The Winnipeg Sea Bears are Canadian Elite Basketball League champions, and a hometown product delivered the winning shot in front of a record crowd.
Winnipeg’s Simon Hildebrandt hit the championship-winning three-pointer Saturday as the Sea Bears defeated the Brampton Honey Badgers 98-84 at Canada Life Centre.
A league-record 12,519 fans packed the downtown Winnipeg arena for the championship game, setting an all-time CEBL attendance record.
Hometown product delivers
The Sea Bears took a 46-42 lead into halftime before eventually reaching the CEBL’s Target Score with Hildebrandt’s three-pointer.
The Winnipeg product connected from beyond the arc to give the Sea Bears the 98-84 victory and secure the championship for his hometown team.
The win gave Winnipeg the CEBL title on its home court in front of the largest crowd ever to attend a league game.
Xavier Moon led the team with 29 points and was named the championship MVP. Hildebrandt had 24 points.
Championship decided in Winnipeg
Saturday’s championship was originally scheduled to be Game 2 of a best-of-three Finals series between Winnipeg and Brampton.
The series format changed after Wednesday’s opening game in Brampton was cancelled because condensation on the court left the playing surface unsafe for competition.
With the best-of-three series unable to be completed within the scheduled window, the CEBL decided the championship would instead be determined in a single game at Canada Life Centre.
That set the stage for Saturday’s winner-take-all matchup, with the Sea Bears ultimately reaching the Target Score on Hildebrandt’s championship-winning three-pointer.