Honey Badgers Visit Over 50 Local Businesses in Downtown Brampton to Celebrate Small Business Month
October 17, 2024
Honey Badgers front office staff were out and about in the streets of Brampton on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate Small Business Month in collaboration with the Downtown Brampton BIA. The team visited over 50 businesses with gifts of appreciation, ranging from local coffee shops to retail stores and restaurants. Thousands of locally owned small businesses call the city home, including over 300 within the downtown community.
“Supporting local businesses is a huge priority for our organization,” said Josie Pingitore, vice president of the Brampton Honey Badgers. “Our organization is committed to continuing our efforts in the community as we look to make strides in utilizing the Honey Badgers as a vehicle for community growth.”
The Honey Badgers first stop Wednesday morning was Trish Juice Brampton, a local go-to destination for a refreshing twist on wellness. In their eighth year of business in Brampton’s downtown core, they are most well-known for their vibrant array of fresh fruit and vegetable smoothies and juices.
“This city is very close to our heart and we are so happy to be a small business in this amazing community,” said Tammy of Trish Juice Brampton. “The most rewarding part of what we do is seeing the smiles on our customer's faces and knowing that we are serving them healthy and nutritious goods every day.”
The team visited Pizzanini for a quick lunch, a family-owned and operated restaurant across from Brampton City Hall that opened in the spring of 2019. Known for their passion, family values, and community involvement, Pizzanini quickly became one of the top-rated pizzerias in the area.
“Building meaningful relationships with people from all walks of life across this city is the best part of being a small business,” said Mark Sich, owner of Pizzanini. “The community support we’ve received since the day we opened has been overwhelming. The downtown Brampton community is truly one big family, and it means a lot to us to be a part of it.”
Additional businesses that were featured in this initiative include but are not limited to Downtown Brampton Wellness Centre, Indian Curry Express & Bar, Brampton Boxing, La Favorita, and Hopen Doors.
Brampton Honey Badgers season tickets are now available in advance of the CEBL's seventh season which tips off in May 2025. Visit honeybadgers.ca/tickets or contact tickets@honeybadgers.com for more information.
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 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 12 players with NBA experience in 2024. 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. Twenty one 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 BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
Once the dust settled on a game that saw 17 lead changes and neither team lead by more than eight points, it was the Scarborough Shooting Stars who walked away with their perfect record intact. The East-leading squad improved to 3-0 after a 91-84 victory on Thursday over the visiting Saskatchewan Rattlers (0-4) at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Spearheading that effort was Donovan Williams, who finished with a CEBL career-high of 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting from the field and five made triples. Yuri Collins did his part as well, chipping in 18 points, eight assists and two steals, while Hasan Ward added a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kobe Elvis put up nine points and five assists, finishing as Scarborough’s only bench player with a positive plus-minus (plus-nine). “That’s something we prepare for,” Williams said after the win when asked about the back-and-forth nature of the game. “Being able to get hit and hit back, this is a league full of great players … we understand we’re a gritty team, we have to work hard, so when teams make runs, you just weather the storm.” On the other side, Saskatchewan was led by recent-signee Jordan Bowden. The import finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting off the bench in his Rattlers debut, reminding fans why he ranked top 15 in scoring last season with the Montreal Alliance. Cody John wasn’t far behind as the Mississauga, Ont. native put up 18 points and four assists, albeit struggling efficiency wise, going 6-of-15 from the field. Grant Anticevich and Nate-Pierre Louis chipped in 12 and 11 points respectively, while Jaden Bediako scored nine to go with his game-high 14 rebounds. Entering the game, Shooting Stars head coach Mike De Giorgio’s message to his team was simple. “We have to come