In the video below, Owen Skornik-Hayes reports on the Great Falls Electric, a basketball team that is generating excitement in town. Now in its second season, the Electric is part of the The Basketball League. The team is undefeated so far this season.
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The Great Falls Electric are in their second year as a professional basketball entity. They make up one of thirty-four teams in the TBL, a professional league spanning the United States.
After a 10-10 campaign in 2024, the Electric overhauled their coaching staff, hiring Steve Keller. In addition, they made contributions to the teams’ depth, adding talent from both overseas, and the G-league, the NBA’s development league.
The new look seems to have paid off. Through three weeks, the Electric sit at 7-0, one of two teams in the TBL to claim such a record. Heading into their bye week, they sit atop the Pacific Northwest division.
Guard, Tremont Robinson-White, who played for the TBL’s Wenatchee Bighorns last year, says this team felt cohesive from the jump.
“The chemistry, the fans, everything is clicking. It clicked right off the bat,” he says.
Robinson-White is currently 4th in the country in steals.
The Electric are bolstered by an elite offense, scoring at one of the highest rates in the country. Their 838 points scored thus far is good for second across the league.
Leading the team in assists is guard Antwaan Cushingberry. He says despite having a bye week to reflect on the team’s unblemished record, he and others aren’t feeling the pressure.
“I don't even think we really think about it. I mean, I know I don't, for the most part just, lock in, play with each other, have fun and try to get the job done,” he says.
The fans have certainly taken notice of the team’s hot start, continuing to be a bedrock of support. Brendan Howard is now an assistant coach for the Electric. He played on the team last year after winning a championship overseas in Iceland. He was a former star at Great Falls High. He has an intimate relationship with Montana sports fans.
“Montana sports fans are some of the most passionate fans. What you give to them is what they'll give back tenfold,” says Howard.
Cushingberry agrees.
“I feel like the fans have been, terrific. And, we wouldn't be where we’re at without them. You know, they come in support, cheering for us, you know, screaming and stuff like, we need that,” he says.
Overhauled with a new philosophy, the team have their eyes set squarely on their next matchup in Seattle on April 4th. But it doesn’t mean hardware isn’t on their minds.
“I think we are the team that, you know, we keep on the path we're going on and work hard and don't get complacent and stay hungry, we have a chance to do some pretty special things,” says Howard. “But, if we get complacent, it can all fall apart. So it's just knowing that it can be taken away from you at any moment.”
The Great Falls Electric will look to make it 8-0 in Seattle in one week. They return to Great Falls on April 11th and April 12th for a two-game homestand against the Vancouver Volcanoes. Both games tip at 7pm in the Great Falls High School gymnasium.
For more information and tickets to games, click here.
