The Winnipeg Sea Bears clinched their first Canadian Elite Basketball League title by defeating the Brampton Honey Badgers 98-84 in the league’s single-game championship. The championship-winning three-pointer was scored by hometown favorite Simon Hildebrandt in front of a record crowd of 12,519 at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, with the target score set at 97.
Leading the Sea Bears in scoring was Xavier Moon, a three-time CEBL MVP, who contributed 29 points, including three successful three-point shots, along with seven rebounds and six assists. Moon, making his return to the CEBL after a five-year absence, secured his third Finals MVP award, helping Winnipeg overcome the absence of the injured star forward Teddy Allen.
Moon expressed his excitement about the victory, stating, “It’s crazy to be back in this environment again. I mean, obviously, familiar territory for me for winning, but to do it in a city that’s never won a playoff game, I think it means a lot more. This one is a lot more special than the first one. So, like I’ve been saying, man, I’m happy for my teammates, and I’m happy for the city of Winnipeg.”
Jelani Watson-Gayle, a guard for the Sea Bears, made a significant impact off the bench by hitting five three-pointers, while Hildebrandt added four threes and finished with 24 points. On the opposing side, Sean East II led the Honey Badgers with 27 points, and Trentyn Flowers added 20 points. The Honey Badgers trailed at halftime with a score of 46-42 and were behind 73-60 heading into the final quarter.
The Sea Bears’ new head coach, Mike Raimbault, expressed his joy for the team’s victory, stating, “I’m just super happy for everybody that is out there celebrating today and that it came to fruition because the organization did definitely deserve a championship.”
Originally planned as a three-game series, the CEBL championship was changed back to a single-game format after the first game was suspended and then canceled due to court condensation issues. The Sea Bears emerged victorious after defeating the Saskatoon Mamba and Vancouver Bandits in the West playoffs to reach the final, while the Honey Badgers advanced by overcoming the Ottawa BlackJacks and Niagara River Lions in the East playoffs.
The Honey Badgers, aiming for their second CEBL title after winning in 2022, expressed disappointment in the final outcome. Sean East II mentioned, “We fought hard. We dealt with adversity. Not the outcome we wanted. We turned the Brampton program around so we can be happy about that for sure.”
