Surge soar past Rattlers, clinch second place in West
Published
Calgary’s defence-to-offence formula was on full display in a 105-76 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Friday, clinching second place in the Western Conference.
Twenty Rattlers’ turnovers led to 28 points for the Surge, including high-flying finishes to wow the crowd at WinSport Events Centre in another signature performance.
After trailing by two after the first quarter, the Calgary defence locked in and held Saskatchewan to 18 points or less in each of the final three quarters.
Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said the intensity picked up after the opening 10 minutes.
“We played our brand of basketball – defence-to-offence. [It’s been] our identity all year, our style of play, so we're excited to get the win,” Canales said.
Sean Miller-Moore was dominant for Calgary in the win, netting a career-high 30 points that included the game-winner. On the defensive end, he added a pair of steals and blocks.
“I had a big second half. Shout out [to] my teammates getting me in transition … that's where I strive,” Miller-Moore said.
Surge forward Greg Brown III notched another double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Evan Gilyard Jr. chipped in 17 points and seven assists.
For Saskatchewan, Jaden Bediako and Jordan Bowden led the way in the loss with 15 points each, with Bediako snagging 13 rebounds as well.
Calgary outscored Saskatchewan 62-36 in the paint and won the transition battle 20-4 on Friday night while shooting 46 per cent from the field.
The Surge are now locked into a play-in showdown at home against their provincial rivals Edmonton on Thursday night (Aug. 14).
“[I’m looking forward to] being in a home environment with our fans and putting on a show. And then hopefully taking it possession by possession to get a win,” Miller-Moore said.
Saskatchewan started Friday’s game on a 7-0 run, powered by the interior presence of Bediako. Calgary quickly battled back to within one possession and Brown III sparked the home crowd’s interest by climbing the ladder for a massive left-handed alley-oop in transition.
Jones replied with another alley-oop and the Rattlers stayed efficient offensively to lead 24-22 after 10 minutes.
After fighting back to tie the game four times, the Surge finally seized the lead just over three minutes into the second quarter with another transition flush from Brown III. The Western Conference rivals hung tight for much of the frame and Bowden briefly regained the lead for Saskatchewan with five consecutive points.
However, Brown III closed the half with five straight points of his own to carry Calgary into the locker room with a 44-41 advantage.
After Bandoo scored to open the second half for Saskatchewan, Calgary took control. The Surge went on a 17-2 run that included high-flying finishes from Miller-Moore and inside-the-arc mastery from Gilyard Jr.
Calgary’s attack continued to assert itself and Gilyard Jr. closed the third with an open three to take an 18-point advantage into the fourth.
The Surge kept pushing in the final frame and extended its lead to 26 heading into Target Score Time. Miller-Moore finished off the Rattlers with a pair of buckets in the final stretch and clinched the home playoff game for Calgary.
With Friday’s result, the Surge and Rattlers split the season series with two wins each.
Up next for both teams
All 10 CEBL teams are in action again on Sunday (Aug. 10) in the regular season finale. Calgary hosts Niagara in a possible Championship Weekend preview, while Saskatchewan hosts Brampton in a battle between last-place teams.