Shittu's double-double lifts Sea Bears over Surge in defensive grind
Published
A dominant performance from Simi Shittu against his former team pushed the Winnipeg Sea Bears past the Calgary Surge 79-78 at WinSport Event Centre on Sunday (July 27).
The Winnipeg big man notched 28 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in the defensive battle, including the game-winner and a clutch rejection in Target Score Time.
“It was personal,” Shittu said. “They kind of shouted us out in the media … but at the end of the day, we're a whole new team, a whole different vibe, so we wanted to come in and show everybody that we’re here in the CEBL and ready to play.”
The final regular-season meeting between the Western Conference rivals yielded a back-and-forth showdown with a playoff atmosphere.
Trailing by as much as eight in Target Score Time after entering the final stretch with the lead, Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor credited defensive stops and rebounding with the comeback.
“In the beginning [of Target Score Time], we weren't very efficient, and we dug a hole for ourselves. And then it was just no quit,” Taylor said.
Calgary had a dozen chances to win the game in Target Score Time, including a pair of free throws, but came away empty-handed and had its four-game winning streak snapped.
Head coach Kaleb Canales said it was a “grind-it-out” game that the Surge were in a position to win, but failed to get the job done.
“[It’s a] hard lesson, but we got to learn from it, and we got to move on. All these games are important,” Canales said.
While Shittu was an interior force for the Sea Bears, Surge big man Greg Brown III battled throughout the game with a 21-point, 17-rebound double-double of his own.
Calgary guard Evan Gilyard Jr. was a handful with 26 points as well, while Jameer Nelson Jr. added 14 points and made league history with a pair of steals.
In his second game back from NBA Summer League, Nelson Jr. set a CEBL single-season steals record with 46, surpassing Lloyd Pandi’s 44 with Ottawa from last season.
Canales said Nelson Jr.’s anticipation and feel for the game have allowed him to reach the milestone.
“He cares about playing defence, which is rare … it just speaks to his approach and his professionalism,” Canales said.
Calgary struggled offensively on Sunday, finishing at just 35 per cent from the floor and 19 per cent from long range. Winnipeg came away better at 41 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from three, but shot 50 per cent from the free-throw line.
The Sea Bears also took advantage of 19 Surge turnovers, outscoring their opponents 22-11 in the points-from-turnovers category.
Gilyard Jr. said the energy was off for the Surge on Sunday.
“We just got to stay together, stay even keel and … weather the storm to win the game. I don't feel like we did that today,” he said.
The Surge and Sea Bears both started the game hot behind the arc. The Western Conference rivals traded trifectas early, with Gilyard and Scott each hitting a pair in the opening 10 minutes. As the first quarter progressed, defence emerged as the focal point and Nelson Jr. snagged his record-breaking steal.
Winnipeg took a 22-18 lead into the second quarter, and the game stayed close throughout the frame. Shittu was a force inside for Winnipeg, as well as showcasing his range with a three. The Surge seized the lead and forced Taylor into a timeout after a massive dunk from Brown III, set up by Nelson Jr., who just lost a shoe.
In the final minutes of the half, Winnipeg and Calgary traded leads multiple times. A Jalen Harris layup carried the Sea Bears into the locker room with a 42-41 advantage.
After Nelson Jr. regained the lead for Calgary with the first bucket of the second half, Winnipeg took control for the bulk of the quarter. Timely threes from the Sea Bears extended their advantage, with a Shittu triple providing Winnipeg its largest lead at nine.
However, Gilyard and Brown III willed the Surge back into the game. Gilyard scored six consecutive points for Calgary, highlighted by an ankle-breaking take that resulted in a pair of free throws. Brown III then sparked the Surge defence with a rejection before closing the third with five straight points to tie the game.
Shittu and Brown III duelled in the early stages of the fourth, leaving their teams two points apart heading into Target Score Time. Winnipeg had the 70-68 advantage in a race to 79.
Calgary looked poised for its fifth straight win early in the final stretch. Gilyard and Brown III led the Surge on a 10-1 run to start Target Score Time, putting the home team one point away from victory.
However, the Sea Bears locked in on defence and mounted a comeback. Shittu delivered clutch plays on both ends, rejecting a Sean Miller-Moore dunk attempt to win the game and finishing the game-winning layup on the other end.
Winnipeg avoided a regular-season series sweep after losing the first three meetings with Calgary. No more matchups are scheduled between the two teams this season, but Winnipeg hosts Championship Weekend and Calgary is locked into a playoff spot.
“We know there’s some great teams in the league. Calgary is one of them – they could very well be at Championship Weekend – they've played like a championship-level team all year,” Taylor said.
Box Score
https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600660
Up next for both teams
Calgary hits the road for a visit to Scarborough on Thursday (July 31) while Winnipeg returns home for a matchup with Saskatchewan on Friday (Aug. 1).
Next CEBL action
Scarborough visits Ottawa on Tuesday (July 29) as the two squads jostle for playoff position in the Eastern Conference. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games.