The Brampton Honey Badgers and the Winnipeg Sea Bears emerged victorious in their conference finals on Saturday, setting the stage for the Canadian Elite Basketball League championship series clash. The Sea Bears, led by three-time CEBL MVP Xavier Moon, defeated the Vancouver Bandits 107-96 in the Western Conference Final. On the other side, the Honey Badgers secured the Eastern title by beating the Niagara River Lions 91-81. This season marks a shift from a single-game format to a best-of-three series to determine the league champion.
The upcoming championship series will kick off with Game 1 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, with Brampton hosting the first game before the series moves to Winnipeg for Game 2 and, if needed, Game 3. Moon played a pivotal role in leading the Sea Bears to their first-ever final, scoring 24 points in the absence of injured star Teddy Allen. Winnipeg native Simon Hildebrandt also contributed 24 points, with Isiah Osborne sealing the victory with a crucial three-point shot.
Moon and Hildebrandt’s strong three-point shooting propelled Winnipeg to their second playoff win. Moon, 31, returned to the CEBL this season after a five-year hiatus. Meanwhile, Brampton’s Tyrese Hunter delivered a game-winning three-pointer to secure the victory against the River Lions, led by Shamar Givance’s 21 points and Tevin Brown and MVP Mitch Creek’s contributions.
The Honey Badgers, with stars like Sean East II and Trentyn Flowers, are aiming to add another championship to their record alongside Niagara and the Edmonton Stingers as the only teams with two CEBL titles. The stage is set for an exciting championship series between the Honey Badgers and Sea Bears, promising intense competition and thrilling basketball action for fans.