NEWS RELEASE
NIAGARA RIVER LIONS
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Canada Basketball, in partnership with the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), announced Tuesday that the Senior Men’s National Team will return home in February to St. Catharines as Canada opens the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers.
Canada will face Nicaragua on Friday, Feb. 23, at the Meridian Centre at 7:10 p.m. ET before travelling south to Nicaragua for a rematch on Monday, Feb. 26 (time TBC). Fans can catch all the action live on Sportsnet.
Canada Basketball and CEBL insiders have exclusive presale access now until tickets go on sale to the public beginning this Thursday, Nov. 16, at 10 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster. Starting as low as $30, tickets are also available by contacting the Niagara River Lions Front Office, which is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling or texting 289-273-5905 or visiting 2 Front St. N., Thorold, ON, L2V 1X4. Online and phone orders are subject to applicable fees.
Bringing more international basketball events to Canada is one of several shared priorities between Canada Basketball and the CEBL as the two organizations look to continue working closely together to grow the game of basketball here in Canada.
The 16 teams in the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers have been distributed into four groups of four teams each, with Canada being drawn into Group C along with the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Each team will play each opponent in their group twice under a "home and away" format during three windows, which will take place in February and November 2024 and then in February 2025.
The top three teams in each group (12 in total) will qualify for the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup 2025.
Canada’s Senior Men’s National Team is coming off a historic run at the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2023, which saw the team not only qualify for next summer’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games but also earn a bronze medal – their first medal at a Men’s World Cup in team history.
Canada is currently ranked sixth in the latest FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike, after the rankings were updated following the FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup 2023.
Said Michael Bartlett, President & CEO, Canada Basketball: “Canada Basketball is excited to partner with the Canadian Elite Basketball League again to bring more basketball to Canadians as Canada takes on Nicaragua in FIBA Men’s AmeriCup 2025 Qualifiers action here at home. This year, our national teams experienced unprecedented success on the world stage, including our Senior Men capturing a historic bronze medal at the World Cup, and we’re looking forward to celebrating that team and some of its players in February in front of their family, friends and Canadian fans.”
Added Mike Morreale, Commissioner & Co-Founder, Canadian Elite Basketball League: “The CEBL is proud to assist our partners at Canada Basketball in presenting this world-class event in February at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, home of our Niagara River Lions. Along with our fellow Canadians and basketball fans across the country, we look forward to helping our Senior Men’s National Team kick-start the first stage of their quest to qualify for the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup. Thank you to Canada Basketball, the River Lions, ASM Global and the City of St. Catharines for their collaboration in putting this together.”
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