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CEBL PHOTO<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Mason Kraus looks for a pass against the Edmonton Stingers at Expo Centre in Edmonton on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Kraus put those words into action as he delivered a few timely buckets and capped an efficient performance with two clutch free throws that secured a hard-fought 77-75 season-opening road victory for the Sea Bears over the Edmonton Stingers at the EXPO Centre on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a little bit nervous,\u201d Kraus, who supplied 11 points and four rebounds in 16:06 of action off the bench, confessed about his two shots from the charity stripe.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was talking to Kyler (Filewich) and Simon (Hildebrandt) before the game, because I know that I can hit threes, but I was like, \u2018If I get to the free-throw line, that might get a little scary.\u2019 But then Teddy (Allen) and \u2018Mani (Armani Chaney) came up to me and were telling me, \u2018Hey, we believe you got this, so go knock it down,\u2019 and all my nerves went away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kraus saved his best stuff for late to really prove he belonged.<\/p>\n
With the Stingers owning a 68-63 lead entering Target Score Time, the decorated former Manitoba Bison connected on one of his game-high three three-pointers, then came down with a huge rebound and drew a foul to help the Sea Bears overcome the deficit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just the way the guys treat me, especially compared to last year,\u201d said Kraus, who appeared in just three games for Winnipeg last summer and hardly made the stat sheet. \u201cNot saying anything (bad) about last year, I\u2019m seen as more of a value to the team and as a pro, so just knowing that when I come in, guys are actually looking for me and are like, \u2018OK, this guy can actually contribute to the team.\u2019 After today, I\u2019m just hoping that I can push that even more.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Stingers had been a thorn in the Sea Bears\u2019 side in their 11 previous matchups, owning an 8-3 record all-time entering the contest.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a huge spark for us today. \u2026 He made some big shots for us\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was a huge spark for us today,\u201d head coach Mike Raimbault, who earned his first win as a professional head coach, said of Kraus.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that he can definitely defend and put pressure on the ball and make things happen at the defensive end, but today he was also ready to step up and catch-and-shoot. He made some big shots for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Raimbault watches the film back, there will be a lot of things he liked from his club\u2019s collective effort on both ends of the floor. There will also be a laundry list of things that he\u2019ll want cleaned up before the Sea Bears host the Saskatoon Mamba in their home opener on May 16.<\/p>\n
The opening half left a lot to be desired, especially on the offensive end, and Winnipeg trailed 34-27 heading into the locker room. Such is the nature of the CEBL, where teams come together in a flash and hit the floor with just one week of practice.<\/p>\n
The Sea Bears came alive out of the locker room, though, piecing together strong possessions and opening up the floor as they controlled the contest in transition. As the game hung in the balance, Winnipeg continued to dig its collective heels in and play a gritty defensive style that has become synonymous with Raimbault-led teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we just settled in a little bit,\u201d Raimbault said. \u201cObviously, we talked about wanting to take care of the ball; we were still a little bit sloppy with ball control. We were a little bit more aggressive in terms of when to attack and where to attack, and a little bit more connected at the offensive end in terms of playing off of dribble, drives and spacing to appropriate spots.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t CEBL PHOTO<\/p>\n Winnipeg Sea Bears head coach Mike Raimbault yells instructions on Saturday against the Edmonton Stingers at Expo Centre in Edmonton.<\/p>\n Much of the credit goes to star guard Teddy Allen, who looked like a different version of the offensively-focused player that last played in Winnipeg two years ago.<\/p>\n Allen held up his responsibilities on both ends of the floor, delivering a game-high 24-point, 10-rebound double-double while setting a new single-game franchise record with six steals.<\/p>\n \u201c(Raimbault) encourages us to play so hard,\u201d Allen said. \u201cYou kind of remember that when you\u2019re out there, just trying to play hard and not give up an inch.\u201d<\/p>\n In a game that featured a tenacious effort from both teams, Allen\u2019s two-way contribution was ultimately the difference.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cHis buy-in to our team approach from day 1 has been really, really good,\u201d said Raimbault. \u201cHe showed up multiple days before training camp to spend time and get familiar with some of the stuff that we wanted to do, and we\u2019re asking him to lead by example \u2014 in particular at the defensive end of the floor\u2014 and I\u2019m super proud to see him continue to grow his game and show that he is capable of impacting winning in multiple ways.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. also poured in 14 points, while Davion Warren chipped in with 10 points. Edmonton was led by Dain Dainja with 19 points.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t CEBL PHOTO<\/p>\n Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Davion Warren scrambles for a loose ball against the Edmonton Stingers at Expo Centre in Edmonton on Saturday.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the third time that Sea Bears opened a season with a victory in the franchise\u2019s four-year history.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m super proud of the guys for showing some resilience. There were multiple times where things were sort of slipping away from us, and we were able to recoup and continue paying together,\u201d Raimbault said. \u201cWe\u2019ll enjoy it, and then we\u2019ll start thinking about next week \u2014 sooner than later.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/joshuafreysam<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Joshua Frey-Sam Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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