After a strong start to the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season, the Brampton Honey Badgers hit their first rough patch this past week, falling short in two consecutive games. Following the dramatic win on June 5 in Niagara, the Honey Badgers moved forward with their second road trip of the year. This time, they traveled to Montreal to take on an Alliance team that was hungry for revenge after a battle earlier in the season in Brampton. Outside of the change of location, there was a major addition to the narrative of this contest: the debut of Landers Nolley II . Nolley II, straight off of a superb season in France, brought a new scoring presence to a Honey Badgers lineup that is already atop the CEBL charts in offensive ability. However, Brampton found themselves in a quick hole, down by 12 at halftime, and held to just 18 points in the second quarter. This carried over the slump that started in Niagara five days prior, where they were outscored by 13 points in the fourth quarter and nearly blew their 27-point lead. The woes continued into the second half in Montreal, as the Honey Badgers couldn’t find their shot and gave up 15 turnovers, as the deficit grew to 17 heading into Target Score Time. Former Toronto Raptor Javon Freeman-Liberty gave Brampton trouble the entire night, lighting up for 34 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds, as the Alliance cruised to a 105-92 victory. Superstar point guard Sean East II did what he could to salvage a comeback for the Honey Badgers, tallying 28 points and 10 assists on 10-of-14 shooting. Meanwhile, Nolley II contributed 16 points in his Brampton debut, and showed true signs of being a force to be reckoned with going forward for the rest of the season. After the defeat, the Honey Badgers returned home to the CAA Centre to match up with the Niagara River Lions once again as they looked to get back in the win column, but they were notably shorthanded. East II was out of the lineup to attend an NBA workout in Denver, which allowed Tyrese Hunter to return to the starting five. But nonetheless, it was a large adjustment for head coach Alex Cerda to go through a game without his star point guard. “Obviously with Sean not being here, the usage for other guys is going to organically go up”, said Cerda. “Other players have opportunities for them to do more out there, so for us it’s just about figuring out what works best for the team to hopefully try and carve out some wins.” Ontario locals Josh Omojafo and Keon Ambrose-Hylton were the players who saw the usage go up, as they finished with 18 and 16 points, respectively. For Ambrose-Hylton, it was his best game as a Honey Badger so far and as the primary big man, it feels as if he is starting to get more comfortable on the floor as the season goes on. “I was just seeing space on the floor, in the pick-and-rolls, I was seeing the opportunities,” Ambrose-Hylton explained. “The second half comes around, and I’m finding my flow, finding the game came easy to me, so I was doing a good job figuring out the game.” Unfortunately, the rest of the team did not see the same success, as the Honey Badgers were shut down on offense by the River Lions like no other game before this season, being held to 34 first-half points and dropping their second game in a row, 101-84. And in just Nolley II’s second game with the team, he was given a larger offensive role and consequently did not meet his standards on the court, giving up six turnovers on 5-of-18 shooting. “I played a terrible game,” Nolley II exclaimed. “I cost my team a lot of possessions, I’m going to be better for sure.” Although the season is reaching its halfway point, the Honey Badgers can quickly turn their momentum around as they head out west for battles with the Calgary Surge and Vancouver Bandits. With the Surge being another team currently in a troubling slump, Wednesday’s contest will be a matter of working extra hard to break out of the losing skid. “Every game in this league is going to be a dogfight,” Cerda remarked. “For us, it’s about our competitive spirit going into it, being unified, working together. We really got to work on putting teams away one possession at a time and not leaving things to chance.” “Just [need to have] a better start,” Ambrose-Hylton added. “Better start in the first quarter, in the first half. Bring that intensity from all five players not just offensively, but especially defense and rebounding. The first half should be more effort from us as a team.” The Honey Badgers look to get back in the win column today, Wednesday, June 17, where they will face the Calgary Surge at the WinSport Event Centre, with tipoff slated for 9:30 PM EST. You can tune into the action on CBC Gem, CBC Sports YouTube, and CEBL+. ### About the Brampton Honey Badgers One of the original franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the 2022 CEBL Champion Brampton Honey Badgers proudly call the CAA Centre home. The Brampton front office and basketball operations department bring NBA, NBA G League, national team, NCAA and major international pro league experience to the franchise. With a vision of promoting Brampton grassroots basketball and local businesses through community and corporate engagement, the Honey Badgers will leverage the explosion of basketball as a vehicle for innovation and change. For more information visit honeybadgers.ca . About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is Canada’s professional basketball league, featuring 10 member clubs across six provinces. Powered by elite talent, a fast-paced game format, and deep community connections, the CEBL delivers high-level basketball and unforgettable summer experiences for fans nationwide. The league boasts the youngest fan base in Canadian professional sport, half under age 34, and one of the fastest-growing audiences in the country, now reaching nearly 4.1 million Canadians. This momentum reflects the CEBL’s ability to deliver dynamic, thrilling gameplay while connecting deeply with a new generation of fans and expanding basketball’s cultural footprint across Canada. The CEBL is where elite performance meets homegrown talent. In 2025, 17 players with NBA experience hit the court, while nearly 70% of the league’s roster was Canadian, the highest concentration of domestic talent in any professional sports league in the country. Running from May through August, the CEBL’s season is a showcase of top basketball talent and a summer hub for fast-paced, high-energy fan excitement. Media Contact: Elias Eldridge - Account Executive & Communications Specialist Brampton Honey Badgers eeldridge@honeybadgers.ca