'The juices are definitely flowing': Sea Bears prepared for playoff clash against Calgary Surge

The playoffs are here for the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the team is looking for a fresh start after an up-and-down season.

Winnipeg narrowly squeezed into the final playoff spot in the west with a 9-11 record.

It was a season of both significant losing and winning streaks, as well as the release of the 2023 league MVP Teddy Allen.

Winnipegger Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson said the slate has been wiped clean for the playoffs and whatever happened in the regular season doesn't matter.

"You just got to win a game. If you win a game, you can stay alive and move forward," he said.

The challenge in front of them is playing on the road against the Calgary Surge. Winnipeg only had one road win all season, but Ogungbemi-Jackson knows the team can come together when needed most.

"I feel like we've shown a lot of fight through a lot of adversity this year, with injuries and different lineups and changes throughout the team and being a team that's been able to come back from big leads."

Head coach Mike Taylor said he is excited about the challenge of the playoffs and thinks the Sea Bears have all the potential in the world to get the job done.

"We've shown that we can beat all of these teams. It's about putting it together on the road here with the challenge of being the version of our team in Calgary," said Taylor.

Throughout the season, Taylor said the team has been able to play different aspects of their game well, but it hasn't all come together at once.

He's hoping the big stage of the playoffs is when they can put the pieces together.

"They're very coachable. They want to do it and it’s just about coming out on the floor and putting it all together. I think it's just a matter of time."

Calgary and Winnipeg have clashed two times in the last week and are very familiar with each other's game.

Justin Wright-Foreman, the Sea Bears' leading scorer, said he knows Calgary is a good team, but is focused on his team's game.

"I feel like whoever goes into the game and establishes the pressure on the defensive end and can contest shots and get those loose balls and get out in transition enough will win the game," said Wright-Foreman.

This will be his first taste of the playoffs, after missing them last year as a member of the Saskatchewan Rattlers.

He said he is ready to take the court and perform.

"The juices are definitely flowing," he said. "I'm just trying to stay even keel and just be in the middle. I don't want to be too high, too low…I just want to stay even and just play to the best of my abilities."

The Sea Bears and Surge will clash on Aug. 2 at 8:30 p.m. in Calgary.