Basketball

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BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Manitoba Bisons forward Izzi Fust is blocked by Winnipeg Wesmen forward Jennifer Kallon on a drive Friday.

Herd charge out of the gate

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Friday, Oct. 30, 2026

The Manitoba Bisons have designs on finding some sustained success this season.

A solid first step was taken Friday night, as the Bisons earned a hard-fought 83-70 season-opening victory against the cross-town rival Winnipeg Wesmen in Canada West women’s hoops action at the Duckworth Centre.

Fourth-year forward Anna Miko propelled the Bisons on the strength of an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Samantha Onyebuchi also supplied an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double.

“We’ve all basically played against each other for the last, what, six-ish years? So I mean it’s nice to come compete in university, but especially in their gym, it’s sweeter to get the win,” Miko said.

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Amateur

Zachary Peters / Bison Sports Manitoba Bisons forward Izzi Fust (right) speaks with Faith LaRocque (left). Women’s basketball head coach Michele Sung said Fust’s drive to always play hard and natural gravitas is ‘a really valuable asset to have’ on the team.

Fust sisters reunite as Bisons’ campaign gets set for tip-off

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Fust sisters reunite as Bisons’ campaign gets set for tip-off

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

Izzi Fust is in a better place.

Don’t get it twisted; this isn’t an obituary, far from it. The standout third-year forward feels as lively on a basketball court as she has in years.

After spending the first two years of her university career with the Regina Cougars, Fust returned home this summer and is gearing up for her first season with the Manitoba Bisons.

Her homecoming came one year after older sister Kyu made the jump from Regina to Manitoba.

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Monday, Oct. 19, 2026

Amateur

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Tevan Vigilance is still young but he is considered one of the older guys on the University of Manitoba Bisons basketball team.

Herd ushers in new era of men’s hoops with roster of newcomers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Herd ushers in new era of men’s hoops with roster of newcomers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026

The stage is new. The role, however, is a familiar one to Taven Vigilance.

For the first time since his days as a highly touted high school recruit at Oak Park, Vigilance will be asked to help drive the Manitoba Bisons offence this season.

An elevated role for the 6-7 guard, entering his third year comes as the Bisons turn the page to a new era of the men’s basketball program, having lost all five of its starters from a season ago.

Vigilance spent this summer honing his craft, knowing this opportunity was coming. He focused on his ability to dribble off a screen, in particular, which is a common demand of Bison ball-handlers who need to understand how to decisively read defenders off the pick.

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Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026

Amateur

Wheelchair Basketball Canada photo Joshua Brown (6) has represented Manitoba at three Canada Games and played for the national U23 team. The East St. Paul product was most recently on the senior men’s national roster for the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa earlier this month.

East St. Paul product’s next wheelchair basketball chapter in Spain’s best men’s division

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

East St. Paul product’s next wheelchair basketball chapter in Spain’s best men’s division

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

Every time Joshua Brown takes the court, the line between dreams and reality blurs.

You see, Brown, born and raised in East St. Paul, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy early in life. Understanding his condition, he came to terms with the challenge it would be to play stand-up sports competitively.

That didn’t stop him from dreaming, though.

Brown remembers watching Canada’s best in wheelchair basketball at the Paralympic Games on television as a youngster, and vividly recalls what went through his mind at the time.

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Thursday, Sep. 24, 2026

Amateur

DAVE LARKINS / WESMEN ATHLETICS Winnipeg Wesmen guard Kato Jaro (left) drives the ball against University of South Dakota defenders last week in pre-season action.

Men’s Wesmen basketball bench boss scouts fresh crop’s depth in pre-season series

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Men’s Wesmen basketball bench boss scouts fresh crop’s depth in pre-season series

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026

Mike Raimbault didn’t take much time to bask in the triumph. His attention has already turned to a more elusive feat.

An admittedly tired Raimbault was back on the sideline last week, this time at his primary post as head coach of the Winnipeg Wesmen men’s basketball team, just days after guiding the Winnipeg Sea Bears to the franchise’s first Canadian Elite Basketball League championship.

