B y Justine Jones
The Hamilton Honey Badgers (3-1) play host to the Guelph Nighthawks (0-2) on July 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET at FirstOntario Centre, marking the second showdown of a three-game series between these teams.
Hamilton won the first contest on Saturday afternoon on national television (CBC TV), 102-98, thanks to an Elam Ending three-pointer by Cody John.
The game was a high-tempo match-up that saw both teams show their ability to get out in transition. With five lead changes, it was a back-and-forth affair that was truly any side’s win for the taking. A target score of 101 meant that if Hamilton had not scored on that last possession, Guelph would have had the opportunity to steal the victory.
CEBL fans are certainly in for another competitive and spirited game on Monday night.
Spreading the honey
After dropping their season opener to the reigning CEBL Champion Edmonton Stingers, the Honey Badgers have responded with three wins and currently sits in third place behind two undefeated teams, the aforementioned Stingers (2-0) and the Fraser Valley Bandits (4-0).
Hamilton also sits third in the league in assists per game, and an interesting trend is the assists per game category is highly representative of the league’s win-loss standings. Building chemistry has been important early on, and Hamilton is just one example of a team that has been able to convert strong ball movement and collective scoring into victories.
Saturday afternoon’s contest was won because of a full-team effort. The Honey Badgers had five players score in double digits and each quarter featured a new individual stepping up.
In the first frame it was Alex Johnson who came off the bench scoring seven points and harnessing his team’s youthful energy with his veteran presence. Just before the half, JV Mukama began to find his rhythm hitting a pair of three-pointers, leading his team with 14 first half points.
Then it was Cody John ’s turn as he came off the bench and scored 16 points in the third quarter. John ignited the team’s offence with some deep three-pointers and a tough jumper that led to a three-point play. The Honey Badgers bench was just as fired up as John and this ‘play for each other’ mentality is evident from the team’s warmup right until the last basket.
“We’re the youngest team in the league and the one thing we have is energy and youth,” said team captain JV Mukama. “You don’t have room to be negative on this team and I think that’s why we are so successful.”
The Honey Badgers have won the last five competitions between these two teams, dating back to the CEBL’s inaugural season in 2019, and will look to continue their winning ways tonight.
Attack mode
While Guelph is still in search of its first victory of the season, the team had a much stronger showing in game two. The Nighthawks scored nearly twenty more points in their second contest of the year, with the game ultimately coming down to one possession.
One area Guelph found success was in being aggressive down low. Three of Hamilton’s big men in Kalif Young , Thomas Kennedy , and Kenny Ejim all fouled out in Saturday’s contest so Guelph may look to return to this game plan tonight.
Between former NBA Draft pick Justin Jackson who has been solid contributor to Guelph’s front court and dynamic guards Cat Barber and Isaiah Reese who have proven their ability to get in the lane and finish at the rim, look for the Nighthawks to continue to attack Hamilton’s young forwards in tonight’s game. While Hamilton had a more balanced scoring effort, Jackson, Barber, and Reese combined for 75 of Guelph’s 98 points on Saturday.
Barber went to the line 17 times, the most among all players on Saturday afternoon. His quickness combined with his strong three-point shooting means that defenders have to guard him tight while also ensuring he doesn’t drive by them and beat them to the hoop.
“It’s important, with my speed I can get to the rim a lot of the time,” said Barber. “So if I’m getting to the line and making free-throws, I can help my team and build that confidence.”
Back court battle
Tonight’s match up features two of the three top scorers in the CEBL between Guelph’s Cat Barber who ranks second, averaging 27.5 points per game, and Hamilton’s Lindell Wigginton, who sits in third at 26.0 points per game.
While these two may not directly match-up against one another and other defenders such as Guelph’s Marcus Anderson and Hamilton’s Trevon Duval may be brought in to guard the opposing team’s star, winning the back court battle will certainly be key in tonight’s game.
All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service, CEBL+ , cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 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 typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.