The Saskatchewan Rattlers return home as they host the league-leading Hamilton Honey Badgers on July 12 at 7:30 pm CT/9:30 pm ET.

The Rattlers (7-7) return to Saskatoon after losing three games in a row on their road trip. The Honey Badgers (11-3) have won four games in a row and sit atop the CEBL standings.

The Honey Badgers are coming off an 87-81 road victory against the Edmonton Stingers. The team is missing key players Jeremiah Tilmon Jr. (who leads the league in field goal percentage) and leading scorer Christian Vital, who are both in the NBA Summer League.

However, other players have stepped up. Against Edmonton, forward Zane Waterman led the team with 19 points, hitting three-of-five from beyond the arc. Koby McEwen, Caleb Agada and Nikola Djogo helped fill in for Vital’s ball-handling duties. McEwen had 12 points while Agada posted a team-high eight assists.

They recently signed forward Isaiah Reese, who played this past season in the NBA G League. Reese made an instant impact against Edmonton with 18 points, three assists and two steals off the bench in over 27 minutes.

Hamilton’s depth will be crucial to victory against Saskatchewan. They are near the top in almost every offensive category and are second in average rebounds (38). Against Edmonton, five players collected at least three boards, including Agada with a team-high eight.

The Rattlers’ strength is their three-point shooting. They lead the league, shooting 38.6 per cent.

The Rattlers shot 20 per cent from three and 27 per cent from the field in a 101-50 loss to the Ottawa BlackJacks. They were missing team captain Scottie Lindsey that game. Lindsey returned in their following game, a 93-91 defeat to the Newfoundland Growlers. He scored 15 points.

Saskatchewan shot the ball better against Newfoundland (40 per cent from three, 50 per cent from the field). Lindsey (four-for-nine), Tony Carr (four-for-five) and Devonte Bandoo (three-for-nine) hit multiple triples. The Rattlers were down 91-85 in Elam time before making a run to tie it at 91. However, they lost after a Nysier Brooks layup.

The key for Saskatchewan will be to continue building on that Newfoundland performance. It will be important for Bandoo, Carr and Lindsey to shoot well from beyond the arc to keep pace with Hamilton’s efficient offence.

The Rattlers will be without guard Sebastian Åris, who was released from the club. This could mean a bigger role for guard Ali Sow coming off the bench.

Ball movement could be crucial this game. Hamilton is third averaging 18.4 assists while Saskatchewan is tenth averaging 14.1 assists. Carr (league-best 5.9 assists on average) and Agada (third with 5.8 on average) are two of the best playmakers in the CEBL.

For the Rattlers, home court advantage could also make a difference. They are 6-1 at home and 1-6 on the road. The Honey Badgers are solid at home (6-1) and on the road (5-2).

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 .