Basketball

Basketball

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Nathan Bilamu (left) drives against Niagara River Lions forward Nathan Cayo.

Sea Bears feast on River Lions

Ben Little 4 minute read Yesterday at 9:46 PM CDT

It was a magical night at Canada Life Centre — both as the theme night, and for the roaring crowd of 6,700. Fans had much to cheer about as the Sea Bears recorded the third win of the season, downing the Niagara River Lions 97-71.

The club remains unbeaten at home so far this season.

From the tip-off, the Sea Bears’ physicality seemed to overwhelm the defending CEBL champions, earning five steals and holding the River Lions to under 30 per cent from the field in the first quarter.

Winnipeg recorded 38 points in the opening frame, shooting 58.3 per cent the field. Teddy Allen’s three first quarter assists led a total of nine for the Sea Bears, who recorded nine points off of turnovers.

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Basketball

CEBL PHOTO Winnipeg Sea Bears’ Simon Hildebrandt (right) looks to make a pass to teammate Trey McGowens Tuesday. Hildebrandt drained two three-point shots in the contest against the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

Sea Bears look to rebound on home court

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Sea Bears look to rebound on home court

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Thursday, May. 21, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears took one on the chin, and now they will try to dust themselves off and find the bounce-back trail for the first time this season.

After dropping a hard-fought 103-101 contest against the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Toronto on Tuesday, the Sea Bears (2-1) will return to the court on Friday to host the two-time reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League champion Niagara River Lions (0-1) at Canada Life Centre (7 p.m.).

The Sea Bears know they were a play or two away from boasting an unblemished record through three games. Instead, they left with a sour taste in their mouth after blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter in Target Score time.

A short memory is imperative.

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Thursday, May. 21, 2026

Basketball

CEBL PHOTO Winnipeg Sea Bears’ Davion Warren (3) has his shot blocked by Scarborough Shooting Stars’ Javan Johnson on Tuesday. Scarborough’s Powell delivered the game-winning basket in Target Score Time for the home club.

Sea Bears fall to Shooting Stars

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Sea Bears fall to Shooting Stars

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

This was one Shooting Star the Winnipeg Sea Bears would never wish upon.

Riding high off consecutive victories to open the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League campaign, the Sea Bears were stopped in their tracks by a one-man wrecking crew on Tuesday, as Scarborough Shooting Stars’ guard Myles Powell delivered a sensational 41-point effort to hand Winnipeg its first loss of the year in a 103-101 decision at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.

Powell’s game-winning bucket was one of nine three-pointers by the former Philadelphia 76er, and it may have been his easiest one to make.

With the Sea Bears leading 101-100 (the Target Score was 102), Powell missed on his first attempt from deep, but the ball found its way back to him following an offensive rebound, and he made no mistake on the open second look.

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Tuesday, May. 19, 2026

Basketball

BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears point guard Armani Chaney (No. 11) drives to the hoop with the ball while Saskatoon Mamba guard/forward Jamal Fuller covers him during first quarter action on Saturday.

Offensive rebound propels Sea Bears to second straight win

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Offensive rebound propels Sea Bears to second straight win

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Saturday, May. 16, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears were quick to fix their mistakes.

One week after overcoming some early-season offensive woes to eek out a victory, the Sea Bears’ offence took a much more efficient shape in a convincing 108-96 victory over the Saskatoon Mamba before 7,920 fans at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

It’s the first time since July 23, 2024, that the club eclipsed the century mark, but more importantly, for head coach Mike Raimbault, it was that his team committed just nine turnovers after coughing up the ball 20 times in their season-opener.

“We finished the game with, I think, 20 assists and nine turnovers, so obviously we did a pretty good job of cleaning up some of our offensive decision making,” said Raimbault, whose club fired 50 per cent from the field.

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Saturday, May. 16, 2026

Basketball

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Winnipeg Sea Bears’ Teddy Allen (front right), on the court during the Sea Bears training camp at St. Paul’s High School, Thursday.

