Honey Badgers continue hunt for playoffs in final game against Shooting Stars

Brampton and Scarborough hold the closest rivalry in the CEBL — literally. But the GTA foes could hardly be further apart when they meet for the final time this season.

The Shooting Stars, who are locked into the Eastern Conference’s second seed, host the Honey Badgers, who are still fighting for their playoff lives, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. Live streaming coverage is available on CEBL+ and TSN+.

Scarborough sits second in the East with a 10-7 record and has momentum on its side as it rides a three-game winning streak.

With a trio of contests still ahead to close out the regular season, the Shooting Stars’ focus is turned to fine-tuning things ahead of the playoffs and perhaps chasing individual awards.

Scarborough could once again receive the services of Nick Ongenda and Donovan Williams, who were both scheduled to return to the team Friday after competing in the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas.

Successfully reintegrating that duo into a team that has rolled without them could prove to be a lethal combination come playoff time.

And although he’s only played nine games and converted just one target score winner, Cat Barber could still make a late play for both the offensive and clutch player of the year awards — especially after he scored the final 24 points for his team in a win over Edmonton last week.

Two spots below Scarborough in the East standings is Brampton, which at 6-11 is battling 6-10 Ottawa for the final playoff spot in the East. Last-place Montreal will automatically play in Championship Weekend as host.

The Honey Badgers looked like they’d righted they ship after a seven-game losing streak in the middle of the season by bouncing back with wins in four of their next five contests.

But the 2022 champions have since gone backwards with three consecutive defeats, including a crucial 94-79 home loss to the BlackJacks last Wednesday.

Scarborough could prove a tough foe for Brampton, too, as the Shooting Stars score the second-most points per game while the Honey Badgers sit last overall in the category.

Brampton’s calling card has been defence — but even there, it’s exactly even with Scarborough as both clubs surrender 90.2 points per contest.

While playoff positioning is top of mind for the Honey Badgers, they could also even the season series against the rival Shooting Stars with a win on Saturday.

Player spotlight

Zane Waterman has played all 17 games for Brampton this season while leading the team by averaging 16.4 points and 5.7 rebounds.

But Waterman, the team captain, has struggled against Scarborough. In three games, he’s totalled just 28 points while committing 12 fouls, including fouling out of the Honey Badgers’ lone win.

Brampton will need its star forward to play like one down the stretch if it wants to continue into the post-season.

A bounceback performance against the Shooting Stars would certainly be a good start.

Milestone watch

●     Scarborough’s Kalif Young is 16 points away from 500 for his career, including playoffs

o  Young is also 12 rebounds away from 500 for his career, regular season only

●     Scarborough’s Kadre Gray is three three-pointers away from 100 for his career, including playoffs

●     Brampton’s Prince Oduro is three blocked shots away from 50 for his career, regular season only



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About the 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 10 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. Fourteen 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.