The Brampton Honey Badgers dropped a 107-86 decision to Mexico's Libertadores on Thursday at the CAA Centre in Brampton to close out their Basketball Champions League Americas campaign. “I think we’re on the right track, figuring things out,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said. “This is our second year being in the BCLA. I think the roster turnover [was a challenge]. If we can get the right roster together, I think we will improve from game to game.” Though the game was closer than the final score suggests, Libertadores never trailed and exploded for a 37-point fourth quarter to blow the game open late. “Today I don't think the score really shows how we actually grew as a team,” Cassimy said. “I believe when we get the right roster together from the beginning, we can build together and have a better performance next year.” Ismael Romero led all scorers with 26 points to go with 11 rebounds for Libertadores while Elijah Holman scored 15 points, Branden Frazier had 14 and Trahson Burrell added 13. The Honey Badgers were led by a 19-point, eight-rebound performance from Elijah Lufile, while Jahvon Henry-Blair and Sean Miller-Moore added 15 points apiece and Chad Posthumus scored 10 points. “Give credit to the other team,” Lufile said. Really great shooters.” Brampton trailed by 11 after the opening 10 minutes as Libertadores opened the game shooting 60 percent in the quarter, including 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. Libertadotes finished the game shooting 61 percent from the floor and 54 percent from beyond the arc where they finished 14-for-26. In comparison, Brampton shot 43 percent from the floor and 30 percent from deep, making just 7-of-26 three-point attempts. The second quarter was much closer, as Brampton outscored Libertadores by a point, 22-21, to go into the half trailing by 10 after a strong effort from Posthumus inside, Lufile on the offensive glass, and Henry-Blair hitting multiple three-pointers, including one to close the quarter. “I think [it’s like] Coach mentioned last game, in the first half we were trying to gel together a little bit, just having a slow start,” Lufile said. “Each day we got a lot better but it just seemed like we couldn’t get there.” Brampton scored first to open the second half with a corner three from Murphy Burnatowski, to trim the deficit to seven points. A hook shot from Posthumus made it a six-point game before back-to-back buckets from Libertadores. After a layup from Miller-Moore and a three-pointer from Jaylen Babb-Harrison, the deficit was five. A steal from Burnatowski was finished in transition by Miller-Moore to make it a three-point game as Libertadores called timeout with 7:09 remaining in the third. With their lead shrinking, Libertadores dug in and went on an 8-0 run to go back in front by 11, before free throws from Daniel Mullings and then a three from Kemy Osse brought Brampton back within six with 40 seconds remaining in the quarter. After Frazier made two of three free throws, Osse connected on a pull-up jumper to get Brampton within six, 70-64, after three. Lufile opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a pair of free throws and then the teams traded three-point plays. Despite Brampton’s best efforts, Libertadores led by double figures throughout much of the fourth quarter. Brampton trailed by 11 with 4:01 remaining when Libertadores scored eight straight to extend their lead to 19 points with 2:22 remaining. They went on to pick up their fifth victory in the group phase of the BCLA's. Despite the loss, Cassimy enjoyed the team’s BCLA’s second consecutive experience and had high praise for both Mexico’s Libertadores and Nicaragua’s Real Esteli.  “I’ll be shocked if these two teams are not in the final four or the finals,” he said. “They had really good vets that understand the game and it was a really good experience for our young guys to learn how to attack different defences and how to play the right way.”

