Two of the best guards in the CEBL are set to square off tonight in Brampton, as the Honey Badgers (5-6) (-148) host the Niagara River Lions (6-6) (+108) at the CAA Centre at 7:00 pm ET.

The game will also be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.

Reigning CEBL Finals MVP Christian Vital will look to get the Honey Badgers closer to a playoff position when reigning CEBL MVP Khalil Ahmad visits Brampton for the first time this year. 

Brampton has lost their last two games and sit in last place in the eastern conference. 

But, despite the losing streak, the Honey Badgers are only one half game behind Niagara for third place. They are also just two games out of first place in a bunched up eastern conference playoff race. 

The Honey Badgers last played on June 27, when they lost 79-60 on the road in Ottawa. Vital scored a team-high 12 points, but shot 29 per cent from the field. Vital’s 19.3 points per game this season ranks him fourth in the league. 

Backcourt mate Koby McEwen, meanwhile, is averaging 5.6 assists per game—which also places him in the top-four in the CEBL. As a team, the Honey Badgers are dishing 17.2 assists per game. 

The River Lions snapped a two-game losing streak of their own on Sunday with a 90-75 win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers in Saskatoon. 

Ahmad recorded a team-high 20 points, while big man Edward Ekiyor chipped in with a double-double of 19 points and 10 boards. The River Lions also shot better than 50 per cent from three, dropping 13 of 25 three point attempts on the night.

The River Lions win on Sunday also marked the fifth time in their last six games that they have scored 90 points or more. 

Niagara, who is averaging 91.4 points per contest, is the only team in the CEBL to average over 90 points this season. 

Ahead of tonight’s game, Niagara announced that they have added Canadian point guard Kimbal Mackenzie to their roster. The Oakville, Ontario native averaged over 12 points and 3 assists for the Leicester Riders of the British BBL this year.

“Kimbral is a leader, great teammate and a very good basketball player,” River Lions head coach and GM Victor Raso said in a press release. “I’m excited for him to join this group for the second half of the season.” 

Mackenzie also joins the River Lions with CEBL experience, having averaged more than 13 points for the Guelph Nighthawks from 2019-2021. 

Tonight’s game will be the first matchup between these two teams this year, and marks the first of a home-and-home series this week. 

Brampton is scheduled to travel to Niagara on Friday night. 

Full broadcast schedule of CEBL Games of the Week on TSN can be found here. All games will also be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, and on the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices.

About the Brampton Honey Badgers

One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Brampton Honey Badgers are the defending league champions. Having recently relocated the team to Brampton from Hamilton, the team now proudly calls 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 www.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 71 per cent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August.  More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

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Media Contact:
Kyle Warrener

Brampton Honey Badgers

kwarrener@honeybadgers.ca