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The Winnipeg Sea Bears are Canadian Elite Basketball League champions for the first time in franchise history.
Despite playing without injured star forward Teddy Allen, the Manitoba crew defeated the visiting Brampton Honey Badgers 98-84 on Saturday at Canada Life Centre to claim the 2026 title.
The CEBL championship was intended to be a three-game series concluding Sunday, but Wednesday’s first game at Brampton’s CAA Centre was suspended early due to condensation on the court, and then cancelled.
The league then said a three-game final couldn’t be completed within the scheduled window, and after consulting with both clubs, opted to return to a single game used from 2019 to 2025 to determine the champion.
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Finals MVP Xavier Moon led the Sea Bears with 29 points and seven rebounds, while Simon Hildebrandt had 24 points and six rebounds.
“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,” said Moon.
“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.”
Sean East the Second led the Honey Badgers with 27 points and five assists. Trentyn Flowers had 20 points for the visitors, who trailed 46-42 at halftime and 73-60 heading into the final quarter.
“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,” said Sea Bears new head coach Mike Raimbault.
The Sea Bears, who finished second in the Western Conference, defeated the Saskatoon Mamba and Vancouver Bandits in the West playoffs to reach the final.
The Honey Badgers, who finished second in the Eastern Conference, defeated the Ottawa BlackJacks and Niagara River Lions in the East playoffs to reach the final.
“We fought hard. We dealt with adversity. Not the outcome we wanted,” East II said. “We turned the Brampton program around so we can be happy about that for sure.”
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