How Every Team Began the New CEBL Season

The 2021 CEBL season is now underway, with all seven teams back on their home courts after 2020's single location format. All seven have now put in one appearance in the first week of games, already which entertaining scenes and plenty of high-scoring shows.

The Ottawa Blackjacks played host to the opening game and the Niagara River Lions, whom they led at the end of a tight opening quarter, only for the River Lions to strike back from the paint and build a bigger and bigger lead as the missed shots piled up for Ottawa. A late push only brought the hosts to within twenty-five points of Niagara when the game came to a close. Jaylen Babb Harrison led all with 30 points for the River Lions in their 103-78 win.

Similarly, after the Saskatchewan Rattlers took an early lead behind six first-quarter threes, the Fraser Valley Bandits were quick to catch up, holding their visitors to a single basket in open play and to go into the lead outscoring the Rattlers 22-8 in Q2. They continued to dominate the low post for the remainder, with Jakeenan Gant giving his all to try and turn it around for Saskatchewan, but the Bandits, led by a game-high 25 points from Alex Campbell, cruised home to victory 92 points to 74.

It came as no surprise when returning champions Edmonton Stingers started strong against the Hamilton Honey Badgers. Their 30-15 lead after ten minutes signaling a big win for them, but events were about to take an unexpected turn.

Hamilton started to match the Stingers in the paint and then caught fire from three-point territory, reducing their arrears from nineteen at the start of the second half to just two with seven minutes left in the final quarter. Xavier Moon and Jordan Baker kept the lead with Edmonton though the Badgers made sure they were always within a single possession of them.

The game was in the balance but with the last of his team-best 27 points, Marlon Johnson got the Stingers over the finish line first, the final score standing at 91-87. Lindell Wiggington was the top scorer with 30 points for the Honey Badgers and was an assist shy of a double-double, which Moon managed with 25 points and 11 assists for Edmonton in the win.

Hamilton looked to avenge this loss in their next game, beginning their first quarter against Saskatchewan with a nine-point lead. The Rattlers responded with a heavy three-point shooting effort, which lifted them to a four-point lead at half-time. Continued shooting success saw them maintain a healthy lead over the Honey Badgers for much of the second half, who began to make up lost ground

After six points unanswered midway through the fourth quarter, the scores were tied.

A 7-1 run got Hamilton to within reaching distance of the Elam target score, but the Rattlers were not done yet. Ty Walker levelled the scores with a three, putting the game on a knife-edge. Wigginton's response for the Badgers was a layup - bringing his total to a game-high 20 points - which brought proceedings to a close. Hamilton had their first win of 2021, a hard-earned and dramatic one at that.

The Guelph Nighthawks were the last team to start the new season and saw an early onslaught of points in the paint by the Ottawa Blackjacks, who maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter behind the scoring of Kadre Grey and Nick Ward. Guelph turned to Anthony Barber to try and turn the game around, but despite a team-high 25 points from the point guard, the Nighthawks were matched on all spots on the floor by Ottawa.

Ward finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, behind the game's leader Kadre Grey with 27 in a big win for the Blackjacks, 96-79. The last game of June saw Fraser Valley dominate the River Lions, leading the scores from beginning to end. After allowing the Bandits to take a thirty-one point lead, Niagara cut the deficit down behind Xavier Sneed - the highest scorer of 2021 so far with 34 points in this contest - but only reduced the final score 104-81 to Fraser Valley, who had seven players finish in double digits.

While Hamilton featured in both highlight games so far, yet to drop a game, the Bandits have had the best start of all seven teams in the opening fixtures. Will they be able to keep this up all season? Check back here and the CEBL official website to find out.