THURSDAY SPORTS PAGE

Teddy Allen’s 28 points led the Winnipeg Sea Bears (6-3) back into first place in the Western Conference as his squad got a 93-84 win over the Vancouver Bandits (4-5) on Wednesday night. Allen finished the game with a stat-line of 28 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, marking seven straight games where the guard has eclipsed the 20-point mark.

Meanwhile Prince Oduro’s poster dunk in target score time put an exclamation point on a 93-80 statement victory for the Brampton Honey Badgers over the Calgary Surge on Wednesday night at CAA Centre. Oduro was one of eight Honey Badgers to score at least eight points in the win, with five players reaching double figures. 

—

The NBA Draft is set for tonight in Brooklyn, New York. The Toronto Raptors hold the 13th-overall selection after losing in the play-in tournament this past season. The San Antonio Spurs own the first-overall pick and are expected to select seven-foot-three big man Victor Wembanyama from France. Scarborough, Ontario’s Leonard Miller and Montreal-born Olivier-Maxence Prosper headline the possible Canadian draftees.

—

The Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2023 is goaltender-heavy with three of five players entering former netminders. Henrik Lundqvist, Tom Barrasso and Mike Vernon are the three goalies to be inducted November 13th in Toronto. They’ll be joined by NHL centre Pierre Turgeon and Canadian women’s hockey team forward Caroline Ouellette. Ken Hitchcock and Pierre Lacroix enter as builders.

—

The Vancouver Canucks defend a decision to buy out the contract of Oliver Ekman-Larsson even though the Swedish defenceman has four years remaining on his deal. Canucks G-M Patrick Allvin says the team couldn’t keep paying him his high salary because of his declining on-ice performance. Allvin wants to free up financial space under the NHL’s salary cap.

Players on the Canadian women’s soccer team tell Canada Soccer they want the issue of financial compensation at the World Cup settled before they board the plane to Australia. The women are scheduled to report to a pre-tournament camp next week. They’ve been embroiled in a labour dispute with Canada Soccer for over a year. The women open the World Cup July 21st against Nigeria in Melbourne.

—

It’s a battle of unbeatens at Winnipeg’s I-G Field where the Blue Bombers host the B-CLions Thursday night. Both CFL clubs are off to 2-0 starts this season. The Lions held the Edmonton Elks to zero points last week. The Blue Bombers haven’t lost at home since 2017.

—

Canada’s Brooke Henderson sets her sights on another golfing major at the KPMG Women’s P-G-A Championship that starts tomorrow in Springfield, New Jersey. The 25-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ontario won the 2016 Women’s P-G-A Championship and last year’s Evian Championship.

(CEBL Comms, Canadian Press)