Surge and Sea Bears Gear Up for Intense Playoff Rubber Match on Friday
Winnipeg and Calgary will tip-off against one another for the third time in the last couple of weeks when they meet at WinSport for the Western Play-In.
Calgary’s Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore evades Winnipeg’s Noah Starkey on July 25, 2024 at WinSport Event Centre. (photo by Ethan Bomhof / @bomhof.jpeg)
It’s been an exciting month of basketball in Calgary.
The Calgary Surge concluded their second regular season with a home-and-home with Winnipeg followed by a campaign concluder in Ontario with their first-ever visit to play Scarborough at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
The season finale in Scarborough was not a pretty sight for Surge fans. For starters, they were without some key pieces in their lineup and the void on the court was glaring. American wing Kyler Edwards was not in the lineup and has left the team to join JDA Dijon Basket in France’s top league. Additionally, Mathieu Kamba did not see the floor against the Shooting Stars. The depleted Surge lineup caused them to struggle. Despite a second-half pushback, Calgary fell to the defending CEBL champs, 93-82. Scarborough certainly has the Surge’s number and has beaten Calgary in all four games that they’ve played each other.
But since the Surge are going to play Winnipeg on Friday on the Play-In, it would be more valuable to take a look at the two games they played against each other prior to game #20 in East Toronto.
The Sea Bears and Surge each came away with a win following a pair of late-season matchups. In the process, their rivalry grew in preparation for a post-season showdown.
On Tuesday, July 23, 11,051 Sea Bears fans packed the CanadaLife Centre in downtown Winnipeg, setting a franchise record for attendance. Their team on the court showed out for them, securing a 111-104 comeback win. The victory clinched a playoff berth for Winnipeg and officially eliminated the Saskatchewan Rattlers.
Going into the rematch in Calgary, both sides still had much to play for. Although the Surge had already solidified a spot in the postseason, they wanted to ensure they would be playing in front of their buzzing home crowd come playoff time.
The Surge successfully got their revenge on Winnipeg, prevailing 87-83 in front of an energetic crowd, albeit smaller than 11,000. The win locks Calgary into a home playoff game.
The two games were certainly a whirlwind for fans and I can only imagine how tough it was for the players and coaches. On Friday, these two teams will play each other at WinSport in the West Play-in game so I think it’s a good time to break down what went right for each team through these two games, what went wrong and what leaves us wondering what could happen next.
Ran out of gas in Manitoba
On July 23, the Surge visited a struggling Sea Bears team that had just ended a four-game losing skid. Winnipeg got themselves back in the win column against Saskatchewan and had a chance to clinch the final playoff spot in the west with a victory over Calgary.
The Surge looked fantastic in the first half and led by 13 points at the break. But in the third quarter, you could see their energy start to fade. Calgary travelled with a small roster and only used eight players in the game. While everyone who saw the court performed well, their collective performance fell off a cliff in the fourth quarter.
It also didn’t help that suddenly Winnipeg was hitting almost every shot.
The fourth quarter was probably the worst quarter Calgary has played since the start of the season when they struggled to get their first win. Jordy Tshimanga had been playing confidently in the first half but when the teams switched baskets, the big man from Montreal looked like a shell of himself. Calgary completely lost the game in the paint.
Marlon Johnson Jr.'s versatility has been valuable as he’s able to alternate between the four and the five but a slim frame was a visible flaw on defence when trying to guard a wider big like Winnipeg’s Chad Posthumus. Posthumus isn’t typically someone other teams are too concerned about but the local Winnipegger was able to back down Johnson Jr. for a few easy buckets at the rim.
Seven players on the Surge finished the game with double-figure scoring but it wasn’t enough. The Sea Bears outscored Calgary 29-17 in the fourth quarter, cruising to the playoff-clinching win in front of a packed house.
The collapse was a tough blow for the Surge and they were feeling it. Corey Davis Jr. took to Instagram to apologize for the effort, vowing that he and the team will be better. Inspiring and quality leadership from the first-year CEBLer. I actually thought he was the team’s best player in the game.
Bounce back in ‘Berta
There’s no time to pout when there is unfinished business.
Kyler Edwards drives on Winnipeg’s David Muenkat on July 25, 2024 at WinSport Event Centre. (photo by Ethan Bomhof / @bomhof.jpeg)
It was quite a slow start for Calgary when they returned home. However, Winnipeg didn’t exactly burst out of the gate with much energy either.
