The Hamilton Honey Badgers look to win their seventh game in a row when they host the Edmonton Stingers on July 17 at 5 pm ET. The Honey Badgers (13-3) can move closer to clinching the top seed in the CEBL standings and a bye to the CEBL Championship Weekend semifinals with a victory.

The Stingers (8-7) won their last game and three of their last five games. They currently sit in fifth place. Edmonton beat the Ottawa BlackJacks 96-88 at home on July 12.

Against the BlackJacks, Edmonton finished strong in the fourth quarter and Elam time, outscoring their opponents 23-13. They shot the ball well – 54 per cent from the field and 47 per cent from three. Demarco Dickerson had 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Mathieu Kamba had 20 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Teammates Jordan Baker, Marlon Johnson, Brody Clarke and Adika Peter-McNeilly also made solid contributions.

The defending champions will need to shoot well against the league-leading Honey Badgers, who are fourth in average points (85.2) and field goal percentage (45.4). The Stingers are seventh in average points (84.1) and eighth in field goal percentage (44.4).

One area the Stingers can rely on is their size. Baker, Johnson and Clarke have been stellar on both ends of the floor. Baker leads all players in average rebounds (9.9). Both teams are strong in getting rebounds as Hamilton is second (37.8 on average) in the league and Edmonton is fourth (36.9).

Another thing both teams are good at is sharing the basketball. Edmonton leads the CEBL in average assists (20.9) while Hamilton is third (18.3). Look for Hamilton’s Caleb Agada (5.6 assists on average) and Baker (4.6) to find their teammates.

The Honey Badgers have continued winning despite some roster turnover. Guard Christian Vital (who leads all players in average steals) and forward Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. (leader in field goal percentage) are both at NBA Summer League currently.

Hamilton brought in former Guelph Nighthawks guard Isaiah Reese and centre Joel James. Reese scored 18 points coming off the bench in his season debut against the Stingers on July 9. James had six points and seven rebounds in their latest game – a 84-70 victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars.

One of the team’s strengths is their depth. Against Scarborough, 10 players got onto the scoresheet. With their two leading scorers in Tilmon Jr. and Vital gone, other players picked up the scoring load. Guard Koby McEwen had a game-high 27 points, hitting five-for-eight from three. Nikola Djogo also provided strong three-point shooting, going four-for-six for 14 points.

Jamal Reynolds had nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench while Caleb Agada had five points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Offensive and defensive depth will be a key factor to deciding this game. Both teams should be familiar with each other, having played on July 9 in Edmonton, an 87-81 Hamilton victory. The Honey Badgers shot better from three (46 to 26 per cent) and the free throw line (71 to 58 per cent) in that game.

All games will be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ and on CEBL Mobile the official app of the CEBL for iOS and Android devices. Games are also available to stream live in Canada via cbcsports.ca , the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and the free CBC Gem streaming service.

A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .