A timely 13-0 run in the fourth quarter helped lift the Winnipeg Sea Bears to a 98-89 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers at Canada Life Centre on Friday (Aug. 1).
Winnipeg built a 17-point cushion in the first half, but the Rattlers rallied back in the third to seize an eight-point lead of their own. The home team regained its rhythm in the fourth on the way to a second straight victory.
Sea Bears’ head coach Mike Taylor said Saskatchewan created opportunities in the third by attacking on the pick-and-roll, but an adjustment in the fourth changed the game.
“We changed the matchups, and that's where we were able to really [hit] our stride. But the effort, the heart, and the teamwork, to me, were the keys today. And that's what we want to keep building on,” Taylor said.
Jalen Harris put on a mid-range clinic late in the fourth for Winnipeg and buried the game-winning free throws against his former team in Target Score Time. Harris said it's a big win with Championship Weekend in Winnipeg approaching.
“When you're playing the championship here – I mean every game here is big. Every game here is experience under your belt,” he said.
Harris finished the game with 28 points and six assists while shooting 12-22 from the field. His pair of triples also vaulted him past the 100-three milestone for his regular season career.
Simi Shittu added another monster performance for Winnipeg, tallying 22 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Trevon Scott and Jarron Cumberland rounded out the Sea Bears’ offensive effort with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Cumberland grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out six assists as well.
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan was led by a balanced attack with all five starters scoring in double figures. The three-headed snake of Jordan Bowden, Tevian Jones and Devonté Bandoo led the charge with a combined 61 points in the loss.
Bowden netted a team-high 24, while Jones dropped 20 points with five rebounds and four steals against his former squad. Bandoo contributed 17, while Grant Anticevich notched 11 and Jaden Bediako 10.
Jones, who passed 500 regular-season points in his CEBL career on Friday, said seeing familiar faces and competing against old teammates felt good.
“I think we did a good job competing [but] we just didn't get the win tonight,” he said.
The Sea Bears controlled the contest inside, outscoring the Rattlers 48-30 in the paint and snagging 10 more rebounds than their opponents.
Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said some timely offensive rebounds for Winnipeg and missteps down the stretch made the difference.
“We got a little bit tired. We put a lot of energy into coming back, and so I think that affected us. And to their credit, they picked up the defence, they rebounded the ball, and they played with a tremendous pace for a couple of minutes there to really push in transition,” Magdanz said.
Winnipeg took control of the game from the jump, going on an 11-0 run to start the contest. Jones stopped the bleeding against his former team with a triple to get Saskatchewan on the board, but Harris immediately answered with a three of his own.
The Sea Bears continued to control the tempo, but a strong stretch from Bandoo and Jones helped the Rattlers crawl back to within single digits. Harris attacked the rim for the final bucket of the first quarter, providing Winnipeg with a 29-16 lead after 10 minutes.
Harris and Shittu kept the good times rolling into the second with back-to-back triples for Winnipeg. Shittu then showed off his skills as a facilitator, dishing a no-look pass to Nathan Bilamu to put the Sea Bears ahead by 17 – their largest lead of the game.
Bowden almost single-handedly kept the game close and received some help from Anticevich to head into halftime down nine.
Saskatchewan’s fight paid off in the third quarter. The Rattlers’ defence locked down the Sea Bears' attack, limiting the home team to just 16 points in the frame. Five trifectas propelled the Rattlers to a massive 19-4 run, including a pull-up from Bandoo to give Saskatchewan its first lead of the game.
Trailing by six to start the fourth quarter, the Sea Bears showed resilience and stormed back with a 13-0 run of their own. The Western Conference rivals traded blows before Target Score Time, with Harris heating up from mid-range.
Winnipeg held an 89-85 advantage heading into the final stretch with a target of 98. Shittu kicked off Target Score Time with a putback before Saskatchewan replied with four consecutive points.
Then, the bank was open for Scott on a mid-range jumper, and Cumberland connected on a timely three from way beyond the arc to put Winnipeg two points away. Harris capped his strong second half with a pair of free throws to earn the Sea Bears’ fourth win on home court this season.
Winnipeg has now swept the season series with Saskatchewan, emerging victorious in all three meetings.
Up next:
The Saskatchewan Rattlers visit Edmonton on Sunday.
