Newfoundland kept their playoff hopes alive taking a 105-85 victory over the Montréal Alliance.  This was their second victory over Montréal and their third straight win to move them to 5-12.  The Alliance are now 4-13.

Newfoundland came out attacking the rim coming off of the success they found in their last matchup.  Nysier Brooks and Shaquille Keith using their size gave the Growlers 16 points in the paint in the first quarter.  Montréal used the ball handling of their guards to condense the Growlers defence and kick it to a shooter or down low to a baseline cutter at the rim.  Montréal shot 54 per cent in the first quarter but the Growlers 11 points off turnovers and 47 per cent shooting gave them the lead.  At the end of the first, Newfoundland led 23-17.

Nine Montréal turnovers in the first quarter turned into 19 going into halftime.  Newfoundland made it hard for the Montréal guards to drive into the paint and they used their quick hands to swipe at the ball and get out in transition.  Newfoundland pushed the pace and the lead whenever they got the chance and Montréal struggled to get into an offensive rhythm.  Newfoundland out-scored Montréal 31-10 in the second quarter.  At halftime, Newfoundland led 54-27.

Newfoundland’s ability to force turnovers got them their lead at halftime, and in the third quarter their rebounding kept their lead.  The Growlers defence made every Alliance shot difficult and they controlled the glass taking away many Montréal second chances.  Newfoundland finished the third quarter with five more defensive rebounds and they matched that inside presence with 42 points in the paint.  Kemy Osse made the final basket of the third quarter at the buzzer.  Newfoundland led 78-48 at the end of the third quarter.

Keith and Meshack Lufile continued their evening impacting the game offensively to start the fourth quarter.  With Montréal getting to the line, Newfoundland responded with physicality of their own.  A dunk from Jean-Marie followed by a layup from either side made the score 84-54 Newfoundland with 7:48 remaining in the fourth quarter.  Montréal found momentum off the buckets inside from Jean-Marie and Osse.

Going into Elam time, the Growlers led 95-65, target score set at 104.

The Alliance started Elam time with a 5-0 run.  Keith stopped an Alliance run with two free throws to make the score 97-70 in favor of Newfoundland.  A hook shot from Brooks put the Growlers five points away from victory and Keith drove the basket to give the Growlers 101 and the Alliance 73.  Eight more points from the Alliance gave them 81 points, trailing the Growlers 101-81.  Keith went to the hoop and finished to give the Growlers the victory. 

Newfoundland won 105-85.  Newfoundland moves to 5-12 and the Alliance 4-13, Newfoundland keeping their playoff chances alive.

Newfoundland Head Coach Patrick Ewing Jr talked about the momentum gained from two double-digit wins in Montréal, “to win is more the thing for us.  We got off to an 0-10 start and since July came around we’re 5-2.  That’s the important thing for us, I feel like there’s been so many times during the season where we’ve been like ‘I don't care’.  I felt like we’d look like we’re one of the best teams in the league for 20 minutes and then for the rest of the game we’d look like we’re lower than the worst team in the league.  So for us, we’re starting to put things together.”

Keith finished with 27 points on 83 per cent shooting to lead the Growlers in scoring, along with his four assists and a rebound and steal.  Jahvon Blair scored 18 points and Blake Francis scored 16 points on 50 per cent shooting to make the second and third Newfoundland player in double-digit points.  Brooks finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists and four blocks on the evening shooting 55 per cent.  Jermel Kennedy rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points on 80 per cent shooting, six rebounds, five assists, and a steal.

Nathan Cayo led the Alliance in scoring with 14 points on 60 per cent shooting, also adding five assists and a rebound.  James Jean-Marie led the Alliance on the boards with six rebounds to go with his 11 points and 62 per cent shooting.  Osse finished with 13 points, Alain Louis with 11 points, Rickman and Hernst Laroche both adding 10 points as six Alliance players had double-digit scoring performances.  Laroche dished out six assists with Louis assisting on four baskets.



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.