Stingers, Nighthawks Set to do Battle at Top of CEBL Summer Series Standings
A System Administrator • Aug 03, 2020
The Edmonton Stingers (4-1) and Guelph Nighthawks (3-1) enter this evening’s tilt as the two hottest teams in the CEBL Summer Series. Tonight’s match will be a battle between the best of the west versus the beasts of the east. Both teams have surged to the top of the standings after losing an early Summer Series game. The Stingers have defeated the BlackJacks, Honey Badgers, River Lions and Rattlers after falling to the Bandits in their first game. The Nighthawks have taken down the BlackJacks, River Lions and Rattlers after losing their second game to the Honey Badgers. Both teams continue to improve and assert their dominance with each game. The Stingers and Nighthawks have clinched playoff spots, meaning the result of tonight’s game will be important in determining their final position in the overall standings.
Tonight’s game between the Stingers and Nighthawks tips off at 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. MT). It can be viewed on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and on Twitch.Tv (cebleague).
Moon Watch
Xavier Moon has continued to impress in the Summer Series, seemingly improving upon his 2019 MVP form. In Saturday’s game against the Rattlers, Moon scored 25 points, including 19 in the first half, on .760 shooting from the field. The Goodwater, Alabama native has the ability to take over a game as if he were turning on a switch. A blazing presence on the court – Moon’s meteoric pace is complimented by his scoring and playmaking abilities. In the Stingers five games thus far, Moon has averaged 20 points and 5.2 assists.
An early projection for league MVP before the Summer Series started, Moon continues to exceed expectations. Teams have seemingly had no answer for the Stingers star as he’s been able to get out of sticky situations by involving his teammates. His distribution of the ball has allowed teammates Brody Clarke, Mathieu Kamba, and Travis Daniels to average double digits in points over the course of the Summer Series. Edmonton’s depth will provide matchup headaches for Guelph head coach and general manager, Charles Kissi, as each member of the Stingers has been productive in their own way. With both teams having found their groove in the Summer Series Moon’s ability to take over the game may be the difference maker.
Battle of the Bigs
While many teams brought in smaller rosters heavily loaded with guards, both Guelph and Edmonton have more traditional rosters with big forwards. Guelph bolsters big-men Jonathon Arledge and Tre’darius McCallum who have done an exceptional job on both ends of the floor. The dynamic bigs have averaged 9.5 and 13.3 points, respectively, as well as 5.8 and 3.5 rebounds. The duo has led the Nighthawks to their impressive 3-1 record and will hope to continue to dominate the paint on both ends of the floor. The Nighthawks have swatted 15 shots, averaging 3.8 per game.
The Stingers also have a host of big-men with returning all-star Travis Daniels leading the charge. Daniels is supplemented by Jordan Baker, Zac Overwater and Sasha Kappos. The Stingers have amassed a total of 26 blocked shots in five games, averaging 5.2 per game. With both teams playing above the rim, interior defense will be key in coming out on top.
Window Cleaning
A part of both team’s successes can be owed upon their ability to rebound the ball and generate second chance opportunities. Throughout the Summer Series Edmonton and Guelph have averaged a total of 11.8 and 11 offensive rebounds, respectively. However, the Stingers have a marked advantage on converting second chance buckets amassing a total of 76 converted points compared to the Nighthawks 46. The battle for the boards will be of paramount importance as both team’s duke it out to be the top team in the Summer Series round robin.
Next Up
Following this evening’s game, Edmonton will conclude its CEBL Summer Series round robin schedule. The Stingers will wait until the Summer Series concludes to see what their final position in the standings will be and which team they will be facing in the playoffs. The Nighthawks will meet the Fraser Valley Bandits (3-2) on Wednesday in their final game of the round robin. After dropping their previous two contests, the Bandits defeated the Niagara River Lions (1-4) on Sunday afternoon by a score of 70-57.
CEBL Standings (As of August 1, 2020)
| Standing | W | L | PF | PA | +/- | Remaining Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton | 4 | 1 | 451 | 429 | 22 | Guelph |
| Guelph | 3 | 1 | 331 | 304 | 27 | Edmonton, Fraser Valley |
| Fraser Valley | 3 | 2 | 442 | 414 | 28 | Guelph |
| Ottawa | 2 | 2 | 316 | 323 | -7 | Niagara, Saskatchewan |
| Hamilton | 2 | 3 | 435 | 436 | -1 | Saskatchewan |
| Saskatchewan | 1 | 3 | 310 | 341 | -31 | Hamilton, Ottawa |
| Niagara | 1 | 4 | 384 | 422 | -38 | Ottawa |