New-look Sea Bears impress in win over Rattlers

The CEBL got its first look at the new-look Winnipeg Sea Bears on Friday night, and if early returns are any indication, the roster moves are already paying dividends.

With Terry Roberts and Jaylin Williams away from the team while plying their trade in NBA Summer League, Will Richardson and Trevon Scott stepped in and looked like established veterans on the squad as the Sea Bears led nearly from buzzer to buzzer to take a 94-70 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers.

Simi Shittu had a game-high 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Jalen Harris had 19 points. Emmanuel Akot finished with 14 points, six rebounds and six assists while Richardson introduced himself to the league with 18 points and a game-high eight assists. Scott had 16 points and five rebounds off the bench.

“Today was a game where we really played well together. I thought we brought a good energy,” Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor said afterwards. “The last couple of games, there were distractions and stuff going on within the team that really prevented us from being our best. I thought this was a credit to the players today. They really played hard, they really played well. It was just an excellent performance on both ends.”

Richardson – the Oregon Ducks alum – and Scott – former member of the Calgary Surge – made their impact felt immediately. The former played every second of the first quarter and quickly tallied up eight points. The latter checked in at the start of the second quarter and never came off, piling up 11 points of his own.

“Really pleased with the way they played,” Taylor said of his new additions. “They brought a fresh energy to the team. Both guys fit in really, really well. They played like they’ve been here a while. You saw the natural point guard talent of Will in terms of his playmaking and hitting big shots. (Trevon) contributed in so many ways on both ends of the floor. Those two new guys fit in seamlessly and we’re really pleased with their play today.”

It was all Sea Bears in the first half, as they led 40-25 heading into the break and held the home team to just 37 per cent from the floor. Winnipeg – on the other hand – seemingly could do no wrong on offense, making 56 per cent of their shots and hitting six three-pointers in the first half.

The Saskatchewan Rattlers would regroup and try to take a run at it to start the third quarter. They opened the second half by outscoring the Sea Bears 16-6. Nate Pierre-Louis led the way for Saskatchewan, scoring 11 of his 14 points through the first three quarters. He finished the game with six assists, leaving him just three shy of the CEBL single-season record. Johnny Hughes III had a team high 16 points to go with eight rebounds, while Devonte Bandoo chipped in with 10 points. Australian big man Grant Anticevich finished just shy of a double-double, scoring 11 points – nine of them in the first half – and grabbing nine rebounds.

“It was just an individual check within each of ourselves about who we are, who we want to be and how we want to play,” Rattlers head coach Eric Magdanz said of his halftime message. “And credit to our guys, they took that message to heart and competed in the second half.”

Although the Rattlers were able to cut the lead down to 13 and flirted with bringing the score within single digits on a few occasions, it was all for naught. Winnipeg would hold onto a 15-point lead heading into target time, where a clean 9-0 run put an end to the Rattlers night.

“We just came out flat,” Magdanz said. “We didn’t have the energy, the effort, the level of compete that we’ve had for the entire season in the first half, and that dug us a hole. And once you dig yourselves a hole in this league, it’s pretty hard to come back.”

The win was the Sea Bears’ first since June 20, snapping a four-game losing streak. For the Rattlers, it was another disappointing setback after a spirited effort in Target Time earned them a win in their last outing. The loss to Winnipeg dropped their record to 4-12.

“It’s just been a tough season. Every game has been like this. We’re either sad that we didn’t get the win or we’re mad that we lost or just happy that we got the win,” Pierre-Louis, the Rattlers team captain, said after the loss. “I just tell the guys to keep their head up and stay together. There’s going to be days like that. You just have to stay even keel and get back to the drawing board on Monday. Myself, I have to be better. I felt that today wasn’t my best one. I’ve been playing well but today wasn’t one of my high standard games. Just got to get back to the drawing board. Never too high, never too low.