After roaring for much of the season, the Winnipeg Sea Bears’ inaugural year comes to an screeching halt. I had wanted to say they went out with a whimper, but I can’t. As good as this team was, they always fought until that Target Score was hit. That trend was all season long, no matter the game, or how the game had transpired to that point. But just competing is not going to be enough at any level. You need to execute, and make plays, which at times the Sea Bears struggled with in this one. Their shot selection at times was atrocious, the Stingers zone caused all sorts of problems, and Winnipeg could not keep up in transition. Those three things alone cost the Sea Bears the ability to advance in the CEBL playoffs. These issues are also my three important keys to the game, so let’s get straight into it.

Shot Selection

While this section could also be looped into Edmonton’s stellar zone defence, the shots Winnipeg took at times in this game I thought deserved it’s own section. Not having E.J. Anosike hurt, and it meant that certain players had to step up in his place. While it felt at times certain guys were up to the challenge, that didn’t mean they were putting up everything that came into their hands. A.J. Hess was once again cold, even having his jump shot blocked a couple of times. Glen Yang started out aggressive, but it never really materialized into anything positive, or points on the board. Even Jelani Watson-Gayle in the second half begun to chuck shots at the net in hopes of them going in. To even add to that list, I’m not even sure you could say Teddy Allen had a good game from the field. It was just a struggle for Winnipeg to get up shots against Edmonton, and when they did, they were not good looks. A player with Anosike’s skill set would have been perfect to counter the Stingers with.

Spectacular 2-3 Zone Defence

I need to talk to Edmonton Stingers coach Jordan Baker, because he had his team running an unreal zone defence. They didn’t allow the Sea Bears to get easy or open looks in the paint, and they even forced difficult threes from Winnipeg. Getting a team to take tough looks from outside when you are in a zone is remarkable. When it comes to the Sea Bears’ approach, coach Mike Taylor had mentioned post game in the regular season finale against Edmonton that they did not prepare well enough, and did not have a proper game plan. Well, I have to admit that game plan they may have had went out the window as soon as Anosike left to be apart of the Nigerian National Team training camp. Winnipeg’s plan of attack was to get players to the high post area (or the nail, if you will) and let them play out of there. Unfortunately, the perfect player to do so was Anosike. They tried other players during the game, but it was not working with the personnel they had at their disposal. Once again, after the game coach Taylor made it known that they did not execute, nor did their game plan function as they had hoped. While I believe that the Stingers played a very good defensive game once more, there were other ways they could have exploited that zone. The ball stuck too much in players hands, they didn’t move it enough, and when they did move it, no player really looked like a threat to score. That is the true reason for their shot selection failures. I had commented from the previous game that if they could find ways to beat the zone, it would more likely lead to a win. That zone ended up being the reason they got eliminated.

Transition Woes

If you had to pinpoint one singular issues this 2023 Sea Bears team had, it would be in transition. Their offence in this department was mediocre at best all year, and on defence, it was probably one of the worst in the league. This inaugural team never really wanted to play with pace. After halftime in both matchups against the Stingers, (regular season finale, and playoff play-in) Winnipeg looked gassed after going up and down the floor with Edmonton in the first half of the game. They couldn’t get back, they struggled to stop them, and just seemed disinterested in getting into a track meet if it meant that’s how they could have won the game. The Sea Bears struggled against any team this season if they played small, and this game was no exception. Their lack of transition defence was just another factor in why Winnipeg lost this one.

With having looked at the three keys on why the Sea Bears were eliminated from the playoffs by the Edmonton Stingers, let’s now move into the individual player performances.

Teddy Allen

While the numbers show that from the field overall that Allen had a good game, it was his free throw shooting that got him going. Ultimately, getting to the line opened up more lanes for him, but he just could never get it going from outside, shooting 2-9 on the night. 35 points to lead all scores, 10 rebounds, and five assists from the now officially claimed MVP is still a great performance.

Simon Hildebrandt

With Anosike off to Nigerian National Team training camp, Hildebrandt stepped into a starting role for the first time all season. I would not say it was his best game of the season, but the stretch he had to begin Elam Time really showed a lot of his potential. A corner three, taking a charge, then a pull up jumper all in a row was quite impressive. After this summer, I expect his sophomore year at the University of Manitoba to be massive.

Shane Osayande

Not much to say about Osayande. He did his job rebounding, and cleaning up when needed. Can’t ask much more for a guy with a high motor that just plays relatively hard.

Glen Yang

This game started out well for Yang. He was aggressive, he was looking to drive the offence. Then that just disappeared, and so did he as he has all season long. Super disappointing, as I thought he was going to be an important piece to this squad this summer. I will note that he was playing point guard for most of the summer, and he is normally not one. But I will touch more on that in the individual article I will make soon.

A.J. Hess

I’m pretty sure Hess has not seen a look he does not like. I am also sure I have said that more than once in these game recaps. While that isn’t a bad mindset to have as a shooter, it doesn’t help when you are in your head and nothing is falling. Hess struggled once again in this one, and couldn’t be that extra boost that Winnipeg needed. He also does not provide much else if he is not hitting, other than being a distraction for defences to worry about. He was another player I had high hopes for, especially with the resume that he holds. Tough summer for him this time around.

Jelani Watson-Gayle

Watson-Gayle did not cover himself in glory for the entirety of this game. I will say his first half was good, and he did hit a big three for the Sea Bears. That second half was not good though. Bad shot selection, along with a couple turnovers aren’t going to help. 18 points off the bench in a playoff game is still big. I can finally say it now too, he is officially the CEBL 6th Man of the Year.

Stephane Ingo

Ingo looked like a deer in headlights in this game. He did not look comfortable whatsoever on either end. Neither did he contribute a lot in this one. He had some good moments this summer, and this was not one of them.

Tyler Sagl

Another younger, bench player that did not have much impact in this one. I had maybe hoped that this Edmonton zone would mean that Sagl could make some plays, but it was not to be. He did impress me this season, and I think Winnipeg got more out of him than they were anticipating. Sagl would definitely be someone I would bring back next year if I were the Sea Bears.

Chad Posthumus

Posthumus grabbed five rebounds and ran around. That is pretty much it. Being 33, I am not sure how much longer he plays, and I don’t want to say it prematurely, but he may have played his last professional game. At least he did so for his hometown team, and on home floor. Posthumus was used in an advisory role for most of the build up to the season. Would not be surprised to see him apart of the managerial staff next season if he is to retire.

Final Thoughts

While this was a disappointing game for Winnipeg, you cannot be any happier for how the season has gone. A brand new team, making the playoffs, let alone being one of the best teams in the entire league? I think that is pretty special. In the coming weeks, I will be releasing an entire league-wide article based on how I thought each team in the CEBL did. I will also be releasing articles on each individual Sea Bears player, and how I thought they did in this 21 game stretch. Be on the lookout for other new content as well! I have some other things in the works, and it may be pertaining to high school prospects for this upcoming academic school year.

I want to thank everyone who has read these articles throughout the summer and supported. This was going to just be a hobby of mine to begin with, and it has blossomed into something bigger than that, so I thank all of you. Big things are on the way for Heart Of The Continent Hoops, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you!