The Winnipeg Sea Bears and the Brampton Honey Badgers secured their spots in the Canadian Elite Basketball League championship series by winning their respective conference finals over the weekend. Xavier Moon, a three-time CEBL MVP, led the Sea Bears to a 107-96 victory over the Vancouver Bandits in the Western Conference Final. On the other side, the Honey Badgers defeated the Niagara River Lions 91-81 to clinch the Eastern title.
This year, the league champion will be determined through a best-of-three series instead of a single-game format. The first game is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET, with Brampton hosting Game 1 before the series moves to Winnipeg for Game 2 and a potential Game 3.
Moon, alongside Winnipeg native Simon Hildebrandt, propelled the Sea Bears to their first-ever final. Moon scored 24 points in the absence of injured star Teddy Allen, while Hildebrandt also contributed 24 points, including the game-winning three-point shot. Moon’s return to the CEBL this season after a five-year hiatus has been impactful for the Sea Bears.
In the Eastern Conference Final, Brampton’s Tyrese Hunter and Sean East II played key roles in securing their team’s victory. East II scored 22 points, and Hunter nailed a game-winning three-pointer among his five made shots from beyond the arc. The Honey Badgers are aiming to become one of the few teams to win two CEBL championships, joining Niagara and the Edmonton Stingers.
With both teams showcasing their strengths in the conference finals, the upcoming championship series between the Sea Bears and the Honey Badgers promises to be an exciting showdown in the CEBL.