After losing their rematch to the Ottawa BlackJacks, the Brampton Honey Badgers look to rebound against the Niagara River Lions, Sunday June 29 @ 2:00 pm. 

Brampton currently sits at 3-8 and are currently on the outside looking in for a playoff spot in August. After starting the season 0-6, they got their first win against Winnipeg before losing their first matchup against Niagara. Brampton then went on a two-game win streak against Edmonton and Saskatchewan before losing their rematch to Ottawa 89-76. The defending champion Niagara River Lions currently sit at the top of the Eastern Conference but have shown some signs of a championship hangover at 7-4 and are coming off their worst loss of the season after a 70-102 blowout against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. 

Throughout the Honey Badgers last game against the BlackJacks, Brampton found themselves trailing. But they were not out of the game entirely. In the first quarter they were only down by five and at halftime they found themselves down by seven. For all the struggles in defending Javonte Smart, who finished with 32 points, Brampton was still very much in this game. The BlackJacks finally pulled away in the third quarter as costly turnovers by the Honey Badgers and Quinndary Weatherspoon’s ejection sapped the Honey Badgers’ momentum. 

David Muenkat was Brampton’s best player, finishing with 21 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block. Koby McEwen added 14 points, four rebounds and four assists while Marcus Carr put up 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and one steal off the bench. Prince Oduro was a defensive anchor, leading the team in steals and blocks with two and three respectively, while also scoring six points. 

As a team the Honey Badgers outscored the Ottawa BlackJacks in the paint 30-28 and Brampton’s bench outscored the BlackJacks’ bench 23-20. It proves how close Brampton was to winning this game. However, the Honey Badgers turned over the ball 15 times to Ottawa’s 10 who scored 22 points off Brampton's turnovers. 

The Honey Badgers also shot .380 from the field, their lowest field goal percentage as a team since the team lost to Scarborough in the third game of the season. In post game interviews, Koby McEwen offered his insight on the offense and its struggles in this game.

“I think our offense can be good, guys just got to be in the right spot gotta be able to know what we’re doing and be able to be confident and knock down shots,” McEwen said post game. 

Niagara is coming off their worst loss of the season after losing to Scarborough 70-102. Khalil Ahmad was their highest scorer, scoring 14 points while grabbing six rebounds and logging four assists. Jahvon Blair scored 13 points and Edward Eikyor added 10 points and eight rebounds at the forward position. Off the bench Elijah Lufile put up 10 points and Guilliame Bouchard put up seven points. The River Lions offense struggled shooting .340 from the field, .250 from three-point range and .410 on two point attempts. 

Scarborough on the other hand shot lights out from the field shooting .500 from the field, .550 from two-point range and .410 on three-pointers and at one point, their biggest lead in the game was 34. Their highest scorer was Terquavion Smith who logged 21 points (7-for-14), five rebounds and six assists. Jordan Nichols was another Shooting Star who had an offensive explosion, scoring 20 points (7-for-9), six rebounds and five assists 

The last time the Brampton Honey Badgers and Niagara River Lions faced off, Brampton came up short against the defending champs 94-80. As a team the Honey Badgers outscored the River Lions 34-30 in the paint and 13-10 in second chance points. However, their bench was no match for the River Lions who logged 34 points to the Honey Badgers 13. Even in Niagara’s loss to Scarborough their bench still scored 31 points. If Brampton wants to win, they have to be able to limit Niagara’s bench production. 

Throughout the game, the Honey Badgers struggled to keep up with the River Lions getting outscored 31-16 in the first quarter, including two 9-0 runs in favor of the River Lions. Quinndary Weatherspoon led the team in scoring with 25 points along with grabbing one rebound and five assists. Prince Oduro also had a good game, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds. He was also the defensive anchor of the team, leading the team in steals and blocks with two  each. However, the main event fans will remember was the chippiness that occurred throughout the game which ultimately came to head during the third quarter leading to Amari Kelly and Koby McEwen’s ejection. The Honey Badgers were able to somewhat recover, winning the third quarter 25-20. Unfortunately, they still fell short. 

Both teams are coming off tough losses and need statement wins. Brampton needs a win to give them a greater chance for the playoffs. Viewing the season with a one must-win game at a time mentality is key to getting back to Championship Weekend. For the defending champion River Lions, they need to rebound quickly and maintain their hold on the Eastern Conference. A statement win over the Honey Badgers will be a reminder not just to the league but to themselves that they were champions for a reason. Both teams will be bringing their best, which you can watch on June 29 on 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

eeldridge@honeybadgers.ca