A new Battle of Alberta? Surge top Stingers in season opening victory

The Calgary Surge era was inaugurated with a win Saturday, as the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) squad defeated the Edmonton Stingers 74-70.
Simu Shittu scored 17 points and added 14 rebounds in his CEBL debut for the Surge. Stef Smith added 16 points, Admon Gilder 15 and Sean Miller-Moore had 14 for the local heroes.
Adika Peter-McNeilly and Martynas Varnas each scored 14 for Edmonton.
The Surge led throughout, building an 11 point lead in the third. After falling behind by nine in the fourth quarter, the Stingers crawled back to make it a one-possession game before Smith was fouled on a rebound, where he provided the margin of victory.
Social media was full of commentary from Calgary basketballers, including Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who said, "Incredible inaugural game for @CalgarySurge with 74-70 win over Edmonton Stingers!
"Calgary turned out in a big way," she added. "This is community building at its finest."
Next up for the Surge is a Sunday return match with the Stingers in Edmonton. The game starts at 4 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Canada marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with events across country
Seas of orange flooded events across the country on Saturday as Canadians gathered to acknowledge systemic oppression of Indigenous people and observe the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Nearly half of Canadians have no plans to mark National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
A new survey found that 48 per cent of Canadians say they won’t be taking any specific action to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Jury acquits delivery driver of main charge in shooting of YouTube prankster
A jury on Thursday found a delivery driver not guilty in the shooting of a YouTube prankster who followed him around a mall food court earlier this year.
W5 Ferraris worth nearly $1M seized from Edmonton men linked to Pivot Airlines drug-smuggling scandal
Two Edmonton men at the centre of an international cocaine-trafficking scandal that led to the detainment of a Canadian airline crew in the Dominican Republic last year are back in the spotlight. They're facing numerous charges after police seized a pair of stolen Ferraris worth roughly $1 million.
U.S. government shutdown threat eases after House passes a 45-day funding plan, sending it to Senate
The threat of a federal government shutdown was suddenly easing Saturday after the House quickly approved a 45-day funding bill to keep agencies open, once Speaker Kevin McCarthy dropped demands for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic votes for passage.
'Reconciliation is a lifelong experience': Gov. Gen. Mary Simon reflects on Truth and Reconciliation
On the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says that while she acknowledges the time it takes to fulfill calls to action, she also understands the frustrations that progress is too slow, and she feels 'we should speed things up.'
Almost all of Nagorno-Karabakh's people have left, Armenia's government says
An ethnic Armenian exodus has nearly emptied Nagorno-Karabakh of residents since Azerbaijan attacked and ordered the breakaway region's militants to disarm, the Armenian government said Saturday.
Putin marks anniversary of annexation of Ukrainian regions as drones attack overnight
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday insisted that the residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed a year ago 'made their choice -- to be with their Fatherland.'
WATCH LIVE 'Stories of resilience and survival': Indigenous-led tourism is one way to support communities in Canada
A growing number of businesses popping up across Canada are offering unique experiences that invite tourists to dive into the history, language and culture of Indigenous communities.