SEA BEARS ARE CEBL CHAMPIONS: WINNIPEG WINS IT ALL 98-84 IN FRONT OF RECORD CROWD

In front of 12,519 fans at Canada Life Centre — a new all-time CEBL attendance record — the Winnipeg Sea Bears defeated the Brampton Honey Badgers 98-84 in the CEBL Championship Game, delivering the first championship in franchise history. Sea Bears Nation didn't just witness history on Saturday afternoon. They helped create it.

It didn't start easy. Brampton came out sharp, jumping ahead 7-0 before Xavier Moon ended the drought with Winnipeg's first basket nearly seven minutes into the game. What followed over the next three quarters was a masterclass. The Sea Bears outscored Brampton 26-18 in the second and 27-18 again in the third, building a lead they would never relinquish behind an NBA-level atmosphere that had the building ready to explode with every possession.

Moon finished with a game-high 29 points on 12-of-18 shooting, adding 7 rebounds and 6 assists in nearly 39 minutes. He was named Finals MVP — his third CEBL championship, and by his own account, the sweetest one yet.

"I'll put this at number one," Moon said. "Coming to a new organization that hadn't won a playoff game — this one is much, much sweeter than the first two. Best fans in the league, hands down. Without these fans, I don't know what the outcome would have been."

Simon Hildebrandt — a Winnipeg kid, born and raised — finished with 24 points, 6 rebounds, and the moment that will live forever in this city's sports history. With Winnipeg holding the lead and target time on the line, Hildebrandt caught the ball, let it fly, and Canada Life Centre erupted.

It carried an extra layer of meaning for anyone who has followed this franchise from the beginning. On May 27, 2023, the late Chad Posthumus — a Sea Bear, a Winnipegger, and a person who meant everything to this organization — hit the very first target score winner in Sea Bears history. On Saturday, it was another local kid stepping into that moment.

"Chad, even though he's not with us today, he still means so much to this organization, so much to the city," Hildebrandt said. "I remember when he hit that first target score winner and how special that moment was for everybody. So to be compared to that, to hit the last one today — it's special."

Coach Raimbault felt it too. "I was talking to Chad's folks right before I left the floor. His dad got to go up the ladder and cut down a piece of the net. If Chad was watching and could handpick who was going to hit that shot, I think it would be Simon."

Before the game, Moon had pulled Hildebrandt aside with a message: embrace it. Not everyone gets to play a championship game in their hometown. Fewer still get to win it.

Jelani Watson-Gayle was electric off the bench, pouring in 17 points in the first half alone — tying the CEBL record for most points in the first half of a championship game. Watson-Gayle drained five three-pointers on the night, tying the CEBL Finals record for threes in a championship game. Isiah Osborne and DJ Burns were everywhere, combining for 18 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and the kind of gritty two-way play that has defined this team all season.

"The entire organization deserves this," Raimbault said after the final horn. "Last night, the entire front office was putting towels on chairs together. It really permeates from the top down — from David Asper all the way through to every person behind the scenes who maybe doesn't get the accolades, but makes all of this possible."

Owner and Chair David Asper described this franchise from the beginning as Prairie Dirt, Canadian Shield, and Wheatfield Soul. On Saturday, those words came to life.



"We are Winnipeg," Asper said. "The rest of the country, the rest of the world through social media, saw who and what we are. I'm immensely proud of that. Whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever you do — you belong here."

The Sea Bears overcame losing three starters in the week before the playoffs. They won at home against Saskatchewan. They won in Vancouver. And on Saturday afternoon, they brought it home again, in front of 12,519 fans at Canada Life Centre, shattering the league's all-time attendance record.

Sea Bears Nation, you were the sixth player all season long. The best fans in the country.

The hunt is over. The championship is ours.