A title in the professional ranks was well-earned, and while there will be a time to soak up his special summer, a new campaign awaits.

“It’s nice to get some time together before school starts. It’s a sort of a litmus test of where you’re at and what you need to do,” Raimbault said after the second of a two-game pre-season series against the University of South Dakota.

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Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026

Basketball

RILEY MARRA / SEA BEARS FILES Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Teddy Allen (8) lost out on the league’s Most Valuable Player award Thursday to Scarborough Shooting Stars guard Myles Powell.

Allen misses out on league MVP award

Taylor Allen 3 minute read Preview

Allen misses out on league MVP award

Taylor Allen 3 minute read Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026

Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Teddy Allen has come up short in his bid to win a second career CEBL Most Valuable Player award — and he’s not happy about it.

The league revealed its award winners Thursday, with Scarborough Shooting Stars guard Myles Powell taking home the MVP honours over Allen who was the finalist out of the Western Conference.

Powell, who was also named the Clutch Player of the Year with nine target score winners, averaged 22.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists while leading Scarborough to a historic 20-4 record.

“A dude who averaged 23 on 38 per cent. You will never see me again. Lost ya credibility,” Allen commented on Instagram.

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Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026

Basketball

MIKE SUDOMA/FREE PRESS Winnipeg born Simon Hildebrandt poses with the CEBL Trophy after the Sea Bears win against the Brampton Honey Badgers at Canada Life Centre on Saturday.

Sea Bears finish on top

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Sea Bears finish on top

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

Beauty. Bliss. Ecstasy.

That is how Aug. 15, 2026 will be remembered in Winnipeg.

What was once a pipe dream in the city’s hoops community became an epic reality on Saturday, when Simon Hildebrandt, who grew up playing on the courts of this very town, made good on a three-pointer from the wing to crown the Winnipeg Sea Bears Canadian Elite Basketball League champions.

A storybook ending to a 98-84 victory over the Brampton Honey Badgers sent a CEBL attendance record of 12,519 fans into pandemonium at Canada Life Centre and capped a Finals run for the ages — one that was fraught with injury, impromptu player exits and unprecedented circumstances.

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Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

Basketball

WINNIPEG SEA BEARS PHOTO The Sea Bears face the Brampton Honey Badgers in Winnipeg on Saturday with the CEBL championship on the line.

CEBL disputes cancellation being a black eye for league

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

CEBL disputes cancellation being a black eye for league

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026

One day after the first game of its nationally televised inaugural championship series was cancelled owing to unsafe court conditions, the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s president and CEO refuted the idea that the circumstances are a black eye on the league.

Ty Mazereeuw stood by the league’s decision to allow Wednesday night’s Game 1 of the CEBL Finals between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Brampton Honey Badgers to go forward at the CAA Centre in Southern Ontario, even though it was kiboshed before the contest was two minutes old due to condensation on the court.

The bizarre and abrupt ending to what was supposed to be a best-of-three series came nine days after a bench-clearing brawl broke out in the regular-season finale between Brampton and the Scarborough Shooting Stars, which led to five players being suspended and six players fined — another situation in which the league was criticized for its handling.

“I would just say (I’m not) sure I fully buy that the league has fallen flat. I think what we’ve seen is a couple of significant situations that have been amplified, whether it was through a celebrity, or in a case like (Wednesday) night when you have more people than we’ve ever had in Brampton, and it happens to be Game 1 of the Finals, and that situation happens — wish it could have been in the regular season — everything is just amplified. And because those two things have happened in a short period of time, I think it’s magnified for sure, and especially amongst our most passionate fans, and it invites conversation,” Mazereeuw told the Free Press Thursday.

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Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026

Basketball

CEBL Simon Hildebrandt delivered a career-high 24 points.

Cinderella story continues, Sea Bears bounce Bandits in Conference Final

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Cinderella story continues, Sea Bears bounce Bandits in Conference Final

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

Just days ago, the Winnipeg Sea Bears were at rock bottom.

