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Scarborough Shooting Stars

Slumping Alliance and Shooting Stars Seek Elusive Win in Montréal

June 11, 2023 - Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
Scarborough Shooting Stars News Release


The Scarborough Shooting Stars (+155) and Montréal Alliance (-160) will each look to snap their losing streaks in a Sunday showdown at Verdun Auditorium at 4 p.m. ET.

The game will be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.

The Shooting Stars enter the contest at 1-4 on a four-game skid after winning their season opener against Brampton. Three of those losses were by 10 points or more, including a 99-81 defeat to Niagara, a 96-84 loss to Saskatchewan and a 93-82 loss to Ottawa.

On the other side, the Alliance are coming off of a three game losing streak in which they lost each game by double digits, after winning their first two games at Verdun Audotorium. They lost back-to-back games to the Brampton Honey Badgers 94-82 and 89-65, in addition to a 89-75 loss to Ottawa.

Montréal has endured offensive woes to start the season. The team is last in points per game and free throw attempts, ninth in field goal percentage, seventh in assists per game, and sixth in three-point percentage. The Alliance have also struggled on the glass so far, sitting in the league's basement with 36.4 rebounds per game.

The Alliance could also be without one of their most impactful offensive players against the Shooting Stars on Sunday. Experienced CEBL guard Ahmed Hill was added to club's injured list on June 7 with a lower body injury. So far this season, Hill is second on the team with 16 points per game.

Montréal's leading scorer entering Sunday's contest is American guard Blake Francis. He's currently fourth in the CEBL with 22.4 points per game, behind Saskatchewan's Justin Wright-Foreman, Winnipeg's Teddy Allen and Scarborough's Cat Barber.

Barber headlines a talented Shooting Stars' backcourt that also features former Toronto Raptors' draft pick Jalen Harris. Barber's 23.4 points per game are good enough for third in the CEBL, while his 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals are also top-ten in the league.

His backcourt partner is averaging 17.3 points per game for Scarborough but will look to improve his efficiency as the season progresses. Harris's 32 per cent shooting from the field is last among the 19 players averaging at least 15 points per game in the CEBL this season.

As a team, the Shooting Stars have also struggled offensively through a quarter of the season. They're eighth in field goal percentage - just a tenth of a percentile above Montréal - and sit in the bottom half of the league in most offensive categories.

Both Scarborough and Montréal will seek a strong performance from their supporting cast in Sunday's matchup. Kameron Chatman has been most effective for the Shooting Stars so far, averaging 13 points per game largely off the bench.

Meanwhile, Montréal forwards Nathan Cayo and Treveon Graham can anticipate a bigger role if Hill is inactive. The NBA-experienced Graham is averaging a double-double through five games with 11.8 points and 11.2 rebounds. The homegrown Cayo is also contributing in multiple ways with 15 points per game and 7 rebounds per game.

Following Sunday's result, the Shooting Stars will return to Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre for a three-game homestand that begins next Sunday (June 18) with a matchup against the Brampton Honey Bandgers at 7 p.m. ET. Montréal will hit the road for a matchup with the Niagara River Lions on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

All games are available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 per cent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

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