After losing the opening quarter 33-18, the Honey Badgers outscored Nicaragua's Real Esteli 75-66 over the final three quarters and were within four points in the final seconds of the game before running out of time to complete the comeback. “I think a huge part of it is we’ve had turnover in our roster and the guys are getting used to playing with each other,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said after the loss. Brampton had an all-Canadian roster for Tuesday’s game, their first of two in this third window of group play in this year’s BCLA championship tournament. “This is really the first time this group has played together and it took a little bit of time for us to fully gel and see what was working with our lineup,” Cassimy continued. “We had a good effort in the third and it carried over to the fourth and I think we’ll be able to put together a good full game coming up against Libertadores.” Jezreel De Jesus led all scorers with 25 points for Real Esteli, while Thomas Robinson added 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists and Davon Jefferson added 20 points and eight rebounds as all five starters finished in double figures. Jahvon Henry-Blair led Brampton with 24 points and Elijah Lufile scored 15 points in his CEBL/BCLA debut, while also finishing with a game-high 10 rebounds. Murphy Burnatowski scored 12 points and Sean Miller-Moore and Kemy Osse added 11 points apiece. Real Esteli led by 16 at the half, but things began to turn in the third where Brampton-native Henry-Blair scored 11 of his 25 points as the Honey Badgers roster began to find a groove. Brampton opened the third strong, first with a jumper from Henry-Blair and then a three-pointer for Burnatowski to get within 13 points. After free throws from Robinson, Burnatowski stepped in to take a charge and then Chad Posthumus scored on an offensive putback. On the other end, Posthumus blocked an attempt from Real Esteli’s Emmanuel Andujar and then got the ball ahead to Henry-Blair for a stepback three that forced Real Esteli into a timeout with the lead trimmed to single digits, 61-52. Henry-Blair picked up where he left off after the timeout, connecting on his second three, this time trimming the deficit to just six points. A third three-pointer from Henry-Blair brought Brampton within five with 5:20 remaining in the third. After a floater from Miller-Moore, Brampton was within four, 66-62, with 4:32 remaining in the quarter. Real Esteli made up some ground at the free throw line, extending their lead back to 11 before Osse hit a three and then slammed home a thunderous dunk in transition to keep Brampton within single digits, 78-69, after three. “Just got hot,” Henry-Blair said of his third-quarter effort. “[Wanted to] help my team try to win the game. Staying composed and playing my game.” The offence slowed for both teams to start the fourth as free throws from Henry-Blair brought Brampton within nine before a bucket from Robinson inside. Posthumus scored inside for Brampton, and then Osse connected on another three to make it an eight-point game, 87-79 with 5:43 remaining. Real Esteli called timeout after a second three in the quarter for Burnatowski trimmed the deficit to six with 3:49 remaining. Out of the timeout, Osse stole the ball from De Jesus and Henry-Blair found Miller-Moore for an alley-oop slam. After a steal from Burnatowski and more free throws from Henry-Blair, the Honey Badgers were within four, 95-91 with 1:13 to go. Needing to get points on the board, Real Esteli came through at the line where they connected on 4-of-5 free throws in the final minute to keep a comeback just out of reach for the Honey Badgers. Despite the loss, Brampton showed improvement throughout the game. “I think we’re just enjoying being together,” Cassimy said. “The group gets along well and we’re confident. We think we’re going to be able to put forth a good game and hopefully get a W [on Thursday against Libertadores].”  Thursday’s game against Mexico’s Libertadores will be at 8pm ET at the CAA Centre. Fans can also watch the game across Canada on NBATV Canada.

A huge week of basketball kicks off in Brampton on Tuesday. An all-Canadian roster for the Brampton Honey Badgers will represent Canada and play host to the Basketball Champions League Americas third window in Brampton at the CAA Centre this week. The Honey Badgers will face Nicaragua’s Real Estelí today at 8 p.m. ET before also taking on Mexico’s Libertadores on Thursday, February 9 (also at 8 p.m. ET) with all of the action being broadcast live on NBA TV Canada. The games will also be livestreamed internationally on CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+. EMBED: https://twitter.com/CEBLeague/status/1622621283660754945 The all-Canadian roster that will compete in the third window of the BCLA features Canadian talent from across the country in a showcase of CEBL talent ahead of the league’s fifth season which will tip-off on May 24. The BCLA brings together 12 teams representing seven different countries in the Americas. Brampton is representing the CEBL in the event after winning the 2022 CEBL Championship. This tournament features all 12 teams competing over four months for a chance to win a berth to the 2024 FIBA International Cup. Though the Honey Badgers are still looking for their first BCLA victory in this year’s competition, they will look to maintain an undefeated BCLA record for a CEBL team after the Edmonton Stingers won both their games last season in Calgary. With 10 of the 11 players in this window’s Honey Badgers roster having previous experience in the CEBL, this collection of players speaks to the depth of basketball talent in Canada. This window is extra special for Brampton natives Alex Campbell, Jahvon Blair and Sean Miller-Moore, who have participated in the previous two windows and will now represent Canada on home soil with friends and family present. Kitchener’s Murphy Burnatowski joins the Brampton trio in their third BCLA window this year, along with Winnipeg native Chad Posthumus and Toronto natives Jaylen Babb-Harrison and Shane Osayande. Montreal will be represented by Kemy Osse and Alain Louis who will make their BCLA’s debut after playing for the Montreal Alliance during the 2022 CEBL season. Toronto native Daniel Walden-Mullings will also be making his BCLA debut after playing for the Niagara River Lions this past CEBL season. The lone player on Brampton’s roster without CEBL experience is Toronto’s Elijah Lufile who comes to the Honey