out and punch first,” the first-year CEBL bench boss said pre-game. “Get ourselves going and hopefully sustain it for 40 minutes.” And count that message received, specifically by Williams, who proved to be the tone-setter for Scarborough early on. The UNLV product made five of his first six shots as he scored 12 points in the opening frame while the Shooting Stars carved out a slim 22-21 lead — showcasing why he now leads the league in scoring with 25.3 points per game. “That’s his challenge every night,” De Giorgio said of Williams post-game. “He’s our leader, our best player, he’s the dude we’re relying on to do a whole lot of different things, not just score. So when he can do that for us, we’re going to be tough to beat.” That lead only grew in the second as Williams’ strong play — scoring Scarborough’s first eight points of the quarter and finishing the half with 25, the last three of which came on an off-balance triple right before the buzzer — was coupled with some sloppy ball handling by the Rattlers. Saskatchewan racked up 10 turnovers through the first 20 minutes, giving up 15 points off those giveaways as they trailed 48-43 at the break. An uncharacteristic showing from a Rattlers team that averaged 15.3 turnovers per game entering the day — finishing the loss with a total of 19. “It’s frustrating and you get sick of silver linings,” Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said post-game of his team’s winless start. “But we’ve lost a game by two, four and seven … we’re right there and we know we’re right there. Just have to put together the final couple pieces.” And while the Rattlers did respond coming out of halftime, winning the third quarter (26-22) and briefly taking the lead thanks to a 7-2 run toward the end of the frame, consecutive buckets from Kobe Elvis and Williams put the Shootings Stars back up 70-69 ahead of the fourth quarter. Scarborough pushed that lead up to five (82-77) going into Target Score time before ultimately walking away with a seven-point victory. And just like he did in the Shooting Stars’ first win of the season, Collins closed out the game with a near-identical stepback jumper from the left elbow. The first-year CEBLer is making a strong early case for Clutch Player of the Year as he’s hit all three of Scarborough’s Target time winners this season. “It’s a sense of relief,” Williams said when asked what it’s like playing with Collins in late-game situations. “Understanding games like this where I’m hot throughout the game, teams are focusing in on me, the last three games Yuri has taken advantage of one-on-one matchups, and it feels good to have a guy like that.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600581 Up next The Rattlers will get little time to dwell on the outcome as they’ll visit the Niagara River Lions (3-1) on Friday for the second leg of a GTA back-to-back. It’ll be the second and final meeting between the cross-conference opponents after Saskatchewan narrowly fell 88-86 to the defending champs in their first meeting last Saturday. Meanwhile, the Shooting Stars will get much more rest as they won’t return to the court until next Friday (June 6) when it’ll be their turn to take on the River Lions. Next CEBL action Another East vs. West matchup will wrap up Thursday’s slate, with the 0-4 Honey Badgers visiting the 3-1 Surge. Brampton’s search for a first win resumes in Calgary at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
In a battle of two desperate teams, it was Edmonton that emerged victorious over Brampton on Wednesday. The Stingers beat the Honey Badgers 99-81 at the Edmonton Expo Centre, rebounding from a blowout loss to West rival Vancouver in their previous game to improve to 2-3. Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers remain winless, falling to 0-4 on the season. Edmonton led 90-77 when the clock was stopped for Target Score Time. During a slow offensive start to the final stage of the game, the Stingers held up defensively until they were able to take the lid off the rim on the other end. Eventually, Laurier University’s Taye Donald polished off the victory by nailing a three-pointer. Edmonton head coach Jordan Baker said it was nice to pick up the win in front of the Stingers’ home crowd — especially coming off the Bandits loss. “It was great to be able to bounce back after our subpar performance against Vancouver. I thought guys put in a good solid effort on the defensive side of things and shared a little bit more on offence,” Baker said. The Stingers has experienced a somewhat rocky start to the season with a pair of one-possession defeats preceding the Bandits game. Baker said he worked his players a