2022 CEBL Champion to Represent Canada in International FIBA BCLA Competition
August 9, 2022 - Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) News Release
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Tuesday that the 2022 CEBL champion set to be crowned Sunday at CEBL Championship Weekend in Ottawa will represent Canada in the upcoming 2022-23 season of the FIBA Basketball Champions League of Americas.
Considered as the best continental league of the Americas, the 2021-22 competition featured 12 teams representing seven countries, including 2021 CEBL champion Edmonton Stingers from Canada, Boca Jrs and Obras from Argentina, São Paulo, Minas, and returning champion Flamengo from Brazil, Bigua, and Nacional from Uruguay, UdeC from Chile, Cangrejeros from Puerto Rico, and season two runner-up Real Estelí from Nicaragua. Sao Paulo FC was crowned The BCL Americas champion earning them a spot into the 2023 FIBA Intercontinental Cup. Edmonton competed in a group with Real Estelí and Cangrejeros and ended up tying for first place in the group stage. The Stingers were unable to qualify for the Final 8 rounds owing to an unfavourable head-to-head points differential.
"Winning the CEBL championship is an amazing achievement and one that leads to an incredible opportunity on the world stage," said Mike Morreale, commissioner and co-founder of the CEBL. "Last year proved that the CEBL can compete against the best FIBA teams in the Americas, and in 2023 we are coming to win. I look forward to taking the next step forward later this year with Sunday's new champion."
The 2022 CEBL Playoffs started Thursday night with play-in games at Saskatchewan and Fraser Valley. The Saskatchewan Rattlers dethroned the two-time defending league champion Edmonton Stingers, 94-91, and the Guelph Nighthawks upset the Bandits of Fraser Valley, 90-85. Quarterfinal playoff action over the weekend saw Niagara beat Guelph, 99-78, and the Scarborough Shooting Stars edge Saskatchewan, 108-86. Friday's semifinal doubleheader takes place at the TD Place Arena starting 4 p.m. Eastern time when Scarborough plays Niagara. The second semifinal matchup will feature CEBL Championship Weekend host team, the Ottawa BlackJacks, take on the top seeded Hamilton Honey Badgers at 7 p.m.
CBC Sports will broadcast Friday's semifinal games and Sunday's 3:30 p.m. Eastern time championship contest. Fans can live stream all playoff games on the CEBL's OTT streaming service CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and Android devices and on NXT Level Sports in the U.S. For the complete broadcast and streaming schedule, click here. All times are subject to change.
The CEBL's fourth season began May 25 and ended August 1. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL is the largest pro sports league in the country with 10 teams located in six provinces. It has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
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