The Montréal Alliance (2-5) will look to snap a five-game losing streak in a 7 p.m. MT matchup with the Calgary Surge (5-2) and their lockdown defence on Friday night at the WinSport Event Centre.

The game will be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+, and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.

After winning their first two games of the season, Montréal has lost five consecutive games — four by 10 points or more. The Alliance are reeling from a seven-point loss to the Niagara River Lions that kicked off a four-game road trip for the squad. 

During the losing streak, Montréal has endured offensive woes. However, the squad showed promise in the loss to Niagara, shooting 51 per cent from the field and 41 per cent from three. Ahmed Hill dropped 26 points, Nathan Cayo added 22 and Treveon Graham netted 14. Despite the strong offensive performance, 17 threes from the River Lions plagued the Alliance defensively. 

The Alliance will hope Hill, Cayo and Graham repeat their performance against Calgary in the absence of star point guard Blake Francis. Less than a minute into the Niagara game, Francis went down with an injury and isn’t expected to play against the Surge. 

It’s another big loss for a Montréal team that has struggled with injuries early in the season. Francis is averaging 19.3 points per game (seventh in the CEBL) and is the best free throw shooter in the league at 92 per cent. 

The trio of Hill, Cayo, and Graham have been productive all season. Hill and Cayo enter the game averaging 16 points and 14 points respectively, while Graham also contributes on the glass with double-double averages. The supporting cast will need to step up for the Alliance, however, with Elijah Ifejeh and Alain Louis as likely candidates. 

Friday’s contest is shaping up to be a low-scoring affair. As of Thursday, Montréal and Calgary rank ninth and 10th respectively in points per game at approximately 81. They’re also in the bottom three in field goal percentage, while the Surge sit in the basement for both three-point percentage and turnovers. 

However, the Surge make up for their offensive struggles with outstanding defence. Calgary has been tough to score on all season and has yet to allow more than 84 points in a game. The Surge boast league-best averages in both blocks and steals thanks to a plethora of lockdown defenders. 

Big man Kylor Kelley is first in the CEBL in blocks per game at 2.5, Stefan Smith and Admon Gilder Jr. are both top-five in steals, Simi Shittu is third in defensive rebounds and Sean Miller-Moore also sits top-ten in blocks. 

The Calgary defenders have also showcased their ability to perform as two-way players. Simi Shittu is one of four players in the CEBL to average a double-double with 17.1 points per game (10th) and 10.4 rebounds per game (third) on 46 per cent shooting. 

Returning from the Guelph Nighthawks last season, Smith and Miller-Moore have also emerged as bucket-getters for the Surge. They’re each averaging just under 15 points per game while Smith sits in the top ten in assists with 5.4 per game and Miller-Moore ranks second in field goal percentage at 53.7. Meanwhile, Gilder and Trevon Scott are each averaging just over 10 points per game as well.

A fresh face will also join the Surge’s roster after the signing of six-foot-six guard Guy Edi — a 10-year pro with international experience for both France and the Ivory Coast. Calgary will see how the new acquisition figures into their lineup in Friday’s contest. 

Calgary enters the game atop the Western Conference standings, tied with the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The Surge will look to bounce back from their second loss of the season to the Vancouver Bandits – the only team to beat them so far. 

Following Friday’s game, the Alliance will head to Edmonton Expo Centre for a matchup with the Stingers at 7 p.m. MT on Saturday while the Surge host the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Sunday at 2 p.m. MT.