Brampton Honey Badgers vs Ottawa Blackjacks

Brampton came out flying in their first home playoff game since 2022. They exploded for 28 points in the opening quarter — ten more than Ottawa managed — and carried a 50–42 lead into half-time after a competitive second frame (22–24).

The Honey Badgers stretched the margin to nine by the end of the third quarter (75–66), but Ottawa refused to go quietly. The BlackJacks outscored Brampton 25–20 in the fourth, dragging the game to a target-score scenario where the first team to reach the target would win.

With the target score in sight and the game tied at 91–91, Ottawa had a chance to take the lead on their final possession but could not secure a rebound. Moncrieffe — a Brampton native playing in front of his home crowd — crashed the glass, grabbed the offensive board and put it back up for the game-winner. The BlackJacks' season ended on that possession.

"Down low, Canadian big man Matthew Moncrieffe has gobbled up 20 playoff rebounds, including a putback game-winner against the BlackJacks," the CEBL noted in its conference-final preview (source: CEBL.ca, 8 August 2026).

Sean East II was the engine for Brampton, pouring in 29 points and dishing 13 assists in a virtuoso two-way performance. Trentyn Flowers added 25 points, giving the Honey Badgers a devastating backcourt tandem that Ottawa struggled to contain.

Matthew Moncrieffe finished with modest scoring numbers but made the play of the game — his offensive rebound and putback as the target-score winner sent the CAA Centre into delirium.

For Ottawa, Justin Ndjock-Tadjore had his best game of the season at the perfect time, posting 17 points and 8 rebounds. The University of Ottawa alum was a bright spot in an otherwise painful elimination. The BlackJacks were also led in the regular season by Javonte Smart (23.8 ppg) and Alex Fudge (league-leading 40 blocks), though specific playoff stat lines were not available at the time of writing (source: The BlackJacks.ca, Farrah Philpot, 10 August 2026).

*Q4 includes target-score finish with untimed play.

Brampton's 10-point first-quarter advantage proved decisive — Ottawa never led at any quarter break. But the BlackJacks won the second half 49–45 and closed the gap to four by game's end, showing the competitive balance that had defined the season series (all four regular-season meetings were decided by seven points or fewer, per the Honey Badgers' pre-game preview; source: honeybadgers.ca, Kolby Marsh, 5 August 2026).

The win marked Brampton's first home playoff victory since their 2022 championship season. The Honey Badgers advanced to face the Niagara River Lions in the Eastern Conference Final on 8 August 2026 — a single-game elimination that Brampton would go on to win, eventually reaching the CEBL Finals (source: CBC Sports, 7 August 2026; honeybadgers.ca, 16 August 2026).

For Ottawa, the loss ended a record-breaking season. The BlackJacks set franchise marks for points (Javonte Smart), blocks (Alex Fudge, 40 — league-leading), and career rebounds (Isaih Moore, 419). Head coach Justin Mazzulla, the youngest head coach in CEBL history at 27, led the team to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

"There's countless learning lessons, but I think most importantly, relationships and the people that you surround yourself with are super important, and here at Ottawa, we're surrounded by such great people," Mazzulla said in his post-season interview (source: The BlackJacks.ca, Farrah Philpot, 10 August 2026).

A classic CEBL playoff slugfest decided by one offensive rebound. Brampton's hot start and East II's all-around brilliance gave them enough cushion to withstand Ottawa's late surge. Moncrieffe's hometown hero moment will be remembered as the signature play of the Honey Badgers' post-season run.