HONEY BADGERS LOOK TO CONQUER OTTAWA ONCE MORE IN EASTERN SEMIS BATTLE
After a long wait that spans all the way back to 2023, the Brampton Honey Badgers have made the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) playoffs. The team captured the second-place spot in the Eastern Conference for the first time in franchise history and will play their first home playoff game since 2022, heading into the quest for their second CEBL title with an 11-13 record.
Four of those wins come against their rivals from the nation’s capital and their first round opponent, the Ottawa BlackJacks. The BlackJacks were one of the three teams (joining the Winnipeg Sea Bears and Edmonton Stingers) that Brampton were able to sweep in the regular season, with the most recent defeat coming on July 12, where the Honey Badgers were victorious 105-98 at TD Place.
On Thursday, the two squads will meet for one final time in 2026 where a win is more valuable than ever, and a loss ends the season. Despite the clean sweep over this summer, Ottawa poses no soft threat with none of the matchups exceeding a seven-point margin. With a star-studded playoff bout ready to take place, here is a full breakdown of how the Honey Badgers shape up against the BlackJacks.
BY THE NUMBERS
As we know, Brampton were able to take down Ottawa in every single meeting this season, capturing two wins both at home at the CAA Centre and on the road. However, it has been a dogfight in order to pull out each of those victories, as they only won by margins of five, three, five, and seven. And even though the Honey Badgers were the team on top, a one-game difference in the final standings tells the story of how neck-and-neck these two teams were this summer.
The BlackJacks were the more explosive offense, scoring 95 more total points than the Honey Badgers this season. Their five games where they amassed 100 points clears Brampton’s two, but none of which came against the Honey Badgers as they were held to under 90 points twice by the Brampton defense. Don’t be surprised if this is a low-scoring affair, as both teams made less than 800 field goals over the 24-game season, ranking in the bottom half of the CEBL. In terms of effectiveness, it’s the BlackJacks who have the upper hand as their 46.4 percent clip ranks third in the league, whereas Brampton sits at the bottom at 43.9 percent.
Rebounds, especially on the offensive side, was Brampton’s strong suit in the regular season. They grabbed just over 12 per game, which was good for second in the CEBL and their 38.5 total rebounds per game also comes in second just behind the Scarborough Shooting Stars (43.0). The Honey Badgers were led on the glass by local Bramptonian
Matthew Moncrieffe, who finished fourth in the CEBL in rebounds per game (8.3), as well as
Keon Ambrose-Hylton finishing seventh in offensive rebounds with 55. Although, Ottawa doesn’t fall too far behind, with 38.3 rebounds per game and Isaih Moore sitting second in the CEBL in rebounds per game (9.0). So it will be a tough battle on the glass to say the least for every possession possible.
However, playmaking and ball distribution might be where the game gets tight, as both teams fall in the bottom three in the league in assists per game, despite having elite vision at the point guard position in Javonte Smart and
Sean East II. For East, his distribution numbers have been down since returning to the team from NBA Summer League. After dishing out seven or more assists in seven of his first 10 games of the season, he has been held to five or less dimes in three of his last five games to conclude the regular season. Despite the assists being lower, East II’s shot volume has taken an increase since his return, averaging 17 field goal attempts over the final five games. This has resulted in some heroic performances, including his franchise-record 38-point thriller in Winnipeg against the Sea Bears on July 25. Averaging 24.5 points against the BlackJacks in two meetings this season, it’s with no doubt that number 55 will find his way anywhere on the score sheet.
THE STAR POWER
Both teams have some established stars in their lineup without a question. The BlackJacks have four players in their lineup that averaged 12 or more points per game this season, those being the big-man threat Moore, NBA G League tandem Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon, and most importantly the floor general Smart. The Honey Badgers counter that with five players that were able to average double-digits in points, as East II,
Trentyn Flowers,
Cameron Tyson,
Roddy Peters, and Moncrieffe all reached the mark and headlined the offense.
Brampton’s roster consists of six players that have G League experience (East II, Flowers, Tyson, Moncrieffe, Justyn Hamilton, Jordan Minor), in contrast to Ottawa’s five. Together, they have brought a hungry pedigree to win rallied behind head coach Alex Cerda, who comes from the South Bay Lakers in the G League, and has preached a team philosophy of toughness, passion, unity, and gratitude that has fueled his team to be the hardest working of them all in the CEBL. Leaving everything on the court and maintaining a hold in the back-and-forth runs in basketball has been the primary way for Cerda to keep his team composed and to never believe that they are truly out of a game, as the Honey Badgers outscored their opponents in Target Score Time in half of their games this season compared to just eight times a season ago.
With complementary pieces such as Ambrose-Hylton,
Brandon Muntu, and
Tegra Izay rounding out the rotation and finding their definitive roles as the season went on, the Honey Badgers lineup has found its final form heading into playoff basketball and looks to stand tall against the BlackJacks, who they averaged 92.5 points per game against this season, the highest amongst Eastern Conference rivals.
The Honey Badgers are ready for a do-or-die battle against Ottawa with a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on the line and it all goes down tomorrow night at the CAA Centre. Tipoff is slated for 7:00 PM EST and fans can purchase tickets
here to catch the first ever CEBL playoff game in the city of Brampton.
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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)
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is Canada’s professional basketball league, featuring 10 member clubs across six provinces. Powered by elite talent, a fast-paced game format, and deep community connections, the CEBL delivers high-level basketball and unforgettable summer experiences for fans nationwide.
The league boasts the youngest fan base in Canadian professional sport, half under age 34, and one of the fastest-growing audiences in the country, now reaching nearly 4.1 million Canadians. This momentum reflects the CEBL’s ability to deliver dynamic, thrilling gameplay while connecting deeply with a new generation of fans and expanding basketball’s cultural footprint across Canada.
The CEBL is where elite performance meets homegrown talent. In 2025, 17 players with NBA experience hit the court, while nearly 70% of the league’s roster was Canadian, the highest concentration of domestic talent in any professional sports league in the country. Running from May through August, the CEBL’s season is a showcase of top basketball talent and a summer hub for fast-paced, high-energy fan excitement.
Media Contact:
Elias Eldridge - Account Executive & Communications Specialist
Brampton Honey Badgers
eeldridge@honeybadgers.ca
