EDMONTON AT NIAGARA

ST. CATHARINES, Ontario (Interstat) — The Edmonton Stingers visit the Niagara River Lions on Saturday in a Canadian Elite Basketball League matchup with playoff implications for both teams.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at Meridian Centre. Edmonton enters with a 9-13 record, while Niagara is 9-12. The River Lions hold a one-game advantage in the standings and won the most recent head-to-head meeting, 101-99, on May 24 in Edmonton.

Niagara enters riding a three-game winning streak following a 91-81 victory at Hamilton on Tuesday. Guard Khalil Ahmad has been the catalyst, averaging 25 points over his last three games. In the win over Hamilton, Ahmad logged 34 minutes and finished with 24 points, five rebounds and three assists. He scored 28 points against Montreal on July 12 and 23 against Scarborough on July 10. Ahmad is averaging 17.9 points per game over his last eight outings.

Edmonton has lost three straight games, including a 112-94 defeat against Fraser Valley on Saturday. Guard Scottie Lindsey provided a bright spot in that loss, recording 21 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Lindsey has been productive in limited minutes over his last six games, averaging 12.7 points and 3.5 rebounds while playing 20 minutes per game. He scored 11 points in a 95-87 win over Calgary on July 1 and 12 points in a 115-108 victory at Saskatoon on June 24.

The Stingers have struggled on the road this season. Edmonton is 3-7 away from home. Niagara is 4-5 at Meridian Centre.

Edmonton forward Nick Hornsby had 11 points and eight assists in the loss to Fraser Valley. Guard Emmanuel Bandoumel added 16 points and seven rebounds.

Niagara forward Nathan Cayo contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in the win over Hamilton.

Both teams are fighting for position in the CEBL standings. A victory for Niagara would give the River Lions a two-game lead over Edmonton and improve their record to .500. A win for Edmonton would pull the Stingers even with Niagara in the loss column.