What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
Nov 18, 2024
Previously, WHL players were declared ineligible to play NCAA hockey in the U.S.
The Saskatchewan Rattlers survived a late comeback by the defending Canadian Elite Basketball League champions to earn their first playoff win Thursday night.
The Rattlers earned a 94-91 victory over the Edmonton Stingers in front of a home crowd at the SaskTel Centre.
Saskatchewan got off to a perfect start, outscoring the Stingers 29-12 in the first quarter. The Rattlers continued to make key shots in the first half, taking a 16-point lead into halftime with the score 51-35.
But Edmonton would fight back to start the third quarter, outscoring the Rattlers 25-17 to cut the lead to just eight points.
Saskatchewan relied on key 3-point shooting to extend the lead back to 14 points in the final frame. Overall, the Rattlers went 41 per cent beyond the arc.
In CEBL, the games end using ELAM score. In this case, the first team up to 94 points would be deemed the winner.
The Stingers would scrape together a last-minute 15-2 run to cut the deficit to just one, as the Rattlers led 92-91.
A sea of nervous Rattlers fans were in full panic mode watching the lead slip away, before Tony Carr headed to the free-throw line with a chance to win the game for Saskatchewan.
Carr showed poise and calm, knocking down both shots from the line to give the Rattlers the win 94-91.
The former 2nd-round pick of the New Orleans Pelicans finished with 20 points, while Devonte Bandoo led the team with 22 points.
Saskatchewan moves on to face the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the next round on August 7. A win will punch their ticket to Ottawa for CEBL Championship Weekend.
Taking this energy out East🔋#FearTheFang | #LetsBall pic.twitter.com/AYGcF97K5c
— Saskatchewan Rattlers (@SASK_Rattlers) August 5, 2022