The losses had piled up, and the star talent had dwindled. The noise around the club grew, and the confidence from outside the building faded by the day.

Players and coaches alike conveyed the belief that persisted internally, but you wouldn’t fault some fans if those words fell on deaf ears.

Less than a week later, the undermanned and underestimated Sea Bears find themselves two wins away from the tippy top of the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s mountain after a second-straight convincing playoff victory, this time a 107-96 decision over the Vancouver Bandits in the Western Conference Final at the Langley Events Centre in British Columbia on Saturday.

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Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

Basketball

BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Xavier Moon leaps into the air to attempt to block a shot by Saskatoon Mamba guard Devonte Bandoo during Thursday’s semifinal against Saskatoon.

Best of the West in Conference final clash

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Best of the West in Conference final clash

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Friday, Aug. 7, 2026

It had been a while for Isiah Osborne.

The man known affectionately by his Winnipeg Sea Bears teammates as the “Silent Assassin” had been quiet in more ways than one for a while.

After arriving in Winnipeg with some flair, eclipsing 20 points in three of his first four games and hitting two game-winners over that stretch, the Windsor, Ont., product had cooled off significantly in recent weeks.

Osborne reached double digits just once in the last eight games of the regular season while firing at a 32.8 per cent clip, and he was pushed down the pecking order once Xavier Moon jumped into the lineup.

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Friday, Aug. 7, 2026

Basketball

CEBL PHOTO The Winnipeg Sea Bears signed Canadian big Ben Stevens on Tuesday for the club’s playoff run.

Canadian centre adds size to Sea Bears playoff push

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Preview

Canadian centre adds size to Sea Bears playoff push

Joshua Frey-Sam 4 minute read Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears have added some size ahead of the playoffs.

The club announced the signing of 6-10 Canadian centre Ben Stevens on Tuesday. Stevens was released by the Montreal Alliance on July 30 and scooped up by the Sea Bears ahead of the Aug. 3 transaction deadline.

The 27-year-old from Halifax appeared in 10 games for the Alliance this summer, where he played a limited role off the bench, averaging 1.9 points and two rebounds per game in 7.5 minutes per game. Stevens had a more elevated role with Montreal in 2025, where he appeared in 20 contests, started five, and averaged 5.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.2 minutes of action per game.

Stevens, at worst, adds some height and physicality off the bench that has been lacking for the Sea Bears this season. The club has struggled with rebounds for many stretches and appeared outmatched by teams with larger personnel.

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Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026

Basketball

CEBL/Vancouver Bandits The highly anticipated matchup between the Sea Bears and the Vancouver Bandits was delayed 90 minutes due to the club’s travel issues.

‘Definitely a tough one’: Travel delays drag down Sea Bears in 114-90 loss to Vancouver Bandits

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Preview

‘Definitely a tough one’: Travel delays drag down Sea Bears in 114-90 loss to Vancouver Bandits

Joshua Frey-Sam 5 minute read Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears will head into the playoffs on a disheartening note.

Winnipeg’s pro hoops squad had hoped to ride a wave of confidence into the Canadian Elite Basketball League post-season on the strength of locking up the top seed in the Western Conference.

Instead, the Sea Bears ended the regular season after being handed their worst defeat of the season, a 114-90 rout at the hands of the Vancouver Bandits at the Langley Events Centre in British Columbia on Sunday.

“Definitely a tough one, but we got a home game coming next week. Just get ready for that,” said Simon Hildebrandt, who was the only member of the Sea Bears available for a post-game interview.

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Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026

Basketball

NEIL NOONAN PHOTO Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Xavier Moon drives to the basket against the Ottawa BlackJacks at Canada Life Centre on Friday.

‘Huge for us going forward’

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

‘Huge for us going forward’

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Friday, Jul. 31, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears needed to see one go through the hoop — even if it had no effect on their place in the standings.

