May 19, 2025
The Montreal Alliance defeated the Brampton Honey Badgers in convincing style
The new look Montreal Alliance put on a dominant performance today, earning a convincing win over the visiting Brampton Honey Badgers at the Verdun Auditorium. Largely due to fantastic play from Montreal-native and former Toronto Raptors 905 forward Quincy Geurrier.
Apart from Alain Louis, every member of the Alliance is new this season, including the coaching staff – even the team itself is under new ownership. With two-time CEBL cup winner Jermaine Small now at the held, the Alliance appear to be in good hands, and if this afternoon’s contest was indication of what’s to come, then Montreal is about to come alive with basketball fever.
See Also: CF Montreal destroyed by rival Toronto FC in the rain
The Alliance were stunningly good to start the game, dominating the court at both ends and surprising their home town fans with a stellar performance. The chatter around the arena prior to tip-off was uncertainty due in large part by not bringing part fan favorites Ahmed Hill and Chris Smith. While a lot of that was filled with the signing of Geurrier, there was still a lot of unknown elements at play. However, that uncertainty was quickly silenced against the Honey Badgers.
Coach Small has stated that he wants his new-look Alliance squad to be the best defensive team in the league – and for them to create offense off their defense. Through one game this season, that is what exactly what the Montreal Alliance were able to do.
Montreal got out of the gate on a mission, and controlled the first quarter of play in dominate fashion. Stunning Brampton with their strong, physical play and defensive minded play style. The Honey Badgers were having trouble getting to the bucket while everything seemed to be dropping for the Alliance – and the fans recognized it from the get go. Montreal is beginning its fourth campaign in the league, and looking to finish the season better than the three consecutive last place finishes they’ve had this far.
If this is any indication of what is to come, then the Montreal Alliance are about to play their best season in franchise history – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves; there’s a lot of basketball to play this season.
The Brampton Honey Badgers seemed to adjust to start the second quarter but the Alliance weren’t so easy to figure out, and continued to play hard and put up buckets. Montreal’s physical play gave them the edge and the Honey Badgers were visibly frustrated by their opponents. By half-time, the Montreal Alliance were up for fourteen points.
The Honey Badgers came out strong to start the second half, playing their strongest quarter of the game and bringing themselves back within five points of the Alliance – but that was as close as they would get. Montreal kept on coming, using their defense as a weapon, while attacking off the counter punch. Coach Small already seems to have put his signature on this roster, and his bench is responding in style.
The Alliance seemed to have figured out what Brampton was going to do by the time the final frame got underway, as they cruised back into a solid lead.
The Montreal Alliance had a commanding twenty-one point lead heading into Target Score time, and that was always going to be too great a lead for the Brampton Honey Badgers to recover from. Brampton would need to score thirty points before Montreal sank nine. Despite a few hiccups, the Alliance found the nine points required to put the game away, earning their first win of the season in front of their fans.
With four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Koby McEwen, the 2024 Canadian Player of the Year, was ejected from the game. McEwen was upset over being shoved from behind and falling into the photographers sat on the court, which the referee missed, and things escalated from there.
While the fans were impressed with their new star, Quincy Geurrier, so too was his coach Jermaine Small. Toronto Raptor and Montreal native Chris Boucher was also on hand, sat courtside watching the Alliance and checking out the level of compete in the CEBL.
“I think the talent is undeniable,” Small said to a group of reporters. “Every shot he makes is like a momentum play for us because, obviously, it’s a hometown kid … I feel lucky to coach him and I felt like he made his mark.”
Read More:
>> Quincy Guerrier signs with the Montreal Alliance
>> Montreal Alliance select Jaheem Joseph
>> Montreal Alliance co-captain Kemy Ossé announces his retirement
Both the Montreal Alliance and the Brampton Honey Badgers will be in action next against the Ottawa Blackjacks. First, Ottawa will host the Honey Badgers on Wednesday, then Ottawa will travel to Montreal to face the Alliance at IGA stadium in what will be the first ever professional outdoor basketball game in Canada.
A few tickets are still available for the outdoor game – come be part of Canadian basketball history!
