Mamba beats Honey Badgers 98-92, clinching franchise’s first playoff berth since 2022

A four-year playoff drought has finally come to an end for the Saskatoon Mamba.

For the first time since the 2022 Canadian Elite Basketball League season, the franchise will play post-season basketball after defeating the Brampton Honey Badgers 98-92 on their home court Thursday.

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The win ends a lengthy playoff absence for the Mamba and the former Saskatchewan Rattlers franchise, with their four-year wait to return to the playoffs the longest active streak of any CEBL team.

“It’s great,” said Mamba veteran guard Devonté Bandoo. “It’s always a blessing when you get to play in the post-season. Just to do it again, it’s phenomenal. Hopefully we can go all the way and win a championship.”

New signing Damari Monsanto exploded for 26 points in the win for Saskatoon, in just his second game since joining the team.

Saskatoon used the three-pointer to their advantage on Thursday night, as they shot 43 per cent from beyond the arc, including seven three-pointers from Monsanto, to punch their ticket to the post-season.

“There was a lot of energy tonight,” Monsanto said. “I felt the fans gave us a lot of energy, a lot of cheers. It was good. It was exciting tonight.”

Saskatoon head coach Isaiah Fox said it was a moment the team has been fighting for all season.

“I’m just so proud of them,” Fox said.

“There’s a big sigh of relief as well. Brampton is a great team. I was proud of what we did tonight, and I’m proud of what we so far have accomplished this season. I think the guys are focused on what’s next, which is good.”

The Mamba and Honey Badgers traded offensive punches through the first few minutes of the opening quarter, before Brampton went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-10 lead, thanks to former Mamba guard Tevian Jones, who signed with the Ontario club this week.

Near the end of the first quarter, the three-pointers began to drop for Saskatoon, including two from Monsanto and another from team captain Tavian Dunn-Martin to take a 24-21 lead heading in the second.

Saskatoon came out of the break firing on all cylinders, as Monsanto hit a long shot from beyond the arc to kickstart a big offensive run for the Mamba, capped off by Bandoo forcing a turnover and delivering a lay up for the 42-29 lead.

Jaden Clayton and Jamir Chaplin added to their point totals with big individual efforts in the final few minutes of the opening half, before Dunn-Martin hit a three-pointer with 19 seconds left before the buzzer to make it 57-42 for Saskatoon.

Brampton was able to punch back in the third quarter, closing the deficit to 74-70, with turnovers costing the Mamba with 30 minutes in the books.

Monsanto kicked off the fourth quarter with a four-point play after being fouled behind the three-point line to make it a 78-70 contest, though Brampton star Sean East II helped lead a comeback as part of his 24 points on the night to take an 89-88 lead into target score time.

Saskatoon wasted no time once play resumed, as Monsanto delivered back-to-back three-point shots to bring the Mamba within four points of victory.

After a Trey Townsend lay up brought Saskatoon to within two points, the Mamba got its biggest block of the night from towering forward Jaden Bediako to cause the turnover.

The ball was picked up by Townsend, who sent it up the floor to Bandoo for the driving lay up to secure the victory and clinch a playoff spot for Saskatoon.

“I thought I was going to dunk the ball,” Bandoo said.

“Then (Tevian) Jones just came out of nowhere and I was like, ‘Oh, I got to get it up before he goes blocking that.’ The ball just did its thing, went around the rim and went in.”

It was a poetic shot for Bandoo, who finished the night with 12 points, as he was on the Rattlers roster in 2022 when they last made CEBL playoffs.

Fox also credited the work of Dunn-Martin defensively, who held efficient Brampton shooter Cameron Tyson 0-for-3 in his three-point attempts.

“I just saw the box score as you’re saying that,” Fox said.

“That’s unbelievable, I did not know that. That’s amazing, it really is. A guy shoots 12 threes a game. He’s a 40 per cent shooter. He’s a huge weapon. (Dunn-Martin) was the match up on him.”

With the win, the Mamba reached 10 victories this year and will finish no lower than fourth place in the Western Conference with four games remaining in their regular season.

The team is currently sitting third in the west, two games ahead of the Edmonton Stingers in fourth place.

The Mamba also sit two-and-a-half games back of both the Vancouver Bandits and Winnipeg Sea Bears for the top-two spots in the west, which would mean home floor advantage in conference semi-finals.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Mamba (10-10), as they visit Vancouver (13-8) on Saturday with an 8 p.m. tip-off.

Read more:

• Edmonton beats Saskatchewan after last-second field goal
• Mamba opens Merlis Belsher Place residency with target score comeback win over Ottawa
• Maddox Schultz headlines Sask. invites to Canada’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup training camp