River Lions, Surge set to duel in CEBL Final on TSN

The motto in Niagara all season? Run it back.

Now, the River Lions are just one win away — but standing opposite them is a thriving Calgary Surge team that’s won seven straight games to get to the Final.

Watch the 2025 CEBL Final LIVE at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN3 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App. 

A victory for the River Lions would make them the second team ever to go back-to-back, and also the second franchise to win multiple titles, joining the 2020-2021 Edmonton Stingers.

The Surge, meanwhile, are searching for their first title in their third straight trip to Championship Weekend.

Niagara head coach Victor Raso said this team feels different than last year’s despite having multiple returning players.

“It’s just been a very, very different season. It doesn’t matter how you do it; it just matters that you do it. And these guys got a chance to win a back-to-back championship, which is pretty cool,” he said.

Raso’s River Lions finished the regular season at 14-10, going on a mid-season seven-game winning streak to clinch the East before losing their last five in a row.

But when the level ramped up a notch in the East final against the Scarborough Shooting Stars, that middle-of-the-season squad showed up once more.

And yet again, it was Khalil Ahmad who delivered the game-winner in a 93-91 win.

Now, it’s onto the Surge.

“The big thing is I know that it’s just about basketball,” Raso said. “They don’t need me to care. They care enough about this. This is why this program has been successful is because we’ve created a culture where these guys actually care about each other and winning.”

Alongside Ahmad, Elijah Lufile dominated against the Shooting Stars, scoring eight points to go with 15 rebounds — a franchise playoff record — and four huge free throws down the stretch.

But both will face tougher tasks in Calgary, which allowed the fewest points per game in the regular season (87.2) and collected the most steals per game (10.3).

The Surge come into this Final as battle-tested as can be after winning a Battle of Alberta play-in game, beating the top-seeded Vancouver Bandits in the West semi and ousting the Winnipeg Sea Bears on their home court in front of 9,000-plus screaming fans.

Calgary had the second-best regular-season record at 17-7.

"Our championship poise down the stretch was big. We’ve coached that a lot this season and I just love our group,” head coach Kaleb Canales said.

Calgary got through those playoff matchups on the strength of defence — a strength all season. Both Defensive Player of the Year nominees came from the Surge, in the form of guard Jameer Nelson Jr. and big man Greg Brown III.

Nelson Jr. ultimately took home the trophy, but it was clear that Calgary’s defence was the product of a team effort.

“Yeah, we’re the No. 1 defensive team but we always feel like we can play way better defence. That’s what we love about our team. It’s just like endless trying,” forward Sean Miller-Moore said.

Miller-Moore, the league’s all-time Canadian leading scorer who is still searching for his first title, added that the Surge have plenty of fuel within them, which makes them tough to handle especially coming out of halftime.

“We’re all leaders on the court. There’s nothing they can tell us that will motivate us. We’re already motivated. We know what we need to do. We know that we’re the best defending team,” he said.

Given the internal motivation and the connectiveness, Raso said the Surge remind him of his own team.

“They’re incredibly together. Their chemistry is really good. You can tell they like each other, they like playing basketball for each other. … They just move the ball really well. There’s a lot of togetherness, they try defensively,” Raso said.

Both teams also have longtime CEBLers looking for their first title in Miller-Moore and River Lions guard Ahmed Hill, the league’s all-time leading scorer.

They’re each lined with top-end stars, clutch role players and depth across the floor.

Just one, however, will leave Sunday’s game with the coveted championship trophy.