Honey Badgers Host River Lions in Home Opener on Friday Night

The Brampton Honey Badgers host the Niagara River Lions on Friday in the season opener for both teams. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. ET at Brampton’s CAA Centre, with live coverage available on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+ and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. It will also be televised nationally on Game+.

The River Lions had the Honey Badgers number last season, winning all three of their 2023 matchups.

There were two main reasons why Niagara was able to gain the upper hand in each of these games. First was the River Lions' three-point shooting against the Honey Badgers as they were able to hit 40% of their threes to Brampton’s 30%.

The second reason was Niagara’s stellar defence and ability to score off turnovers. Across these three matchups, the River Lions were able to steal the ball 35 times compared to Brampton’s 16. Niagara had 71 points off turnovers, 32 of these points came on their July 29 matchup, where Brampton only scored one point off turnovers.

However, the future looks bright for the Honey Badgers with some fantastic new additions to its roster.

First off, Brampton signed NBA G League guard Javonte Cooke. Cooke is coming off a fantastic 2023-24 G League season with the Iowa Wolves, where he averaged 16.8 points per game, 3.7 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. He also shot an impressive 44.5 per cent from the field and 37.5 per cent from three. Cooke’s ability to stretch the floor and create his own shot off the dribble will provide a huge boost to the Honey Badgers' offence. 

The Honey Badgers also drafted guard Callum Baker from the University of Toronto with the second pick in the 2024 CEBL Draft. Baker had an impressive 2023-24 season with U of T averaging 22.7 points per game, 3.8 assists per game, and 4.7 rebounds. He was also named a U SPORTS first-team All-Canadian, and OUA player of the year. Baker is a shifty guard with a reliable jump shot and should help out Brampton this season.

However, Niagara also had an impressive offseason.

The River Lions signed Raptors 905 guard Omari Moore. Moore averaged 9.3 points per game, 3.9 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. Niagara fans should be on the lookout for the guard as his G League experience, athleticism, and ability to finish at the rim is something special and can help flesh out the River Lion's offence.

- CEBL -

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.