BRAMPTON, Ontario (Interstat) — Two teams near the bottom of the Canadian Elite Basketball League standings meet Tuesday when the Hamilton Honey Badgers host the Niagara River Lions at CAA Center.

Hamilton (8-11) holds a slight edge over Niagara (7-12) in the standings, but the River Lions have won the most recent head-to-head matchup, defeating the Honey Badgers 101-84 on June 15 in Hamilton. Khalil Ahmad led Niagara in that game with 37 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Hamilton won the previous meeting June 5, 97-86 in Niagara.

Both teams enter Tuesday’s contest with momentum from recent results. Niagara defeated Scarborough 98-89 on Friday, led by guard Kyle Vinales with 24 points and Ahmad with 23 points, three rebounds and seven assists. Hamilton lost 92-86 at Montreal on Friday, despite 27 points and eight assists from guard Tyrese Hunter.

Ahmad has been a consistent offensive threat for Niagara despite the team’s struggles. Over his last seven games, he has scored 23 or more points three times, including a 37-point outburst against Hamilton. He has also recorded at least three assists in six of those contests, with a high of nine against the Honey Badgers.

Hunter has been Hamilton’s primary playmaker. In his last three games, he has averaged 20 points and 7.3 assists per game. However, he struggled in the June 15 loss to Niagara, finishing with nine points and four assists while shooting 4 of 12 from the field. Hunter scored 27 points in Hamilton’s loss to Montreal last Friday, connecting on three 3-pointers.

The Honey Badgers will look to their frontcourt for support. Center Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds in Friday’s loss to Montreal. Forward Trentyn Flowers added 20 points and nine rebounds in that game.

Niagara’s interior play was key in its win over Scarborough, with center Elijah Lufile contributing 17 points and 11 rebounds. Vinales led all scorers that afternoon with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting.

Both teams have struggled this season, but Tuesday’s game holds significance for playoff positioning. A win would move Hamilton to .500 at 9-11, while a loss would drop the Honey Badgers to 8-12 and allow Niagara to pull within one game.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at CAA Center.