August 8 GAME PREVIEW: Brampton @ Winnipeg
After a loss to the Montreal Alliance, the Brampton Honey Badgers prepare for their rematch against the Winnipeg Sea Bears August 8 @ 8:30pm.
As the season ends and teams gear up for the playoffs, other teams will be heading into the offseason early. After a tough 83-103 loss to the Montreal Alliance, shorthanded the Brampton Honey Badgers look to end the season off strong with a win against the Winnipeg Sea Bears, who they’ve beaten in their first matchup. As the host team, Winnipeg automatically makes the playoffs with a bye week. Nonetheless they are looking to finish strong in their final two games against Brampton and Edmonton.
Brampton’s loss to the Montreal Alliance was a tough pill to swallow for a team that had been fighting hard to make the playoffs. This officially eliminates them from playoff contention, making it the second season in a row with no playoffs since winning the championship in 2022. Quinndary Weatherspoon led the team in points with 25 points while dishing out six assists and getting three steals. Koby McEwen made his presence known on offense and defense in his final game of the season, recording 19 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals. Off the bench, Wheza Panzo added some solid scoring with a season-high 14 points on .500 from the field and .440 from beyond the arc. Montreal’s Kevin Osawe and Tavian Dunn-Martin led the team to their first win since July 3rd, snapping their seven game losing streak.
Osawe was an offensive monster in the paint, scoring 26 points on .710 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line, all while grabbing six rebounds, three of which were offensive rebounds. Dunn-Martin and Quincy Guerrier orchestrated a lethal Alliance offense with 22 points, five rebounds and six assists for Dunn-Martin and 17 points and seven assists for Guerrier.
As a team, Brampton scored 20 points off 14 Montreal turnovers. They also scored 40 points in the paint and 18 bench points. However, Montreal outscored them in the paint with 54 points, making it the most the Honey Badgers have given up all season. Montreal also outscored the Honey Badgers bench with 26 points, with 11 points from Tavis Smith and eight points from Nathan Tshimanga.
After the game, Interim Head Coach Thomas Cory, who filled in for Sheldon Cassimy had a lot of praise for the players’ professionalism and readiness in practice. “I appreciate the guys. The team. They were all professional with me all week. I thought they responded well to me in practice and they respected me as the head coach,” said Cory.
The Winnipeg Sea Bears are coming off a close 86-81 win against Niagara, tying their regular-season series 1-1. Jalen Harris continued to show his scoring prowess throughout the season, scoring 24 points. Will Richardson impacted the game in many facets, recording 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Defensively, Nathan Bilamu had the perimeter locked down recording four steals while also chipping in with 10 points.
As a team, Winnipeg scored 10 points off 11 River Lion turnovers, and scored 10 bench points with Niagara outscoring them in both categories with 16 points and 18 points, respectively. The Sea Bears ultimately won the game in the paint, outscoring the River Lions 42-34 in the paint and 17-11 in second chance points.
Brampton’s previous matchup against the Sea Bears was their first win of the season, finishing with a final score of 81-74. Koby McEwen led the team in scoring with a game-high 23 points while going perfect at the charity stripe on 11 attempts. The front court of Amari Kelly and David Muenkat made things difficult for the Sea Bears, limiting them to five second chance points while combining for 16 rebounds. However, Winnipeg’s bench kept it close as Emmanuel Akot finished with 13 points out of the bench unit’s 39 while Terry Roberts did it all with 12 points, four rebounds and six assists.
As a team, the Honey Badgers limited the Winnipeg Sea Bears to 24 points in the paint and only five second chance points. They were able to limit their production in the paint by being aggressive on the glass and boxing out. Although recording only three blocks during the game, the Honey Badgers contested every shot and made it as difficult as possible for the Sea Bears to get any production. If Brampton can replicate that aggressiveness on defense, they can win their regular season series against the Sea Bears, which would be their first series win of the season.
With the season nearing its end, both teams are looking to finish up on a positive note. With Winnipeg’s playoff berth secured, they can get a win to keep the momentum going before their bye week and Western Conference Finals game. With Brampton eliminated from the playoffs, they can play a game with no pressure and win their first regular season series. You can watch it live on TSN, CEBL+, TSN+, and NLSE.
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About the Brampton Honey Badgers
One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers proudly call the CAA Centre home. The Brampton front office and basketball operations department bring NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. With a vision of promoting Brampton grassroots basketball and local businesses through community and corporate engagement, the Honey Badgers will leverage the explosion of basketball as a vehicle for innovation and change. For more information visit honeybadgers.ca.
About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 73% of its rosters being Canadian and more than 10 players with NBA game experience in 2025. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. More than 20 players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by Tonybet, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
Media Contact:
Elias Eldridge - Account Executive & Communications Specialist
Brampton Honey Badgers