Sea Bears bit by Rattlers

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This article was published 11/07/2023 (1048 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Sea Bears took on the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s deadliest offensive force and lost Tuesday night.

Justin Wright-Foreman’s deep three-pointer was the dagger in Target Time as the Saskatchewan Rattlers escaped with a 99-96 victory over the Sea Bears in front of 5,430 fans at Canada Life Centre.

“I feel like yes, it was a big time shot and yes, we won the game but again, I don’t win that game without my teammates,” said Wright-Foreman, who entered the game as the CEBL’s leading scorer at 29.4 points per game.

His winning shot silenced a crowd that had been on its feet for most of Target Time.

As good as Wright-Foreman was — his stat line included 29 points, five rebounds and nine assists — Saskatchewan’s supporting cast was a huge factor.

“He’s a dynamic scorer and we had several different coverages lined up for him,” said Sea Bears head coach Mike Taylor. “We tried to keep the ball out of his hands. We tried to double team in the different places. So I think the game plan was good.

“I don’t think this was a Justin Wright-Foreman game. I think it was the rest of his team. I think their bench gave him great energy. They outworked on us on rebounding.”

Quenton DeCosey added 20 points and three rebounds for the visitors while Adong Makuoi added 10 rebounds and 15 points. The Rattlers’ bench outscored Winnipeg’s 34-11.

The Sea Bears got a 36-point performance from Teddy Allen.E.J. Anosike and A.J. Hess added 25 and 16 points, respectively.

“He’s obviously a great player,” said Allen of Wright-Foreman. “He makes the right moves and doesn’t really force it. It’s definitely tough. When you have a guy you’re so focused on, you tend to stop worrying about other guys. But no excuses. Give them credit.”

Saskatchewan’s superiority around the basket was clear, with a 45-40 rebounding edge.

“They was dunking on our goal, getting put-backs, (giving up) too many rebounds,” said Allen. “We played decent defence but when you giving the team — I don’t know what it was — 20, 25 extra possessions, you’re gonna lose.”

The Rattlers, who are last in the Western Conference with a 5-9 record, are 1-1 under the interim head coach Tanner Massey. Saskatchewan had a 4-8 start before Dean Demopoulos was fired on July 6.

The visitors led 51-48 at halftime and were up 88-86 at the start of Target Time. Anosike tied the game at 96-96 with a pair of free throws but Wright-Foreman ended the game on the next possession.

“The fans were sitting there chirping away but a thank you for my teammates — they kept me locked in and engaged in the game the whole time,” said Wright-Foreman.

“And I was just able to do just do what I do. And I had nine assists, too, so it doesn’t just speak volumes for me but my teammates, too. How available they made themselves and they had the ability to make shots and that’s what we needed. I trust them more than anything.”

Winnipeg dropped to 9-6 overall but remained in first place in the conference. The Sea Bears had won two previous meetings between the teams but both games were highly competitive.

“We knew coming in it would be a challenge,” said Taylor. “We didn’t take them lightly. We were really focused and ready to go. But again, give them credit. They played more physical. They did a better job on the boards than us. And again, the mentality for our team was, ‘Hey, let’s trade baskets and get back up and down the court.’ We’ve got to establish our defence earlier in the game and that’s kind of the lesson I take away from tonight.”

The Sea Bears have a busy upcoming schedule on their home court with games Friday against the Montreal Alliance (7 p.m.) and Sunday (2 p.m.) against the Calgary Surge.

Tuesday’s crowd was the second largest of the season for the Sea Bears, bringing the club’s average to 4,986 per game.

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14