FRIDAY SPORTS PAGE: V.A. SHINES IN LIONS VICTORY

VANCOUVER – Kieran Burnham kicked the game-winner as the B.C. Lions survived a second-half comeback from the Calgary Stampeders to win 25-22 at B.C. Place on Thursday.

Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, but the offensive output dried up in the second half as backup quarterbacks Dane Evans and Dom Davis failed to establish a rhythm.

Adams earned the starting quarterback role for the Lions after Canadian Nathan Rourke departed to the NFL in the off-season.

Justin McInnis led the way for the Lions receiving corps, catching two touchdowns along with three receptions for 60 yards in the first half.

The Stampeders struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the first half, including a turnover on downs on the Lions’ nine-yard line in the first quarter, but turned that around in the second half.

Tommy Stevens, Luther Hakunavanhu and Dedrick Mills all had touchdowns for Calgary.

This is both team’s final pre-season tilt before meeting up in Calgary in their season opener next Thursday.

GUELPH, Ont. – Quarterbacks Tyrie Adams and Dustin Crum both threw TD passes and ran for another to lead the Ottawa Redblacks past the Toronto Argonauts 34-23 in CFL exhibition action Thursday night at Alumni Stadium.

Ottawa finished the pre-season with a 1-1 record while Toronto was 0-2. The game attendance was not announced.

Now the tough part comes for both coaching staffs as CFL teams must make their final roster cuts by 10 p.m. ET on Saturday. The regular season opens next Thursday with the B.C. Lions in Calgary to face the Stampeders.

Ottawa opens June 10 visiting the Montreal Alouettes. Toronto begins its Grey Cup title defence June 18 hosting the arch-rival Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

B.J. Byrd, an American rookie receiver from Memphis, cut Toronto’s deficit to 20-17 with an electrifying 84-yard punt-return TD at 5:51 of the third quarter. But Crum’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Keaton Bruggeling at 7:58 restored Ottawa’s 10-point lead.

Alfredo Gachuz’s 17-yard field goal at 3:49 of the fourth pulled Toronto within seven. However, Crum’s one-yard TD run at 7:31 put the Redblacks ahead 34-20.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – J.R. Avon scored the game-winning goal 10:54 into overtime to cap Peterborough’s 5-4 comeback win over the Kamloops Blazers on Thursday, earning a semifinal berth at the Memorial Cup. The Petes scored four unanswered goals to take the tiebreaker game, roaring back from a 4-1 deficit.

Connor Lockhart, Othmann, Samuel Mayer and Brian Zanetti scored the others for Ontario Hockey League champion Peterborough. Michael Simpson made 43 saves for the win.

The Petes will next play the Seattle Thunderbirds in Friday’s semifinal for a shot to play the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Quebec Remparts in Sunday’s final.

The Remparts earned a final berth after opening the tournament with wins over Kamloops and Seattle. Quebec later fell to Peterborough – which staved off elimination and forced Thursday’s tiebreaker with that victory – 4-2 on Tuesday in both teams’ final round-robin game.

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With all five of their starters scoring in double figures, the Ottawa BlackJacks (2-1) knocked off the previously undefeated Montreal Alliance (2-1) 89-75 in a matchup of the top two teams in the CEBL’s eastern conference on Thursday night at TD Place Arena.

Meanwhile a clutch three and a high-flying block from Christian Vital allowed the Brampton Honey Badgers to defeat the Winnipeg Sea Bears 75-71 and secure their first win of the season at the CAA Centre on Thursday night.

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Kitchener, Ontario’s Jamal Murray scored 26 points and added 10 assists in his NBA Finals debut as the Denver Nuggets took Game 1 of the championship series 104-93 over the Miami Heat. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists to become the second player to produce a triple-double in his Finals debut.

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Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ontario, leads all Canadians after the opening round of the Mizuho Americas Open. The two-time major championship winner Henderson is tied for fifth after shooting a three-under 69. American Lauren Hartlage is atop the leaderboard at 7-under.

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Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (GAWZ’-min) is in form. Gausman pitched six-and-a-half shutout innings to win back-to-back starts for the first time this season, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Thursday. Gausman struck out 11, giving him 100 on the season and reclaiming the American League lead from Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani.

(Canadian Press)