The upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League championship series will feature the Brampton Honey Badgers against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. Both teams secured victories in their respective conference finals on Saturday. Xavier Moon, a three-time CEBL MVP, played a crucial role in leading the Sea Bears to a 107-96 win over the Vancouver Bandits in the Western Conference Final. This win set the stage for a best-of-three final with the Honey Badgers, who triumphed over the Niagara River Lions with a score of 91-81 to claim the Eastern title.
This championship series marks a shift from the previous single-game format to a series format. The first game is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, with Brampton hosting Game 1 before the series moves to Winnipeg for Game 2 and a potential Game 3. Moon’s stellar performance, scoring 24 points, along with Simon Hildebrandt’s 24-point contribution and Isiah Osborne’s game-winning three-point shot, propelled the Sea Bears to their first-ever final appearance.
Moon and Hildebrandt showcased their three-point shooting skills, each hitting four three-pointers in the game. Moon, aged 31, made a successful comeback to the CEBL this season after a five-year hiatus. On the other side, Shamar Givance led the Vancouver team with 21 points, supported by Tevin Brown and Mitch Creek, who added 19 points each in the defeat.
In another thrilling match, the Brampton Honey Badgers secured their spot in the championship series by defeating the River Lions. Star players Sean East II and Trentyn Flowers played pivotal roles in the Honey Badgers’ victory, scoring 22 and 20 points, respectively. Tyrese Hunter’s game-winning three-pointer, one of his five in the game, was instrumental in the Honey Badgers’ triumph. Khalil Ahmad of the River Lions led the scoring with 30 points.
The upcoming championship series could see Brampton joining Niagara and the Edmonton Stingers as the only teams to clinch two CEBL championships. It promises to be an exciting showdown between the Honey Badgers and the Sea Bears in this highly anticipated final series.