little harder in practice over the past week as a result, challenging them to bounce back against Brampton. And bounce back they did. “That’s what professional basketball’s about. It’s about taking some coaching and taking a look in the mirror when you have a subpar performance and I think guys did a good job of responding,” Baker said. Sean East II led the Stingers with 27 points while contributing seven assists and six rebounds, continuing the strong start to his first CEBL season. Aaron Rhooms, the Toronto native who just wrapped his fourth-year season with the TMU Bold, sparked Edmonton with 15 points off the bench in the first half en route to scoring 19 in the game. “My coaches are always telling me stay ready. My teammates are always telling me stay ready,” Rhooms said. “So that’s what I did.” For Brampton, NBA champion Quinndary Weatherspoon led the way with 21 points while Honey Badgers mainstay Prince Oduro had 17 points and four rebounds. Head coach Sheldon Cassimy said that even amid the Honey Badgers’ slow start, the team is taking the long view with the goal of peaking at the end of the season. “I think we consistently show flashes of how good we can be. So it’s just a matter of us staying together through the losing streak and knowing that there’s still a whole other 20 games left, so it could turn around very easily,” Cassimy said. Amari Kelly, the American competing in his first CEBL season, also posted 17 points to go with six rebounds. He said his team lacked the requisite physicality against a smaller Stingers squad. “I think we could have done a little bit better job on the glass and being physical in the paint. Defensively, we weren’t locked in,” Kelly said. The Stingers led 28-24 after a fast-paced first quarter. After Brampton fought back to tie things at 30, Edmonton responded with a 23-12 run and walked into the locker rooms at halftime with a 53-42 advantage. In the third quarter, the Stingers held the Honey Badgers at arm’s length until Cameron McGriff converted on a four-point play, extending their lead to 17. They led 78-61 heading into the final frame, and the result was hardly in doubt from there. Now, the Stingers are hoping to capitalize on their breakthrough win. While it’s still early, the West looks strong with 4-0 Vancouver and 3-1 Calgary. Rhooms said Edmonton just needs to focus on playing its own brand of basketball. “We can light up the scoreboard at any time of the game. It’s just a matter of staying consistent, trusting each other and just doing what we do,” he said. The Stingers’ next challenge comes Friday in a rematch against the Bandits. “Overall pretty happy,” Baker said after the win, “but we know that Vancouver’s coming to town in a couple days and we gotta regroup pretty quickly.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600580 Up Next The Honey Badgers wrap up their Alberta road trip on Thursday against the Calgary Surge, while the Stingers host the Vancouver Bandits on Friday. Next CEBL Action In addition to Brampton-Calgary on Thursday, the Scarborough Shooting Stars will hold another school day game with an 11 a.m. ET tip at home against the Saskatchewan Rattlers. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
It wasn’t pretty, but the Vancouver Bandits (4-0) remained undefeated all the same. A 100-89 road win over the Winnipeg Sea Bears (1-3) on Wednesday night was the latest victory for the CEBL-leading squad, one which they earned after rallying from down 13 in the first half. Spearheading Vancouver’s fourth-consecutive double-digit win was yet again the three-headed monster of Kyle Mangas (game-high 27 points), Mitch Creek (23 points and nine assists) and Tyrese Samuel (16 points on 7-of-9 shooting). The trio proved why they all rank within the top 10 for scoring in the league this season as they combined to account for 66 per cent of the Bandits offensive production on the night. Meanwhile, MiKyle Mcintosh chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and two steals in his 15 minutes off the bench. On the other side, Tevian Jones led the Sea Bears with his team-high 23 points, six assists and five steals. The import guard struggled efficiency-wise, however, as he shot just 6-of-17 from the field and went 4-of-14 from distance — the only Sea Bears starter to finish with a negative plus-minus (minus-15). Jaylin Williams finished with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while Terry Roberts and Alex Campbell put up 16 and 11 points to round of Winnipeg’s double-digit scorers. “Credit to Vancouver, they’re a good team, but everything we could control, we didn’t,” Campbell said following the Sea Bears’ third-consecutive