The Honey Badgers continue their road trip in Ottawa as they prepare to play the BlackJacks for the final game in their in-season series July 21 @ 7:30pm.

The Honey Badgers are looking to catch the last spot in the playoffs before the season ends. Brampton is currently 3.5 games behind the fourth place Montreal Alliance and five games behind Ottawa. Brampton still has the opportunity to make ground in the fight for the last playoff spot, however it will not be easy. Ottawa is currently third place in the Eastern Conference with a 7-8 record and have beaten the Honey Badgers in the past three meetings. Brampton’s remaining opponents have a combined record of 41-49 compared to Ottawa’s  89-76. If Brampton can get a win streak going during the last few games and Ottawa or Montreal start struggling, Brampton can sneak into the playoffs. Nonetheless, it ultimately starts with a win versus Ottawa. 

Brampton’s most recent game was a 79-97 loss against the defending champion Niagara River Lions, going down 2-1 in the in-season series. Starting in place of an ill Quinndary Weatherspoon, Marcus Carr was the Honey Badger’s best player, logging 20 points and 10 assists. Prince Oduro and David Muenkat were also key contributors. Oduro posted 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field to go along with six rebounds. Muenkat added extra offense with 14 points, shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. 

For the River Lions, Khalil Ahmad was their best player, helping his team win in multiple facets by logging 24 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Nathan Cayo was key on offense and defense, scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds and recording three steals. Off the bench, Elijah Lufile was an impact player scoring 12 points and grabbing 13 rebounds; eight of which were offensive rebounds, making it a game-high. 

As a team, the Honey Badgers struggled to defend the paint, giving up their highest total at 44 for the third time this season. Niagara’s aggressiveness on the glass was a large part of how they were able to pick apart Brampton’s interior defense, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds which also led to 15 second-chance points to Brampton’s eight. Niagara also had much better bench production, outscoring the Honey Badgers 32-10; in large part due to contributions from Guilliame Boucard who recorded 15 points on 5-for-6 from the field, and Elijah Lufile. 

After the game, Head Coach Sheldon Cassimy gave his thoughts on the match and how to recover from the loss in post game interviews.

“I think it’s just by focusing on each day. We focus on each day and getting better each day as a team and individual,” said Cassimy.

Marcus Carr also added to the post-game discussion, saying “Although obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted, we did do some good things out there so we have to try and build on that for the next game and then try to put it into ending the drought.”

Ottawa is coming off a tough 87-85 loss to the Edmonton Stingers. Keon Ambrose Hylton had himself a stellar game, scoring 23 points on 11-for-15 from the field and grabbing 10 rebounds. Sean East II added energy on offense and on perimeter defense, logging 23 points, four rebounds and three steals. Ottawa’s Isaih Moore led the way for Ottawa, recording 28 points and 15 rebounds, two steals and one block. 

As a team, despite the loss, Ottawa scored 52 points in the paint, and 14 points off of 15 turnovers from Edmonton. However, Edmonton scored 22 bench points to Ottawa’s 13. Another key for Edmonton’s success was their free throw shooting volume, shooting 31 free throws and making 20 of them, while Ottawa only shot 5-for-6. 

Perimeter defense will be key for the Honey Badgers to get a win against Ottawa. In their previous matchup on July 9, Ottawa recorded a season-high 17 made three-pointers and shot 0.540 from beyond the arc. It was a large part of how the BlackJacks were able to erase Brampton’s three-point lead at halftime. Looking back at Brampton’s game against Vancouver July 11, they were able to record a season-high 12 steals by disrupting passing lanes, and staying aggressive without biting too early. It allowed for Brampton to maintain a lead until target-time when Vancouver finally pulled ahead. If they can apply that defensive energy and slow the game down, they can avoid being swept in the series and begin their climb for the last playoff spot. 

Overall, it is going to be an exciting game as a win for both teams can have playoff implications as the season winds down. For Brampton, a one game at a time mentality has them focused on the game ahead as they look to stay in the playoff hunt. For Ottawa, a loss to another playoff team put them under .500. They will need a win to recover quickly and stay ahead of Montreal, who are a game behind them for the third seed in the east. There’s only one way to find out if the cards favor the Honey Badgers so don’t miss the game. You can watch it on CEBL+ and TSN+.

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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

eeldridge@honeybadgers.ca