Halfway through the opening quarter, the Surge only mustered six points. The Sea Bears had 11. So despite their rough start, Calgary was still in the game. It seemed like Surge coach Tyrell Vernon and Sea Bears coach Mike Taylor were playing a game of chicken to see who would call a timeout first.
Eventually, a break was called and the Surge came out of the timeout with a defensive stop. Gabe Osabuohien returned to the team and got the steal that shifted the momentum. Seconds later, Corey Davis Jr. knocked down a three.
The Surge led by three points at the end of the first.
Calgary was given a familiar sight when former Surge guard Mason Bourcier got hot in the second quarter for the Sea Bears. Bourcier was not known for his scoring last year in Calgary but was putting on an offensive clinic last Thursday. He was playing bully ball against the Surge and his entire team was feeding off his energy.
Mason Bourcier runs a pick ‘n roll to perfection against his former team on July 25, 2024 at WinSport Event Centre (photo by Ethan Bomhof / @bomhof.jpeg)
Watching Bourcier perform at a high level reminded me of why he was a fan favourite in Calgary. He was known for his unselfish style, suffocating defence and unmatched hustle. While he still possesses all of those traits, his offensive game has gotten noticeably better after his first full year as a pro. He’ll be a great player in this league for as long as he wants to play in it. I’d love to see him back in a Surge uniform next year.
Bourcier and his former backcourt partner Stef Smith were going at it all game but ultimately, Smith got the best of his old buddy. The Surge had a stranglehold on the Sea Bears when Bourcier was called for an offensive foul against Smith. Smith may have sold the call just a little bit but regardless, Calgary had all the momentum.
The main reason why Calgary defeated the Sea Bears was because of their defence on MVP nominee Justin Wright-Foreman. The league’s leading scorer was held to just 15 points, largely in part to Corey Davis Jr. who was given the difficult assignment of guarding JWF.
Justin Wright-Foreman sizes up Corey Davis Jr. on July 25, 2024 at WinSport Event Centre. (photo by Ethan Bomhof / @bomhof.jpeg)
Calgary’s defence has improved significantly since the beginning of the season and there are no real holes in their lineup. It would be a bonus if Trhae Mitchell were to return to the lineup for Friday’s playoff game.
The Surge sealed the win with a free throw from who else but Mr. Clutch himself and Sixth Man of the Year nominee, Stef Smith.
What can we expect for Friday’s playoff game?
Last season, I would argue that Vancouver was Calgary’s biggest rival. However, for this season, there is no doubt that the Surge and Sea Bears have developed a mean, scrappy strife between them.
Due to the teams playing each other multiple times down the stretch, they know each other very well. They know where this guy likes to shoot, how this guy plays defence and blah blah blah. It will come down to who wants it more on Friday.
If the Surge can hold Wright-Foreman to a similar performance as last Thursday, I like their chance. But they will also have to keep Winnipeg’s other options in check. Former Calgary Dino Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson has stepped up for the Sea Bears when the Surge’s focus is all on JWF. Calgary can’t allow either one of those guards to get hot. They simply can’t afford defensive lapses at this point of the season with the weapons that Winnipeg has.
Offence will be about efficiency. Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore will be relied on for his usual 20-25 points but it needs to come on efficient shooting.
We all know that Calgary’s entire game runs through Corey Davis Jr., both on offence and defence. He gets the most usage on offence, takes the most three and will likely have JWF guarding duties once again. Davis Jr.’s impressive playmaking ability allowed him to set the CEBL record for single-season assists (126). It also has allowed Stef Smith to be more of a scorer which opens up the offence for Calgary.
The Surge won’t be looking for anything out of this world from their forwards but can’t afford to play like we saw in the fourth quarter of the July 23 loss in Winnipeg. Gabe Osabuohien’s return to the lineup gives Calgary more lineup options with a trio of bigs at their disposal. That means that Osabuohien or Marlon Johnson Jr. could see minutes at the four. The Surge can go big or small with this roster.
Lastly, what can we expect from the local kid Mathieu Kamba? He didn’t play in the season finale for unknown reasons. In the last few games, he hasn’t put up the same amount of points as he usually does with his prolific shooting ability. Hopefully, he’ll be good to go on Friday. Otherwise, Calgary will need to get their three-point success elsewhere.
Sean “Rugzy” Miller-Moore takes flight for a slam on July 25, 2024 at WinSport Event Centre. (photo by Ethan Bomhof / @bomhof.jpeg)
Playoffs are the best and if you’re like me, you want to miss this one. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT and will be live on TSN.
Winsport’s gonna be buzzing again on Friday and will send the Bears back into hibernation!
Surge win 98-92