loss. “Energy, effort, second chance plays … those compiled.” They say three-pointers are the great equalizer, and Winnipeg proved that point early on Wednesday, using the long-ball to punch first against the league’s hottest team. The Sea Bears opened the game with an 11-4 run that was sparked by a 3-of-4 shooting start from beyond the arc. The trio of makes from Jones, Williams and Campbell were an encouraging change as Winnipeg entered the night last in the CEBL in three-point percentage (24.8) despite ranking second in attempts per game (36.3). They ended up hitting 4-of-8 triples in the opening frame to carve out a 29-23 lead after 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Vancouver did itself no favours early, uncharacteristically turning the ball over seven times through the first quarter – a number that was already more than half its usual average per game (12.3) that ranked second-lowest in the CEBL. Had it not been for the Bandits giving up 21 points off their many first-half turnovers, they may have avoided their first victory of less than at least 30 points. “I thought we were asleep at the wheel in the first half,” Vancouver head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said of his team’s sloppy start. “There was this aura of nonchalance.” Neither of those early trends lasted, however, as the Sea Bears hot shooting cooled off — finishing 10-of-38 (26 per cent) — and the Bandits limited them to just eight points off giveaways the rest of the way. Those changes allowed the league’s top offence to get to work as Vancouver went on a 21-4 run between the end of the second quarter and start of the third, taking their first lead of the ball game after trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half and facing a 48-45 deficit at the break. And the Bandits held onto that momentum throughout the frame largely thanks to Mangas who caught fire. The import guard went a 6-of-7 from the field for 15 points in the third as Vancouver outscored Winnipeg 34-11 in the third and ended the frame on a 17-0 run as they broke open the largest lead of the game. The Sea Bears did show some resilience in the final frame, cutting a 79-59 deficit entering the fourth down as low as seven points during Target Score time. “For the majority of the game, there were a lot of positives,” Winnipeg head coach and general manager Mike Taylor said post-game. “But that third quarter, we got sped up a little bit, made poor decisions … for the majority of the game we made strides but we weren’t consistent enough and that stretch came back to haunt us.” Vancouver kept Winnipeg at arm’s length however, thanks to timely offence by its leading scorers. A dunk from Samuel stopped an 8-0 Sea Bears run and then Mangas finished things by hitting back-to-back triples — the final two of his five makes from distance on the night. “That was really good,” Julius said on his team facing some adversity. “We got punched in the mouth in the first half and I thought that response was really good in the third quarter.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600579 Up next The Bandits return on Friday as they’ll visit the Edmonton Stingers (1-3) for the second of four matchups this season. It’ll be a swift rematch following last Saturday’s contest in which Vancouver picked up a dominant 109-79 win. Meanwhile, the Sea Bears resume play on Saturday as they host the 1-2 Ottawa BlackJacks before leaving Winnipeg for a two-game road trip. Next CEBL action A pair of winless teams continue their search for victories on Thursday, starting with the 0-3 Saskatchewan Rattlers visiting the 2-0 Scarborough Shooting Stars at 11 a.m. ET. After that, the 0-3 Brampton Honey Badgers wrap up a two-game road trip by taking on the 3-1 Calgary Surge at 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. local. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
The former Montreal Alliance guard has previously played in 123 games in the NBA G League across five seasons
