July 6 GAME PREVIEW: Brampton @ Vancouver
The Brampton Honey Badgers are back on the road after a five-game homestand as they get ready to play against the league’s number-one Vancouver Bandits Sunday, July 6 @ 8:00pm.
Brampton’s home stretch was a mixed bag overall, it gave fans some great basketball to watch, including two straight wins against Edmonton and Saskatchewan, and their largest victory of the season over the Niagara River Lions. However, they lost their rematch to Ottawa and ended it with a loss to the Calgary Surge on July 3. This puts their current record at 4-9 with the regular season beginning to wind down. They are still in the playoff hunt but need to start rattling off wins if they want to get to Championship Weekend for the first time since 2022. Vancouver has been on fire throughout the season. They sit at the top of the Western Conference at 10-3 and are looking to get back to the CEBL finals after losing to the Niagara River Lions. They just recently beat the Scarborough Shooting Stars 100-97 in a narrow victory.
It was a tough loss for the Brampton Honey Badgers last night against the Calgary Surge. Right out of the gate, they struggled to keep up with Calgary or match their size defensively. This would be a theme for most of the night as they gave up 42 points in the paint and 27 points off turnovers. On the other end of the court, Brampton only scored 32 points in the paint as Koby McEwen and Quinndary Weatherspoon were stifled on offense. McEwen finished with 10 points on .200 from the field before being ejected while Quinndary finished with 13 points on 0.333 shooting and three turnovers.
Head Coach Sheldon Cassimy offered insight into Quinndary’s struggles. “I think some of it is him adjusting to the style of play over here. I think at times he’s not getting the benefit of the doubt with some of the calls but there’s also things that he can get better at and continue to work on. He’s been trying to do so. I feel like in the second half of the game, he was better. But, you know he’s a good player and I think he’s gonna figure it out. So some of that is on him and some of that is on me,” Cassimy said in post-game interviews.
Carr was Brampton’s best player off the bench. He logged his season high 20 points (7-for-11) from the field, six rebounds and seven assists. He made some huge plays including an and-one three-pointer in the first quarter to give the Honey Badger’s life. Another role player who stepped up in absence of the main stars was Bryson Wiliams, who finished with a season-high 13 points and was the defensive anchor coming off the bench, finishing with six rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Together they were on the of the few positives of the game as they combined for 33 points off the bench for the Honey Badgers, their highest total of the season.
Their opponent, the Vancouver Bandits, are looking to get a statement win after a narrow 100-97 victory against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. Zach Copeland and Mitch Creek were the top players for the Bandits as they combined for 48 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Corey Davis Jr. ran the offense well at point, sharing the rock to the tune of 12 assists while scoring 18 points of his own.
As a team the Bandits scored 27 points off turnovers and 26 fast break points. They also crashed the glass, leading to 13 second chance points and 34 points in the paint. However, they also gave up 19 second chance points and 56 points in the paint. If the Honey Badgers can take advantage of the paint struggles for the Bandits, they will improve their chance of grabbing a W.
It’s going to be a fun reunion for Koby McEwen, playing against his former team in Vancouver after being such a huge part of their finals run last year. While in Vancouver, McEwen averaged 18.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. In the playoffs he was still solid, logging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in two playoff games. He elevated his game in the CEBL Finals, scoring 20 points while grabbing three rebounds, dishing out an assist and getting a steal.
However, he isn’t the only former Bandit on the team as recent addition Marcus Carr will also be getting ready to play against his former team. Carr got his start in the CEBL with the Vancouver Bandits in 2024 where he acted as a solid backup guard, averaging 7.3 points 1.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists. He stood out in the CEBL finals, recording nine points, three rebounds and one assist off the bench.
To replace the loss of McEwen and Carr, Vancouver made two huge additions in Kyle Mangas and Tyrese Samuel. Originally playing in Lithuania where he made the Basketball Champions League, Mangas has acclimated very well to the CEBL, averaging 17.8 points 5.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. He;s also been solid on the defensive end, averaging 1.4 steals. In his first season in the CEBL, Tyrese Samuel has been a huge piece of Vancouver’s success. The SEC star is averaging 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals. They also added solid role players in Corey Davis Jr. and James Karnik. Davis is currently averaging 12.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists. Karnik on the other hand, has been solid, recording 9.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks.
This will be a big test for the Honey Badgers who have been above .500 after the first six games of the season. A win keeps their season and their playoff hopes alive, but it will not be easy as they face a squad who has been dominating the league thus far at 10-3. Overall, it’s another interesting game for the Brampton Honey Badgers which you can watch on Game+, 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.
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Brampton Honey Badgers