With the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs around the corner and the club sliding as of late, there was a sense that a victory could go a long way toward rebuilding some confidence in a team that believes they should be playing for a championship in a couple of weeks.

A nail-biting 100-92 triumph over the Ottawa BlackJacks before 6,642 fans in their regular-season home finale at Canada Life Centre on Friday appears to have done that for the Sea Bears, as they look toward their biggest — and final — contest of the regular season.

“Huge,” said Xavier Moon, who paced the Sea Bears with 29 points, adding nine assists and six rebounds. “Last home game. Obviously, we got to go on the road and handle our business in Vancouver, but we dropped the last two here, so we knew a win tonight would be huge for us going forward. And it’s the last home game before the playoffs, so I mean, we wanted to end it on a high note, and I feel like we did that tonight, regardless of how it looked like we played.”

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Friday, Jul. 31, 2026

Basketball

Neil Noonan / CEBL Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Raimbault during a timeout against the Edmonton Stingers at Canada Life Centre.

Sea Bears strut into first-place showdown at the peak of their powers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Preview

Sea Bears strut into first-place showdown at the peak of their powers

Joshua Frey-Sam 7 minute read Wednesday, Jul. 22, 2026

The Winnipeg Sea Bears and Vancouver Bandits will face off for a third time this season with the top spot in the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Western Conference at stake.

While it may not be the last time the clubs battle with the No. 1 seed on the line, Thursday’s contest at Canada Life Centre (7 p.m.) will play a big factor in deciding which team has home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.

The Sea Bears (13-7) are riding high after dismantling the Montreal Alliance 109-80 at home on Sunday, thanks in large part to a historic performance from Teddy Allen, who set a single-game CEBL record with 54 points and broke his own single-season points record, set in 2023.

The Bandits (12-8) remain a dangerous group under interim head coach Rans Brempong despite dropping a tough matchup in Calgary on Tuesday.

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Wednesday, Jul. 22, 2026

Basketball

CEBL photo Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Teddy Allen led all players with 28 points against the Calgary Surge, Sunday.

Sea Bears stumble to first home loss against struggling Surge

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Sea Bears stumble to first home loss against struggling Surge

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

This time, the Winnipeg Sea Bears couldn’t find that late-game magic.

Winnipeg’s pro hoops squad has found a way to the finish line so many times this season it almost became expected that they would overcome their shooting woes and gut out another imperfect victory, but on Sunday afternoon at Canada Life Centre, a different fate prevailed.

Despite a struggling club entering their den, the Sea Bears fell flat in the second half of an 85-80 loss to the Calgary Surge.

Winnipeg’s hopes of clinching a fourth-consecutive berth in the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs were put on hold for at least one more game, and their perfect streak at home ended at seven as it dropped to 11-6.

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Sunday, Jul. 12, 2026

Basketball

NEIL NOONAN / CEBL The Winnipeg Sea Bears pulled off a seventh straight win on home court Thursday night despite losing big Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. to an ejection. The club will be looking for its eighth straight home victory Sunday night against Calgary.

Sea Bears look to stay best in West

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Preview

Sea Bears look to stay best in West

Joshua Frey-Sam 6 minute read Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

Mike Raimbault isn’t one to pay mind to the standings, but the Winnipeg Sea Bears’ head coach is in tune enough to know that his team may have a chance to separate itself from the rest of the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Western Conference this weekend.

The Sea Bears (11-5) won’t call Sunday’s contest a free space on the bingo card. That would be nothing short of disrespecting an opposing team with professional athletes who are more than capable of putting it together for 40 minutes.

However, on paper, this lopsided tilt projects as a layup for Winnipeg. The Sea Bears remain undefeated through seven games at Canada Life Centre and will be more than happy to welcome the struggling Calgary Surge (3-13) to the den (2:30 p.m. tip-off).

After Thursday’s 97-93 victory over the Edmonton Stingers, the Sea Bears own their largest lead of the season in the Western Conference — a 1.5-game advantage with one game in hand over the Vancouver Bandits.

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Friday, Jul. 10, 2026

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