Sea Bears see positives in training camp progress

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Sea Bears see positives in training camp progress

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Sunday, May. 3, 2026

Kevin Cross Jr. is still getting familiar with his surroundings.

The 25-year-old landed late on Thursday night as the Winnipeg Sea Bears’ last off-season signing and hardly had a chance to unpack his bags before he was back to work with his new team in training camp.

It’s Cross Jr.’s first time in Canada. He has no idea what Tim Hortons is, and, more importantly to the product of Little Rock, Ark., had never played a basketball game on Canadian soil.

While Cross Jr. figures to have many opportunities to do that this summer, he received a tease of what to expect as the Sea Bears held a two-hour inter-squad scrimmage at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Sunday.

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Sunday, May. 3, 2026

Basketball

Ruth Bonneville / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Teddy Allen (centre) impressed on opening day of training camp, with returning hometown player Kyler Filewich emphasizing he feels Allen’s ‘due for a big year for us.’

Sea Bears guard return pivotal as training camp opens

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Sea Bears guard return pivotal as training camp opens

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026

Teddy Allen is holding up his end of the bargain.

The standout guard, who agreed to reunite with the Winnipeg Sea Bears nearly two years after an ugly split, appears to be taking full advantage of a clean slate with the way he’s carried himself on and off the court since arriving.

Allen did his best to lead by example as the Sea Bears opened their three-day training camp inside the Paul Albrechtsen MultiPlex on Thursday. It was the first time he took the court with the team since he was the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s reigning Most Valuable Player.

After practice, Allen didn’t want to talk about what lay ahead for him and the team. He was steadfast about the group building together now, with the limited time they have before the regular season begins on May 9 in Edmonton.

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Thursday, Apr. 30, 2026

Basketball

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES With Winnipeg Sea Bears training camp opening Thursday, head coach Mike Raimbault has been busy balancing the demands of a pro team on top of tasks from his day job as head coach of the Winnipeg Wesmen men’s basketball program.

Sea Bears’ Raimbault shooting for group to buy into his message

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Sea Bears’ Raimbault shooting for group to buy into his message

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026

Forty-eight hours before his first season as head coach of the Winnipeg Sea Bears begins in earnest, Mike Raimbault sits in his office nestled inside the University of Winnipeg’s Duckworth Centre, deciphering what to tackle next on his laundry list of to-dos.

Months of evaluating, negotiating and game-planning are set to go from paper to the court when his eclectic group of players begin a short, three-day training camp inside St. Paul’s High School on Thursday, but the 45-year-old appears poised and in total control of his surroundings.

Raimbault, who also wears the title of general manager, looks to be at peace with the roster decisions he’s made and confident about the ones he’ll have to make in the coming weeks and months.

Then again, he might just have a good poker face. While his desk is organized, Raimbault admits his brain can get scattered these days.

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Wednesday, Apr. 29, 2026

Basketball

BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS FILES Sea Bears centre Kyler Filewich made his pro debut with the club last summer averaging 2.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17 games.

Sea Bears re-sign centre Filewich

Taylor Allen 2 minute read Preview

Sea Bears re-sign centre Filewich

Taylor Allen 2 minute read Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Kyler Filewich is returning to his hometown team.

The 6-9 centre re-signed with the Winnipeg Sea Bears early Saturday. He made his pro debut with the club last summer averaging 2.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17 games.

The Wofford College product then took his talents to Czech Republic where he led BK Olomoucko in rebounding at 9.1 boards per game, while also adding 12.0 points and 2.2 assists. The 25-year-old recently set a new professional career-high with 23 points, while also contributing 13 rebounds and six assists in a win over Slavia Praha, and also recorded a double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds in a victory over Dubrava.

The move comes less than 24 hours after the Sea Bears announced the addition of import guard Davion Warren late Friday afternoon.

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Saturday, Apr. 25, 2026

Basketball

Adrian Wyld / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES The Sea Bears’ Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. (left) holds the CEBL championship title he won with the Hamilton Honey Badgers dear to his heart as it was his first title win. The forward is looking forward to time on the Winnipeg roster.

