Maybe it was the pre-game championship ring ceremony. Perhaps it was the return of lead guard Cat Barber. It could have been the plethora of NBA stars in attendance.

In any case, the Scarborough Shooting Stars were energized — and it showed on the court.

The reigning champions topped their provincial rival Brampton Honey Badgers 105-92 on Friday night at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, using a fast pace to race ahead in the first quarter and never look back.

Barber, the CEBL’s all-time leading scorer entering this season, provided a boost with 19 points and five assists. Donovan Williams, in his fourth game of the season, erupted with 17 points in the first half and 28 overall.

Guard Devoe Joseph said he felt “amazing” about the team’s performance.

“I feel like we had great spurts where we were running in transition. It was really amazing getting Cat back. You see how great of a talent he is out there, changes our whole dynamic.”

“I’m just proud of the guys, helping me get a win on my birthday,” added Joseph, who turned 35 and contributed 13 points in the win.

The Shooting Stars moved back over .500 at 5-4 with the victory, while the Honey Badgers fell to 3-8.

Barber led the team in scoring during its championship win over the Calgary Surge last season, but had yet to report back to the team this year as he finished out his season with FC Porto in Portugal.

His impact was instantaneous as the Shooting Stars played at a breakneck pace, hoisting 77 shots including 36 three-point attempts.

Canadian basketball stars were out and about for the Shooting Stars’ ring night.

Immediately next to Scarborough’s bench was RJ Barrett, the Toronto Raptors forward set for Canadian national-team training camp next week.

Under the basket next to Scarborough’s right was Timberwolves guard and fellow training camp invitee Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Directly across from the bench sat Cory Joseph, the former Raptor whose brother Devoe Joseph is a member of the Shooting Stars.

Andrew Nembhard, the Pacers guard and Team Canada hopeful, was also in the building alongside his parents.

And, of course, there was Shooting Stars executive and longtime NBAer Jamaal Magloire milling about the arena after kicking off the ring ceremony.

Interestingly, though, it was YouTube trick-shot artist Tristan Jass, in attendance as an Electrolit ambassador, who drew the biggest crowds.

The Shooting Stars began to build their lead with a 28-22 first quarter and extended it with a big second quarter to take a 52-37 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

Although Scarborough pushed its lead as high as 20 points in the third quarter, the Honey Badgers stayed in the fight and narrowed their deficit to 12 entering the final frame.

Still, it proved too much to overcome. The Shooting Stars entered Target Score Time up 96-82, and Kadre Gray eventually iced the game with a free throw.

“I feel like it could have went either way, but they came out good from the start so it was kind of hard to pick it up. But other than that, I feel like we could have won,” said Honey Badgers guard David Walker, who led the team with 18 points off the bench.

Walker returned to Scarborough for the first time since winning the title last season and did his post-game media availability with the championship ring still on his finger.

“It felt good, man. I went hard for this, I can’t lie,” he said. 

The Honey Badgers had snapped a seven-game losing streak in their previous game, and head coach Sheldon Cassimy said he was “disappointed” in the follow-up.

“Especially after the way we played last game against Montreal, and we played with passion and with heart and with determination, I didn’t feel the same in the first quarter and parts of the second quarter. So I think just off of that, it put us in a big hole,” he said.

Shooting Stars forward Kalif Young surpassed 500 career rebounds on the night, becoming the second player in league history to do so.

Prince Oduro made his season debut for the Honey Badgers after missing the first half of the campaign with an upper-body injury. The third-year forward made an immediate impact, compiling 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

What’s next?

The Shooting Stars host the Montreal Alliance on Sunday, while the Honey Badgers have a week off before visiting the Montreal for a game next Friday.

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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 www.honeybadgers.ca.

About the Canadian Elite Basketball League (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.