The Brampton Honey Badgers and the Winnipeg Sea Bears emerged victorious in their conference finals on Saturday, paving their way to the Canadian Elite Basketball League championship series. The Sea Bears, led by three-time CEBL MVP Xavier Moon, defeated the Vancouver Bandits 107-96 in the Western Conference Final. On the other hand, the Honey Badgers secured the Eastern title by beating the Niagara River Lions 91-81.
This year marks the first time the CEBL champion will be determined through a series format rather than a single-game setup. The series will kick off with Game 1 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, with Brampton hosting the first game before transitioning to Winnipeg for Games 2 and 3 if necessary.
Moon’s outstanding performance, with 24 points, guided the Sea Bears to their maiden final appearance. Winnipeg native Simon Hildebrandt also contributed significantly with 24 points, while Isiah Osborne’s three-point shot sealed the victory at 106 points at the Langley Events Centre.
Moon and Hildebrandt’s impressive three-point shooting propelled Winnipeg to their second playoff victory. Moon, aged 31, made a strong comeback to the CEBL this season after a five-year hiatus. Shamar Givance led Vancouver with 21 points, supported by Tevin Brown and reigning MVP Mitch Creek with 19 points each.
For the Honey Badgers, Tyrese Hunter’s game-winning trey, his fifth of the game, was crucial in their triumph over the River Lions. Sean East II led the scoring for Brampton with 22 points, while Trentyn Flowers added 20 points. Khalil Ahmad top-scored for the River Lions with 30 points.
Brampton now has the opportunity to join Niagara and the Edmonton Stingers as the only teams to clinch two CEBL championships. The championship series promises an exciting showdown between the Honey Badgers and the Sea Bears, with both teams displaying stellar performances to reach this stage.