Badgers after spending time with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League where he was coached by Canadian Scott Morrison earlier this year. CEBL Commissioner and co-founder Mike Morreale recently spoke with Eric Smith and Paul Jones on the Smith and Jones Podcast about the continued growth of the league shortly after it was announced that Morreale had signed a new six-year contract extension. “I'm blessed to be part of the CEBL and be part of the creation of it,” Morreale said. “We’re still scratching the surface [of what’s to come.]” As Morreale spoke about the success of the league through its first four seasons, he explained the importance of not just creating a domestic league for Canadian talent but providing an opportunity to play at home that doesn’t rule out playing elsewhere as well. “We structured our league to play at a time when we had access to the best available players,” he said. “That’s in spring and summer, opposite the [NBA’s] G League, opposite the NBA, opposite the major international leagues. Our ability to hone in on that particular time [has allowed the CEBL] to create a pathway to success, which we’ve been able to do, mostly through the players and their talent level. Nine guys in the last 12 months signing NBA contracts, we’ve created this pathway.” During the first two BCLA windows this winter, Brampton has been coached by Honey Badgers lead assistant Sheldon Cassimy as head coach Ryan Schmidt has been unavailable due to commitments with the British Basketball League. On Monday, Brampton announced that Schmidt had resigned his position with the club due to scheduling conflicts with the BBL, where he led the London Lions to a BBL Championship last week. In addition to coaching the Honey Badgers to a CEBL Championship in 2022 and being named CEBL Coach of the Year, 30 of Schmidt’s CEBL players went on to ink pro contracts immediately following their time with him. “I would like to thank Honey Badgers president John Lashway and general manager Jermaine Anderson for giving me the opportunity to begin my career as a professional head coach and for their support and friendship,” Schmidt said. “It’s rare in pro sports for three people in our roles to work together so well and to share common beliefs about organizational culture and values. “I would like to thank our players, coaches and staff that have made the past three years so enjoyable and unforgettable. They’re exceptional people. And I would like to thank the CEBL and its staff for providing a platform where coaches and players can further develop to reach their next level. This has been an incredible experience for which I will always be grateful.” Morreale spoke about Schmidt’s success with the BBL while speaking with Smith and Jones, highlighting the many avenues and opportunities that the CEBL provides for Canadians in sport, beyond just the players suiting up on the hardwood. “It’s not just the coach, the GM, the player,” Morreale said. “It’s the player, the support staff, the trainer, the broadcaster. You don't have to look much further than Jevohn Shepherd who took this opportunity and has parlayed it into bigger and better things. Joel Anthony, Jermaine Anderson, that's just scratching the surface of people that didn’t get the opportunity to play in a domestic league when they came through the ranks but are back now, giving that opportunity to a new group of people. Proof of that ever-growing ecosystem will be on display at the CAA Centre in Brampton on Tuesday night as Brampton’s all-Canadian BCLA’s roster seek victory at home.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced Friday that NBA TV Canada will nationally televise both games featuring the CEBL’s Brampton Honey Badgers during the upcoming third window of group stage play in the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA) being held at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ontario. The games will be shown live as Brampton host Real Estelí of Nicaragua at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 7 and Libertadores of Mexico at 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 9. “FIBA’s BCLA competition showcases some of the most exciting basketball being played outside of the NBA with top pro level national team talent hitting the court. Hosting these games in Brampton and having it televised across Canada on NBA TV is an exciting opportunity for the CEBL and for basketball fans from coast to coast,” said Mike Morreale, commissioner and co-founder of the CEBL. “We’ve put together a strong all-Canadian roster of CEBL stars to represent the Honey Badgers and Canada and look forward to celebrating this moment as we play against top players from Mexico, Nicaragua and other countries.” Owned primarily and operated by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., NBA TV Canada broadcasts programming focused on the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Toronto Raptors. The national channel broadcasts live NBA, NBA G League, and WNBA games as well as NBA TV series and studio programs. The Honey Badgers are representing the CEBL by virtue of having won the 2022 CEBL Championship and will go into this upcoming window in search of their first win in this BCLA group stage competition. The BCLA brings together 12 teams representing seven countries from the Americas, competing over the course of four months to win a berth in the 2024 FIBA International Cup, one of professional basketball’s most prestigious international championship events. The fifth season of the CEBL tips off May 24. 