Surge look to launch 2024 CEBL playoff run with Friday night showdown against Winnipeg's Sea Bears

Stefan Smith of the Calgary Surge in action during the 2023 CEBL playoffs. The league announced that Smith has been nominated for Sixth Man of the Year. The Surge host the Sea Bears Friday night at WinSport in CEBL playoff action. (Photo: X@CEBLeague)

The Calgary Surge wouldn’t mind if history mostly repeats, starting with a play-in win against the Winnipeg Sea Bears Friday night at WinSport.

The two teams split their home-and-home series last week, each winning on home court. Calgary finished with an 11-9 record this season, while Winnipeg was 9-11, setting up the one-and-done play-in game between the third-and fourth-place finishers in the west.

Sea Bear coach Mike Taylor said his team is capable of beating anyone in the post-season.

"We've shown that we can beat all of these teams. It's about putting it together on the road here with the challenge of being the version of our team in Calgary," said Taylor.

The winner of the play-in game advances to the conference semifinals.

First CEBL playoff game

For the third time in the past 10 days, the Surge will look for a way to shut down Justin Wright-Foreman, the Sea Bear’s leading scorer, who was just announced as a nominee for CEBL’s Most Valuable Player.

It will be Wright-Foreman’s first CEBL playoff game. Last year, he played with the Saskatchewan Rattlers, who missed the playoffs.

"The juices are definitely flowing," Wright-Foreman said. "I'm just trying to stay even keel and just be in the middle. I don't want to be too high, too low…I just want to stay even and just play to the best of my abilities."

Justin Wright-Foreman dribbles the ball against the Calgary Surge during a 111-104 win on July 24, 2024. (Winnipeg Sea Bears)

While he’s the Sea Bears go-to guy on offence, Wright-Foreman said the margin of victory is likely to come down to whoever defends better.

"I feel like whoever goes into the game and establishes the pressure on the defensive end and can contest shots and get those loose balls and get out in transition enough will win the game," said Wright-Foreman.

Get on a run

Last season, their first in the league, the Surge got hot and advanced all the way to the championship game before losing the title game to the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

One of the mainstays of that team, Stefan Smith, was nominated as the CEBL Sixth Man of the Year.

The Surge announced Thursday that they will offer a party bus to transport fans out of and back into downtown Friday night.

The party bus will offer transportation, food, drinks, a ticket to the game – and “party vibes” at WinSport for $60.

Pickup is at Home and Away YYC, 1207 1 Street SW, at 6:30 p.m.

For tickets and info, go here.

With files from Devon McKendrick, CTV Winnipeg