The 4-11 Montreal Alliance host the 3-12 Newfoundland Growlers at 7:30 p.m. ET in the first of three matchups between these teams looking to get momentum.  Montreal lost their last game while the Growlers are coming off of a win.



For the visiting Newfoundland Growlers, they come in with some momentum.  Newfoundland defeated the Ottawa BlackJacks 94-80 on July 19.  That was the Growlers first road win for the franchise and now they travel to Montreal looking to add to their road win with a second straight.  In the win, Brandon Sampson led the scoring for the Growlers with 17 points.  Sampson sits second in points per game at 20.5 and he often is the primary source of attack for the Growlers, next being their shooters. 

Without Terry Thomas, Rowell Graham-Bell and Jermel Kennedy emerged as the primary three-point threats for the Growlers, as they go against Isiah Osborne, Kemy Osse and the Alliance shooters.  Osborne and Osse combined for 10 attempted threes in the Alliance 96-80 loss to the Guelph Nighthawks on July 13, and alongside Ashley Hamilton who plays inside the paint but can stretch the floor, provide the perimeter offence for Alain Louis and Hernst Laroche who attack the paint.

Shaquille Keith, Meshack Lufile and Nysier Brooks work the paint for the Growlers.  Lufile scored 14 points against the BlackJacks and grabbed 10 rebounds while Keith contributed 12 points, Brooks grabbing seven rebounds.  The Growlers get a shot for their guards along the perimeter, Sampson attacks the rim or they dish it in to their forwards who create spacing with their size and use their footwork.  Brooks and Lufile take advantage of second chances while Keith stands at the top of the key and impacts wherever possible.  On the defensive end, Keith ranks fifth in steals per game with 1.8 and his presence not only provides a facilitator on offence but a disrupting force for other teams’ execution. 

Inside the paint for the Alliance, Ashley Hamilton and Nathan Cayo are the primary threats.  They will go against the defence of Keith and the physicality of Brooks and Lufile, but their aggression on the offensive boards will give them an upper hand.  Hamilton scored 19 points for the Alliance against Guelph and Cayo contributed 10 points, and during the recent stretch for the Alliance, their ability to get into rhythm early has been a key to how the offence will flow throughout the game.

The Growlers come in with momentum but the Alliance come in one game ahead.

Fans will be able to live stream all games including the playoffs on the CEBL’s OTT streaming service CEBL+, the CEBL’s official app, CEBL Mobile for iOS and Android devices, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and Android devices and on NXT Level Sports in the U.S. As part of its playoff coverage, CBC Sports will broadcast the quarterfinal games Sunday, August 7, semifinal games Friday, August 12, and the Championship game on Sunday, August 14. For the complete broadcast and streaming schedule, click here. All times are subject to change. 

The CEBL’s fourth regular season began May 25 and ends August 1. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL is the largest pro sports league in the country with 10 teams located in six provinces. It has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.