CEBL championship win still resonates with Sea Bears’ Tilmon

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Preview

CEBL championship win still resonates with Sea Bears’ Tilmon

Taylor Allen 5 minute read Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

PEOPLE used to crack jokes about Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. for being the tall kid that couldn’t play basketball.

The middle schooler stood at 6-foot-6, but outside of that, his game on the hardwood left a lot to be desired.

“I couldn’t dunk. I couldn’t hoop. I was bad,” Tilmon, the newest member of the Winnipeg Sea Bears, told the Free Press on Thursday.

“I was the laughingstock around town.”

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Friday, Apr. 24, 2026

Amateur

SAM KEEN PHOTO If Manitoba Bisons freshman Dante Dyck (2) impresses the Vancouver Bandits at the invite-only combine this weekend, the guard could be invited to the team’s training camp that begins May 5 with a chance to make the club’s active roster.

Bisons’ Dyck, Lenz to attend Vancouver’s invite-only combine

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Bisons’ Dyck, Lenz to attend Vancouver’s invite-only combine

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Thursday, Apr. 23, 2026

There are no guaranteed job interviews in professional basketball after university. So the fact that Winkler’s Dante Dyck has already landed two before turning 20 could be telling of just how high his ceiling is.

The talented Manitoba Bisons guard is one of nearly 40 student-athletes from post-secondary programs across North America who will head west this weekend to take part in the Vancouver Bandits’ inaugural university combine at the Langley Events Centre.

Dyck will take the court with Bisons teammate Brandt Lenz for the invite-only combine, which is the first of its kind in the Canadian Elite Basketball League. Select players will be invited to run in the Bandits training camp, beginning May 5, where they will have a chance to make the team’s active roster.

Although Dyck, coming off a redshirt freshman season, could be one of the youngest in the crop, he might also be one of the most comfortable in a professional setting.

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Thursday, Apr. 23, 2026

Basketball

ADRIAN WYLD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. (right) will join the Winnipeg Sea Bears for the 2026 campaign. The forward helped the Hamilton Honey Badgers win the 2022 league title.

CEBL champ Tilmon signs with Sea Bears

Taylor Allen 2 minute read Preview

CEBL champ Tilmon signs with Sea Bears

Taylor Allen 2 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears have added a CEBL champion to the roster.

Forward Jeremiah Tilmon Jr., a 6-10 import from East St. Louis, Ill., has agreed to a contract for the upcoming 2026 campaign.

The 27-year-old spent 2022 and 2023 with the Hamilton Honey Badgers and helped the team win the league title in his debut season up north. In 27 career CEBL games, Tilmon has averaged 11.7 points, 6 rebounds and 1.25 blocks per contest while shooting 62.5 per cent from the field.

Tilmon spent the 2025-26 NBA G League season with the Wisconsin Herd where he avareged 6.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game. He has also played professionally in China, the Dominican Republic, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait and Romania throughout his six-year career.

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Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2026

Basketball

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Guard Kato Jaro, signed to a USports contract Wednesday by the Winnipeg Sea Bears, during Winnipeg Wesmen men’s basketball practice at the Duckworth Centre in October 2025.

Sea Bears pluck local talent on signing day

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Preview

Sea Bears pluck local talent on signing day

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears plucked from the local talent pool on the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s inaugural Signing Day.

On Wednesday, the pro hoops club inked University of Manitoba guard Mason Kraus and University of Winnipeg guard Kato Jaro to U Sports contracts for the 2026 season.

The CEBL’s Signing Day replaced the league’s previous draft format in which teams would take turns selecting university-level players. The Sea Bears had success through the draft in the franchise’s first two seasons, in particular, selecting former Bisons forward Simon Hildebrandt, who won back-to-back Developmental Player of the Year honours.

“Obviously Simon and his success in that role, I think in the short time, it’s been pretty pivotal for us, and we’re looking forward to having a couple of the young guys that we announced today in training camp and see how things shake down,” said first-year head coach and general manager Mike Raimbault, whose close ties to U Sports have made him a trusted voice during the selection process the last three years.