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 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced the Brampton Honey Badgers roster Thursday ahead of the third window of the FIBA Basketball Champions League of Americas (BCLA) group stage action scheduled to begin Tuesday, February 7 at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Canada. The CEBL has put together an all-Canadian roster consisting of players from around the league to take on championship teams from Nicaragua and Mexico for two games next week. The Honey Badgers are representing the CEBL by virtue of having won the 2022 CEBL Championship and enter this final window of competition searching for their first win in BCLA play. The BCLA brings together 12 teams representing seven countries from the Americas, competing over the course of four months to win a berth in the 2024 FIBA International Cup, one of professional basketball’s most prestigious international championship events. The roster for the third window is comprised of 11 Canadians, of which 10 have previously played in the CEBL. Brampton natives Alex Campbell, Javhon Blair and Sean Miller-Moore, as well as Kitchener native Murphy Burnatowski, are back to play their third BCLA window this winter, along with Winnipeg native Chad Posthumus and Toronto natives Jaylen Babb-Harrision and Shane Osayande. New additions to the roster include Montréal products Kemmy Osse and Alain Louis, who both featured on the Montréal Alliance roster during the 2022 CEBL season, and Daniel Walden-Mullings, who averaged a team-high 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 steals for the Niagara River Lions during the 2022 CEBL season. Also included on the roster is Elijah Lufile who spent time with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G earlier this season. He is the only member on this Brampton team that hasn’t previously played in the CEBL. The full roster can be found here . The BCLA is being hosted in Canada for a second straight year, with Brampton following Calgary, site of last year’s competition. Action begins Tuesday with the Honey Badgers taking on Real Estelí from Nicaragua. Real Estelí meets Libertadores of Mexico on Wednesday in a matchup that has major implications for seeding in the next round of the BCLAs as both clubs will advance while Brampton will not. The Honey Badgers final BCLA game comes next Thursday against Libertadores. All games begin at 8 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to take advantage of a 33% discount on game tickets as 3-game packs are now on sale for all three games. All tickets can be purchased via the link here . All games featuring the Brampton Honey Badgers will be livestreamed on CEBL’s OTT platform CEBL+ and will be nationally televised on NBA TV Canada. 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 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .

The Brampton Honey Badgers dropped a 109-93 decision to Real Esteli on Wednesday in the second window of the Basketball Champions League Americas in Managua, Nicaragua. As the loss moves the Honey Badgers to 0-4 in group play, Brampton is now officially eliminated from advancing to the quarterfinals, but will continue to represent Canada, as they enter the third window of group play in Brampton starting February 7. Brampton lost despite a team-high 25-point performance from Rayvonte Rice and a 17-point effort from Steve Taylor Jr., who also filled the stat sheet with nine rebounds, five assists and a blocked shot. Joshua Ibarra added 11 points and Sean Miller-Moore added nine in the loss. Real Esteli was led by a 33-point, 13-rebound double-double performance from Thomas Robinson, 27 points from Jezreel De Jesus, and 16 points from Angel Matias. Davon Jefferson added 11 points and nine rebounds. The team shot 49 percent in the win, including 46 percent from beyond the arc, while holding the Honey Badgers to 43 percent shooting, including 28 percent shooting from deep. “We [take] our hats off to Real Esteli, they played a really good game,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Kirt Cassimy said. “They played together. You can see the numbers, 31 assists, and 20 offensive rebounds. That’s the story right there, so we tip our hats to them.” Real Esteli’s veteran roster coupled with its size proved to be a challenge for Brampton. “Their team is good,” Cassimy. “They have vets, they have good size. The vets are their guards, [where they had] 31 assists. The size of Jefferson and Robinson, the team is solid.” After a three-pointer from Taylor Jr. to start the game, Brampton led for 1:26 minutes before a 12-point run by Real Esteli moved the host team in front and Brampton was left playing catch-up for the rest of the game. Free throws from Rice in the final seconds of the quarter trimmed Real Esteli’s lead to 13 points after the first 10 minutes of action, but it was a difficult opening quarter for the Honey Badgers who shot just 31 percent from the floor. Rice helped ignite a solid second quarter for the Honey Badgers, scoring 13 of his 25 in the quarter as he played the aggressor and was rewarded with free throw after free throw. After a seven-point flurry from Rice, the deficit was within single digits, 36-27, with 5:49 remaining. Brampton continued to keep pace with Real Esteli as a three from Jahvon Henry-Blair, followed by a dunk from a cutting Taylor Jr. baseline made it a six-point game. A last-second putback from Robinson gave Real Esteli a 54-46 advantage at the break. “We started to gel together today better than yesterday, but as Coach said, it’s hard to win a game when they have 20 offensive rebounds,” Rice said. “They also had a lot of assists. They were playing together.” Brampton bounced back from a 13-point opening quarter to explode for 33 points in the second behind a 13-point second-quarter effort from Rice who led the Honey Badgers with 20 points at the half. Rice was 13-for-14 from the free-throw line in the half, as Brampton’s aggressiveness resulted in 18 free throw attempts. Unfortunately for the Honey Badgers, the third was all Real Esteli as they won the quarter 28-18, closing the quarter on an 11-2 run to go into the fourth with an 82-64 lead. After the teams traded baskets to start the final frame, Rice continued to score, connecting from deep to trim the lead to 16 with 7:16 remaining. After the Real Esteli bench was called for a technical foul, Gelvis Solano made the free throw, and then followed with a three-pointer that trimmed the deficit to 88-76 as Real Esteli called timeout with 6:40 remaining. From there, Real Esteli put together another mini-run, outscoring Brampton 12-4 to build the lead back to 20 points with 3:45 remaining. They went on to victory from there. Though the result wasn’t what the Honey Badgers had hoped for, the experience was a positive one. “This is my first time out here [in Nicaragua] and I thought the atmosphere was amazing,” Cassimy said. “It was great to see, fun to be a part of and I hope I can come back again. As we look forward to the window in Canada I hope we can bring the same type of energy.” For Rice, who just joined the team prior to this second window, the opportunity to hit the court with his Honey Badgers teammates in front of a home crowd in Brampton is something he’s looking forward to. “Be ready for us to compete, come out and get better energy,” Rice said. “We’re starting to gel. I feel like we’re trying to bring back these two wins.”

