Thursday night was poised to be a magical return home for the Calgary Surge as they kicked off Year 4 of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. The atmosphere outside WinSport Event Centre was hot, and inside the arena, fervent fans brought the fire to cheer on their favorite summer basketball squad.
Electric Atmosphere at WinSport
The energy inside WinSport was palpable, according to Jason Ribeiro, co-chairman and president of REAL Entertainment & Culture Inc, the Surge's parent company. "It's summer, and the weather is hot and humid, and that means the Surge are back in town, right?" Ribeiro said shortly after the home opener. "A sell-out crowd and an incredible live event — it was almost like a circus in there with how much stuff we had going on." He praised the staff, who were awarded the CEBL franchise of the year in 2025 for creating amazing experiences for Calgarians.
Ribeiro expressed pride in the players for putting on a stellar show. The Surge were captivating throughout the contest, with fancy footwork, a high-flying pace, and sensational shot-making that kept the party going until the final shot. However, the only thing missing on the electric evening was a home-side victory.
A Heartbreaking Finish
The visiting Scarborough Shooting Stars snatched victory from the Surge in heartbreaking fashion, winning 106-105 in a shocker that stunned the stadium. "It hurts … that's for sure," said Surge head coach Perry Huang, almost in disbelief. "That's the nature of the target score. I thought we had three really great looks to end the game. Just gotta finish."
The lack of finish, combined with a pair of sudden-death three-pointers by the now 4-0 Shooting Stars, sealed the fate of the hosts at WinSport. Deep into target time, the Surge seemed to have their first win of the season in their clutches. Up 104-98, all they needed was two points to seal the deal. But shots to win by go-to guys Evan Gilyard II, Olumide Adelodun, and Sean 'Rugzy' Miller-Moore agonizingly rolled off the rim and into the hands of the defense.
"Yeah …" lamented Huang. "The stars didn't quite align for us." Instead, they aligned for the Stars, who responded with a driving layup and back-to-back treys from Trey Thomas and Myles Powell. Suddenly, it was game over, leaving a stunned crowd and a home side with a fourth consecutive loss to start the 2026 schedule.
Looking Ahead
Despite the tough loss, Huang remains optimistic. "I think we're early enough in the season where it's not as big a hole that we can't dig out of it," he said. "But now it's starting to become the need for a little sense of urgency from our end — we've got to really start ascending now." The Surge will look to bounce back in their next game as they search for their first win of the season.
