Stingers drop Home Opener to Sea Bears

The 2026 CEBL season opened with a playoff-type atmosphere Saturday afternoon at the Edmonton

EXPO Centre, but it was the Winnipeg Sea Bears who spoiled the home opener for the Edmonton

Stingers with a gritty road win to kick off the new campaign.

Edmonton came out with energy early in front of the home crowd, pushing the pace and attacking the

rim in transition. The Stingers looked comfortable offensively in stretches, generating open looks from

beyond the arc and feeding off the crowd momentum in the first half. But Winnipeg settled into the

game defensively and gradually began to dictate the tempo.

The Sea Bears’ physicality in the paint and disciplined half-court execution became the difference as the

game tightened entering the fourth quarter. Winnipeg consistently answered Edmonton runs with timely

buckets and second-chance opportunities, refusing to let the Stingers build sustained momentum. Teddy

Allen was the high point man for the visitors posting 24 points on 8/21 shooting. For the Stingers, Tre

King led the way offensively with 13 points. Taye Donald and Aaron Rhooms were bright spots off the

bench for Edmonton. Donald notched 12 points to go along with 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while Rhooms

led the entire game in +/-, the Stingers outscored the Sea Bears by 24 points when Rhooms was on the

court.

As expected in a CEBL opener, Target Score Time delivered late-game drama. The Stingers battled to stay

within striking distance, but Winnipeg executed when it mattered most, knocking down clutch shots and

coming up with key defensive stops to close out the victory. Deadlocked at 75 a piece, Head Coach

Jordan Baker called timeout as the Stingers looked to close out the game. A Winnipeg stop resulted in a

shooting foul committed by the Stingers and University of Manitoba product Mason Krause calmly

knocked down two free throws to end the game.

For Edmonton, there were still encouraging signs despite the loss. The Stingers showed flashes of the

fast-paced offense that made them one of the league’s most dangerous teams in past seasons, and the

energy inside the building suggested another strong year for basketball support in the city. Still,

turnovers and late-game execution proved costly against a composed Winnipeg squad.



The win gives the Sea Bears an early statement victory to begin the 2026 season, while the Stingers will

look to regroup quickly before their next matchup. The Stingers are back in action on Saturday, May 16th

when they host the Vancouver Bandits.