Sampson had strong debuts in a losing effort for Newfoundland. Blair showed off his smooth lefty jumper and his deep range, hitting 4-6 threes all from well beyond the arc in a game-high 22 point performance. The former Georgetown Hoyas guard also added 6 rebounds and 3 assists in 29 minutes of action. Brandon Sampson, a LSU alumnus who had a brief stint in the NBA with the Bulls, displayed his versatile scoring ability with 20 points on 8-15 shooting in an effort that included a poster dunk early in the fourth quarter. CEBL veteran forward Shaquille Keith added 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Growlers in about 31 minutes on the floor. 

Edmonton was on fire on Friday night, shooting 55 per cent from the floor and 47 per cent from three. Their bench outscored the Growlers’ bench 28-15 and they won the rebound and assist battle as well. The Growlers finished the game shooting 38 per cent from the floor and 32 per cent from three. They still have a few faces such as Terry Thomas and Meschack Lufile to make their debuts, and will host another game on Sunday. 

“We got to the free throw line, we got offensive rebounds, our shooters were hitting shots, it just wasn;’st one of those nights,” Growlers’ head coach Patrick Ewing Jr. said. “We’ve got to get better on defense and we’ve got to get better in transition. But I tell our guys if your a harvester, you don’t see the fruits of your labour right away. We’ve planted our seeds and we’ll see things sprout.” 

Sampson scored the first ever bucket for the Growlers with a dunk to open the game. However, Newfoundland struggled to gel in the first quarter with the exception of Sampson and Blair who scored 12 of the team’s 13 first quarter points. They each showed off their stellar shooting abilty, hitting deep threes off the dribble. 

The Stingers had a steady first quarter and led 18-13 heading into the second. Baker had a big first half for the Stingers, pushing the pace and scoring 12 points. McSwain Jr. scored all 11 of his points in the first half for the Stingers as they carried a 43-35 lead into halftime. 

Shaquille Keith picked up his play in the second quarter, going into the third with 8 points and 5 rebounds for the Growlers. Sampson finished the first half with 14 points while Blair added 8 as well. Newfoundland shot 39 per cent from the field in the first half, going 41 per cent from three. Edmonton shot 45 per cent from the field and had 11 points off of turnovers. 

The Stingers were hot to start the second half with a balanced scoring effort. They stretched their lead to as big as 20 points but the Growlers were able to fight back to end the quarter thanks to some big plays from Jahvon Blair. However, the Stingers carried a 68-54 lead into the fourth quarter. 

Newfoundland were able to cut the lead back down to 10 points in the fourth but Edmonton had answers ready every time the Growlers were able to mount a run. The Stingers were able to extend their lead back up to 16 heading into the Elam ending with a target score of 89. 

Despite the Growlers showing some fight late in the game and both Jordan Baker and Brody Clarke fouling out, the Stingers were able to hold on for a victory. Bookert clinched the win for Edmonton with a wide open layup in transition. 

The Growlers will host the Ottawa BlackJacks on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. NT while the Stingers travel to the Meridian Centre for a rematch with the Niagara River Lions on Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET. 

The games will stream on CEBL+ live internationally and in Canada at cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS

and Android devices and the free CBC Gem streaming service. Games are also available on the CEBL’s official app, CEBL Mobile, available on iOS and Android devices.

Newfoundland Growlers season tickets are available at https://am.ticketmaster.com/growlers/ while Edmonton Stingers season tickets are available at https://www.thestingers.ca/season-tickets17e760ad. 

A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.