Une faute volontaire a été commise par les Shooting Stars de Scarborough afin de récupérer la possession du ballon. Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa menaient 86-85 avec un pointage cible fixé à 87, mais le meneur américain de Scarborough, Yuri Collins, a scellé la victoire avec un tir mi-distance décisif lors de cette rencontre spéciale, le tout premier match à domicile de Scarborough cette saison, joué devant des écoles locales. Le match en matinée d’aujourd’hui s’est terminé sur un fil. Ottawa était revenu à deux points à la mi-temps, et le va-et-vient constant a donné lieu à un match palpitant devant 1205 spectateurs. Les enfants issus de 19 écoles différentes ont eu droit à un spectacle de basketball compétitif. Scarborough a adopté un style de jeu rapide en première mi-temps. Collins a imposé un rythme rapide, parfois au détriment de la possession, ce qui a occasionné quelques pertes de balle. Mais lorsque cela fonctionnait, ça leur permettait de tenter un tir à trois points en moins de trois secondes. L’équipe a tenté 17 tirs à trois points en première mi-temps (cinq réussis) et a terminé la rencontre avec un total de 10 sur 30 derrière l’arc. Ottawa a concédé quatre pertes de balle de plus que Scarborough, qui a aussi inscrit deux points de plus à la suite de ces erreurs. Juste avant la période du pointage cible, la vedette d’Ottawa, Deng Adel – meilleur marqueur du match avec 26 points – avait répondu avec deux paniers consécutifs. Ensuite, Tyrell Tate a réussi deux lancers francs pour égaliser le score à 78, rendant le match complètement ouvert. « Nous avons joué deux matchs serrés jusqu’à présent et nous avons perdu les deux », a déclaré l'entraîneur-chef d’Ottawa, Dave DeAveiro, au sujet de son désir de voir son équipe mieux performer durant la période du pointage cible. Scarborough affiche maintenant un bilan de 2-0 en ce début de saison, mais l'entraîneur-chef Mike DeGiorgio a souligné l’importance de ne pas se contenter de tirs à trois points. « Je pense qu’on doit d’abord chercher à pénétrer dans la clé avant de tirer de loin, » a-t-il expliqué, évoquant le problème lorsque le ballon ne fait juste que tourner autour de l’arc. « Une fois qu’on s’est concentrés sur l’attaque de la clé et sur les passes vers les coins pour des tirs à trois points, ce sont ces tirs-là qu’on a fini par réussir en fin de match. » Ce qui a aidé Scarborough à obtenir cette deuxième victoire, c’est leur meilleur marqueur Donovan Williams (23 points) et ses chaussures étincelantes, sortant du banc pendant la période du pointage cible. Williams avait été mis de côté au quatrième quart après avoir accumulé quatre fautes personnelles. Il s’est aussitôt illustré avec deux paniers consécutifs, dont le second avec la faute pour un jeu de trois points. Feuille de match https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600578 Prochaines rencontres pour les deux équipes Les Shooting Stars de Scarborough recevront les Rattlers de Saskatchewan lors d'une autre rencontre scolaire le jeudi 29 mai. Les BlackJacks d’Ottawa se dirigeront vers l’Ouest pour affronter les Sea Bears de Winnipeg le samedi 31 mai au Canada Life Centre. Prochains matchs de la LECB Les Sea Bears de Winnipeg accueilleront les Bandits de Vancouver ce mercredi 28 mai. Vancouver demeure invaincu avec un bilan de 3-0, tandis que Winnipeg cherchera à atteindre la barre des .500 avec un dossier actuel de 1-2. Pour le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB et les résultats à jour, veuillez visiter cebl.ca/games . - LECB -
À nos précieux partisans, joueurs et partenaires, Après un examen attentif et en consultation avec les BlackJacks d'Ottawa et l'Alliance de Montréal, la Ligue élite canadienne de basketball (LECB) a officiellement déclaré que le match en plein air disputé au Stade IGA le dimanche 25 mai est un match conclu sans résultat en raison de conditions de jeu impraticables qui ont forcé l'arrêt du match à la mi-temps. Bien que l'événement ait été historique par son ambition et l'engagement des partisans, la sécurité de nos joueurs et l'intégrité de la compétition demeurent nos priorités absolues. Ainsi, le match ne reprendra pas et sera officiellement enregistré sans résultat (classifié dans le sport comme un « match conclu sans résultat »), ce qui signifie qu'aucun résultat ne sera inscrit au classement de la saison régulière de la LECB pour le moment. Si le positionnement des séries éliminatoires de la Conférence de l'Est est affecté par le résultat de ce match interrompu sans résultat, la LECB considérera une solution juste et appropriée en accord avec nos standards compétitifs et en consultation avec les deux équipes. Nous sommes reconnaissants envers les partisans qui ont rendu cette soirée inoubliable - de leurs encouragements sous les étoiles à tout ce qu'ils ont fait pour aider le match à continuer. Votre énergie et votre dévouement illustrent ce qui rend cette ligue si spéciale. Merci de votre compréhension et de votre soutien continu alors que nous avançons ensemble. Bureau de la LECB - LECB -
