Montréal Alliance takes on the Niagara River Lions for their 2023 season opener
The Montréal Alliance and Niagara River Lions kick off their 2023 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season Friday evening at 7:30pm at the Verdun Auditorium. The game will be broadcast live on TSN+, CEBL+ and the CEBL Mobile app, as well as on BPM Sports and TSN 690 radio.
In 2022, the River Lions were eliminated by the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the semi-finals of the CEBL Championship Weekend after finishing second in the regular season standings with a 13-7 record.
However, Niagara begins the 2023 season without the 2022 CEBL MVP, Khalil Ahmad, who averaged 20.7 points, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game while also sealing the outcome of a league-high 10 games.
The River Lions will be able to count on AJ Davis Jr, Alonzo Walker, Jake Babic and the 2022 CEBL Defensive Player of the Year, EJ Onu. Onu averaged 3.2 blocks and 11.7 points per game in 2022. Davis, meanwhile, averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 22 games with Niagara last season.
For its part, the Montréal Alliance has assembled new and old faces for the 2023 season, aiming to improve on last year’s record. The Alliance finished 10th in the league standings after a regular season of four wins and 16 losses. In 2022, Montréal had a good season at home, but struggled on the road, finishing with a record of no wins and 10 losses.
NBA veteran Treveon Graham will attempt to lead the Alliance to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The former VCU player played 180 games in four NBA seasons with Charlotte, Brooklyn, Minnesota and Atlanta.
The roster is also rich in local talent, with nine players hailing from Québec. Montréal-born Kemy Ossé, Nathan Cayo, Alain Louis and Elijah Ifejeh are all back with the Alliance for a second consecutive season. Cayo provided a stable interior presence for the team in 2022 and led the team in both total points and rebounds.
The Alliance also welcomes free agents from Guelph and Newfoundland. Ahmed Hill had an excellent 2022 season with Guelph, averaging 17.9 points per game. He also scored a career-high 28 points against the Alliance last June. Meanwhile, Blake Francis averaged over 15 points per game in eight games with Newfoundland in 2022.
Tonight’s game is sold out. Fans can purchase tickets for Sunday, May 28’s game against the Ottawa BlackJacks at https://www.ticketmaster.ca/montreal-alliance-vs-ottawa-blackjacks-verdun-quebec-05-28-2023/event/31005E86CC992403.