Calgary hopes to repeat CEBL championship game in 2024

The Calgary Surge wouldn’t mind seeing history largely repeat itself, starting with a play-in victory over the Winnipeg Sea Bears Friday night on WinSport.

The two teams split their home-and-away series last week, with both winning on home soil. Calgary finished with an 11-9 record this season, while Winnipeg was 9-11, setting up a one-and-done play-in game between the third- and fourth-place finishers in the West.

Sea Bear coach Mike Taylor said his team can beat anyone in the playoffs.

“We’ve shown we can beat all these teams. It’s about putting it together here on the road with the challenge of being the Calgary version of our team,” Taylor said.

The winner of the play-in game advances to the conference semifinals.

First CEBL Playoff Game

For the third time in the past 10 days, the Surge will attempt to shut down Sea Bears leading scorer Justin Wright-Foreman, who was recently nominated for the CEBL’s Most Valuable Player.

It will be Wright-Foreman’s first CEBL playoff game. Last year he played with the Saskatchewan Rattlers, who missed the playoffs.

“The juices are definitely flowing,” Wright-Foreman said. “I’m just trying to stay balanced and just be in the middle. I don’t want to be too high, too low… I just want to stay balanced and just play the best I can.”

Justin Wright-Foreman dribbles the ball against the Calgary Surge during a 111-104 victory on July 24, 2024. (Winnipeg Sea Bears)

While he’s the Sea Bears’ go-to guy on offense, Wright-Foreman said winning will likely come down to who plays better defense.

“I think whoever goes into the game and puts pressure on the defense, who can contest the ball, who can get those loose balls and who can get in transition, is going to win the game,” Wright-Foreman said.

Go for a run

Last season, their first in the competition, the Surge came on strong and reached the championship match, but lost in the final of the final to Scarborough Shooting Stars.

One of the mainstays of that team, Stefan Smith, was nominated as Sixth Man of the Year by the CEBL.

The Surge announced on Thursday that they will be using a party bus to transport fans out and back to the city centre on Friday night.

The party bus provides transportation, food, drinks, a ticket to the game – and “party vibes” at WinSport for $60.

Pick up is at Home and Away YYC, 1207 1 Street SW, at 6:30pm

For tickets and information, click here.

With files from Devon McKendrick, CTV Winnipeg