To our valued fans, players, and partners, After careful review and in consultation with both the Ottawa BlackJacks and the Montréal Alliance, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) has officially declared the outdoor game played at IGA Stadium on Sunday, May 25, concluded as a no contest due to floor conditions that forced the game to be paused at halftime. While the event was historic in its ambition and fan engagement, the safety of our players and the integrity of competition remain our top priorities. As such, the game will not resume and will be officially recorded without a result (classified in sports as a ‘no contest’), meaning no outcome will be entered into the CEBL’s regular season standings at this time. If Eastern Conference playoff positioning is impacted by the result of the no contest, the CEBL will consider a fair and appropriate solution in alignment with our competitive standards and in consultation with both teams. We are grateful to the fans who made the night unforgettable – from cheering under the stars to doing everything they could to help the game continue. Your energy and dedication exemplify what makes this league so special. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we move forward together. CEBL League Office - CEBL -
A deliberate foul was made by the Scarborough Shooting Stars to gain possession of the ball. The Ottawa Blackjacks were up 86-85 with the target score set at 87, but Scarborough’s import guard Yuri Collins iced the game with a clutch pull-up mid-range jumper in today’s School Day game – Scarborough’s first home game of the season. Today’s matinee ended in a coin flip. Ottawa inched within two points by the end of the first half, and the constant back-and-forth made for entertaining basketball in front of 1,205 fans. The kids who came from 19 different schools got to witness competitive basketball. Scarborough pushed an up-tempo style in the first half. Collins pushed an uncomfortable pace at times, it even resulted in some turnovers. When it worked, however, it led to a 3-point attempt in less than three seconds. They attempted 17 three-pointers in the first half (five made) and finished the game 10-for-30 beyond the arc. Ottawa had four more turnovers than Scarborough, and Scarborough was plus-two in points off turnovers.Right before Target Time, Ottawa’s star Deng Adel, who led all scorers with 26 points, had answered with back-to-back baskets. Tyrell Tate then hit two free throws to tie the game at 78 apiece, making it anyone’s game. “We’ve been in two close games now and we’ve come up short in both,” said Ottawa’s head coach Dave DeAveiro about his desire to get his team to play better in Target Time. Scarborough is now 2-0 to start the season, but head coach Mike DeGiorgio recognized the importance of not settling for three-point shots. “I think we got to focus on getting paint touches before we shoot the three,” he said about the problem when the ball just swings around the arc. “Once we started focusing on getting to the paint and hitting the kick-out corner threes, those are the ones we ended up making down the stretch.” What helped propel Scarborough to its second victory was Scarborough’s leading scorer Donovan Williams (23 points) and his sparkling shoes coming off the bench in Target Time. Williams was sidelined in the fourth due to racking up four fouls. He instantly made his presence felt with back-to-back buckets, the second one resulting in an and-one. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600578 Up next for both teams Scarborough will host the Saskatchewan Rattlers at another School Day game on Thursday, May 29. Ottawa heads west to play the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Saturday, May 31 at Canada Life Centre. Next CEBL action The Winnipeg Sea Bears will host the Vancouver Bandits on Wednesday, May 28th. Vancouver remains undefeated at 3-0, and Winnipeg will be looking to get to .500 as they currently sit with a 1-2 record. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games . - CEBL -
The reigning CEBL Championship Final MVP and two-time CEBL Clutch Player of the Year rejoins the River Lions
Trois victoires dominantes. Deux records de franchise. Une différence de points de +107. On peut dire sans se tromper que les Bandits de Vancouver sont en pleine forme ces temps-ci — et c’est peu dire. « C’est un groupe d’individus très, très talentueux, à la fois ambitieux et altruistes, réunis au bon moment. », a déclaré la vedette des Bandits, Mitch Creek. « Il n’y a pas de recette secrète, à part faire les choses correctement et traiter les joueurs avec respect. » Creek est l’un des trois joueurs des Bandits qui affichent une moyenne de plus de 20 points par match, avec 23,7. Il est accompagné du Canadien Tyrese Samuel (24,3) et de l’Américain Kyle Mangas, spécialiste du tir extérieur (21). En tant qu’équipe, Vancouver affiche une moyenne de 107,7 points par match — soit plus de 10 points de plus que