The Brampton Honey Badgers dropped a 106-90 decision to Mexican team Libertadores on Tuesday to open the second window of the 2023 Basketball Champions League Americas in Managua, Nicaragua. Libertadores was led by a 25-point performance from Branden Frazier and 19 points from Juan Tello while Paul Stoll had 10 assists in the victory. Frazier shot 7-for-9 from the floor. The Honey Badgers finished with six players in double figures, but they were unable to slow Libertadores once they got going. Josh Ibarra and Steve Taylor Jr. finished with 15 points apiece, with Ibarra also adding eight rebounds, while Rayvonte Rice added 13 points and Jahvon Henry-Blair had 12. Alexander Campbell and Gelvis Solano added 11 points apiece in the loss. The Honey Badgers got off to a strong start against Libertadores, shooting 53 percent from the floor in a close opening quarter, but a 12-0 run for Libertadores spanning the end of the first and start of the second quarters completely flipped the game and despite their best efforts, Brampton wasn’t able to recover. Libertadores went from trailing by two in the first quarter to leading 37-27 in the second as Brampton called timeout with 9:20 remaining in the half. Ibarra finally snapped the scoring drought for the Honey Badgers with an offensive rebound and putback and then Campbell made one of two free throws to get Brampton back within seven. After a steal from Ibarra led to a driving layup from Rice, Brampton was within five, forcing Libertadores to call a timeout of their own with 7:53 remaining in the half. Once again, Libertadores put together a push out of a timeout, this time using a 19-3 run to take a 21-point lead with 2:57 remaining in the half. A three from Henry-Blair and a putback dunk from Sean Miller-Moore trimmed the lead down to 16 points, but Brampton went into the half trailing 58-42, despite their strong start in the opening quarter. The Honey Badgers were outscored 28-15 in that decisive second quarter. Frazier led all scorers with 14 points at the half, while Liz added 11 for a Libertadores team that shot 59 percent from the floor as Brampton’s field goal percentage dropped to just 40 percent at the half. For the game, Libertadores shot 54 percent while Brampton finished 44 percent from the floor. The depth and familiarity of the Libertadores roster was difficult to overcome as the team finished with 33 assists on 37 made field goals. Brampton finished with 19 assists in the loss. After the Libertadores bench outscored Brampton’s 31-8 at the half, they finished the game with a 62-25 advantage from their reserves. Brampton did a solid job holding Libertadores to just nine points through the first six minutes of the third, but Libertadores closed the quarter on a 13-8 run after a timeout with 3:54 remaining in the quarter to go into the fourth leading by 13, 80-67. Libertadores continued to hold control throughout the fourth despite Brampton’s best efforts. Henry-Blair opened fourth-quarter scoring with a three-pointer to get Brampton within 10, but Libertadores responded immediately. When a three-pointer from Campbell brought Brampton within seven with 6:09 remaining, Libertadores quickly scored eight straight to go back in front by 15. The Honey Badgers wouldn’t get any closer the rest of the way as Libertadores continued to push their lead and pick up the victory. The win moves Libertadores to 3-1 in the BCLAs, while the loss means Brampton is still seeking its first victory in the event. Up next for the Honey Badgers is a meeting with host team Real Esteli on Wednesday, January 18 at 8pm ET. The game will be available to watch for free on CEBL+.