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Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026

Basketball

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Teddy Allen signs autographs for fans after being signed to the Sea Bears on Thursday.

Star guard/forward Teddy Allen returns to Sea Bears after abrupt departure in 2024

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Star guard/forward Teddy Allen returns to Sea Bears after abrupt departure in 2024

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Teddy Allen wants to leave the past in the past.

For parts of two seasons, Allen delivered moments of ecstasy to Winnipeg Sea Bears fans with his play on the court, leading the club to the playoffs in its inaugural season while rising to acclaim in the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Allen, the league’s most valuable player, became the face of the franchise before it all came to a surprising and screeching halt early in the 2024 season, when the Sea Bears released the star guard/forward.

On Thursday, nearly two years after the fact, Allen — now the Sea Bears’ newest signing — said all the right things as he tiptoed through a series of questions about the abrupt way his last tenure with the team ended, and how a new one is about to begin.

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Thursday, Apr. 2, 2026

Amateur

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Dakota Lancers’ Emilie McLean goes for a basket against Vincent Massey, Monday.

Dakota, Maples come out on top at provincials

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Dakota, Maples come out on top at provincials

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

This time, the Dakota Lancers got the last laugh.

One year after being denied a historic four-peat at the hands of the Vincent Massey Trojans, a revamped Lancers squad returned with another chance to win it all, against the same opponent at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Monday, and made good on their opportunity, earning a 78-73 triumph over the Trojans to capture the AAAA girls’ provincial basketball championship.

Later in the evening, the Maples Marauders defeated the Dakota Lancers 115-106 in overtime to win the boys’ provincial title.

The Dakota girls finished with a 30-2 record overall to capture their fourth title in the last five seasons.

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Monday, Mar. 23, 2026

Amateur

LIU ATHLETICS PHOTO Winnipeg’s Shadrak Lasu (22) had 13 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in the Northeast championship clinching victory.

‘It’s great that I can go and represent and show out’

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

‘It’s great that I can go and represent and show out’

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Thursday, Mar. 19, 2026

It is perhaps the closest thing Canada could have to a team in the NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament and — of course — Winnipeg has a hand in it.

Most No. 16 seeds won’t garner much attention in the 68-team tournament, as many believe they are there for a good time, not a long time, but Long Island University has been an exception as five of its most important players hail from north of the border.

There are a pair of Ontario-born starting guards, Scarborough’s Malachi Davis and Toronto’s Jamal Fuller, who have played together since high school. Coming off the bench to play important minutes are freshman guard Max Ndlovu-Fraser and senior forward Caleb Johnson, who are rooted in opposite ends of the country, born in North Vancouver and North Preston, N.S., respectively.

And then there is Shadrak Lasu, the starting sophomore forward who is right in the middle of them all — Winnipeg.

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Thursday, Mar. 19, 2026

Amateur

BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS The host Vincent Massey Trojans earned a 74-53 victory over the visiting Sisler Spartans in the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Assoiciation AAAA varsity girls basketball semi-final at Investors Group Athletic Centre at the University of Manitoba, Wednesday. The Trojans advance to the championship game. Pictured: Trojans guard Kishi Folarin (No. 10) drives to the hoop while Spartans guard Keane Sarmiento (No. 3) defends during first quarter action.

Vincent Massey, Dakota to battle for basketball title for fourth consecutive year

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

Vincent Massey, Dakota to battle for basketball title for fourth consecutive year

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026

With one of their best players limited by injury, the Vincent Massey Trojans needed someone to pick up the slack in their biggest game of the season.

Ese Imiefo rose to the occasion.

The Grade 12 forward had her way in a 26-point performance to lead the Trojans to a 74-53 victory over the Sisler Spartans in the AAAA girls’ provincial basketball semi-finals at Investor’s Group Athletic Centre on Wednesday.

With the win, Massey extended its title defence and will play in its third straight provincial championship against the Dakota Lancers, back at IGAC on Monday at 6 p.m.

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Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2026

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