l’équipe en deuxième position, qui a pourtant disputé plusieurs matchs. Mais la véritable mise à l’épreuve commencera cette semaine, avec trois matchs en cinq jours. Les Bandits entament un voyage qui les mènera d’abord à Winnipeg pour affronter les Sea Bears mercredi, puis à Edmonton contre les Stingers vendredi, avant de revenir à la maison pour accueillir le Surge de Calgary dimanche. L’un des nouveaux défis liés au calendrier élargi de la LECB cette saison est la gestion de cette charge de travail — surtout avec des effectifs qui évoluent constamment. L’entraîneur Julius affirme toutefois que son équipe est prête à affronter tout ce qui se présentera. « Tu peux battre une équipe de 20 points un soir, puis l’affronter à nouveau cinq jours plus tard avec un cinq partant complètement différent… Je pense que le mieux, c’est d’y aller jour après jour, possession par possession », a-t-il déclaré. Et les adversaires des Bandits ne sont pas à prendre à la légère. Avec une fiche de 1-2, Winnipeg n’a pas connu le départ espéré cette saison — et voudra sans doute défendre son terrain avec ardeur après avoir subi une correction contre le Surge dimanche. Une autre équipe en quête de revanche attend les Bandits à Edmonton vendredi. Les Stingers (1-3) voudront rebondir après avoir encaissé une défaite de 30 points à Vancouver samedi. Ils sont restés compétitifs pendant un quart-temps, mais n’ont pas réussi à suivre le rythme offensif effréné des Bandits. Cela dit, les trois autres matchs d’Edmonton se sont terminés avec un écart de trois points ou moins. Le débutant Sean East II, combiné à l’ancien Sea Bear Scottie Lindsey, mène une attaque offensive solide. Calgary semble être, en ce début de saison, la plus grande menace des Bandits dans l’Ouest. Le Surge (3-1) vient de remporter deux matchs consécutifs contre les Sea Bears, et sa seule défaite a été concédée de justesse, par seulement quatre points, contre les champions en titre, les River Lions de Niagara. Du côté du Surge, le meneur Jameer Nelson Jr. s’impose déjà comme l’une des révélations de ce début de saison. Mais la véritable histoire de ce début de saison, c’est Vancouver. Après trois matchs, les Bandits sont invaincus. Mais après trois autres cette semaine, on en saura beaucoup plus à leur sujet. Scarborough accueille les écoles Les Shooting Stars ont été les derniers à faire leurs débuts cette saison, amorçant leur campagne avec une victoire de 90-76 contre les Honey Badgers de Brampton dimanche. Ils sont maintenant de retour à la maison pour deux matchs qui promettent d’être électrisants. Les Shooting Stars entament leur série de matchs au Pan Am Sports Centre de Toronto avec deux rencontres scolaires cette semaine : mardi contre les BlackJacks d’Ottawa, et jeudi contre les Rattlers de Saskatchewan. Les deux matchs débuteront à 11 h (HE). Scarborough a offert une attaque équilibrée lors de son match d’ouverture, avec cinq joueurs qui ont inscrit au moins dix points, menés par Donovan Williams avec 19. Le joueur de la G League Yuri Collins a inscrit 13 points et six passes décisives à sa première apparition dans la LECB. L’entraîneur-chef Mike DeGiorgio a aussi pu compter sur l’ancien Honey Badger David Walker, auteur de 10 points en sortie de banc, alors qu’il tente de guider les Shooting Stars vers un deuxième titre dans l’histoire de la franchise. Ottawa (1-1) cherchera à passer au-dessus de la barre des ,500, tandis que la Saskatchewan (0-3) est toujours à la recherche d’une première victoire cette saison. Horaire de la semaine (neuf matchs) Match #16 – Mardi 27 mai – OTT à SSS – 11 h (HE) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #17 – Mercredi 28 mai – VAN à WPG – 19 h (HAC) / 17 h (HP) / 20 h (HE) – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #18 – Mercredi 28 mai – BHB à EDM – 19 h (HRM) / 21 h (HE) – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #19 – Jeudi 29 mai – SSK à SSS – 11 h (HE) / 9 h (HNC) – Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #20 – Jeudi 29 mai – BHB à CGY – 19 h 30 (HRM) / 21 h 30 (HE) – WinSport Event Centre (CEBL+, TSN+) Match #21 – Vendredi 30 mai – SSK à NRL – 19 h (HE) / 17 h (HNC) – Meridian Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #22 – Vendredi 30 mai – VAN à EDM – 19 h (HRM) / 18 h (HP) / 21 h (HE) – Edmonton EXPO Centre (CEBL+, TSN+, NLSE) Match #23 – Samedi 31 mai – OTT à WPG – 19 h 30 (HAC) / 20 h 30 (HE) – Canada Life Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Match #24 – Dimanche 1er juin – CGY à VAN – 17 h (HP) / 18 h (HRM) / 20 h (HE) – Langley Events Centre (Game+, CEBL+, TSN+) Pour consulter le calendrier complet de la saison 2025 de la LECB, visitez le site cebl.ca/games .