The storybook season continues as the Calgary Surge captured the top spot in the CEBL’s Western Conference on Friday evening, with a semi-final win over the Vancouver Bandits.
In a closely-fought battle, guard Stefan Smith capped off the team’s 77-75 win over the Bandits. It was his second game-winning bucket in a row.
“That shot is just a culmination of my hard work,” said Smith.
The game’s target score had been set at 76. For most of the fourth quarter, the Surge trailed the Bandits by one to two points, leading up to the one-point deficit against the Bandit’s 75 in the final seconds of the game.
Smith led the Surge in points and rebounds with 25 and eight.
Calgary won the rebound battle against the Bandits, 48-44, and field goal attempts with 76-70.
“The credit goes to our bigs,” said Calgary Surge Head Coach Nelson Terroba.
“We had good weak-side help, got rebounds when we needed to… The strength of this team is the sum of its parts.”
Calgary will try to write the final chapter in their inaugural season with a victory in the final. They’ll face the Scarborough Shooting Stars, which clinched their Eastern Conference victory over the Niagara River Lions. It’s the second year in a row the Shooting Stars have made the final.
The CEBL Championship final takes place on August 13, at 5 p.m. MDT at the Langley Event Centre in B.C.
