Edmonton Stingers earn crucial win over Cangrejeros in Calgary at Basketball Champions League Americas
Team keeps quarter-final hopes alive in final window of group play
The Edmonton Stingers' dream of berth in the Basketball Champions League Americas Final 8 remains alive.
Jordan Baker had 18 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Stingers to a 93-87 victory over Cangrejeros on Monday, to tip off the third window of the BCLA in Calgary.
The Stingers had lost their previous two games to Cangrejeros by a combined 58 points, but Monday's roster saw some key additions, plus the return of Baker, a two-time Canadian Elite Basketball League champion and CEBL Canadian player of the year.
"Our roster's a little bit deeper, obviously we're playing at home . . . and we're just more familiar with the opponent — we were a little bit embarrassed by how we lost to them before," said head coach Jermaine Small. "We had a lot of motivation going and I think that transferred onto the floor tonight andonce we started playing desperate and together, I think that's why we won."
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Davon Jefferson scored 29 points to top Puerto Rico's Cangrejeros (3-2).
The Stingers, who are representing the CEBL in the Champions League as last season's champion, improved to 2-3 through the three windows.
The BCLA season features 12 top teams representing seven countries, with the Stingers being the lone Canadian squad. Teams are divided into four groups for the 36-game group stage, and the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals on April 6.
The Stingers face Real Esteli (2-2) of Nicaragua, the runner-up of last year's tournament, on Wednesday at WinSport Arena. The game will be streamed live on CBC Gem, the CBC Sports app and CBC Sports' website.
Cangrejeros and Real Esteli play on Tuesday.
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With files from CBC Sports
