Bandits Come Out Firing Against Stingers in CEBL SUMMER SERIES Debut
July 27, 2020
ST. CATHARINES, ON, July 26, 2020 – There was no love lost between the Fraser Valley Bandits and the Edmonton Stingers on Sunday afternoon. The Bandits dropped all four games of the 2019 regular season against the Stingers. But on Sunday it was a different story. The Bandits jumped in front early and captured a 113-100 victory in the CEBL Summer Series opener for both clubs.
“I think it was really sloppy at some points, but what can you expect after three, four months off and guys not being in the gym five-on-five,” said Abbotsford native Marek Klassen of the Bandits. “I think our team executed really well for 36 minutes. The Elam Ending was a different take. None of us have played that before, so I think we slipped a little bit, but we’ll take all that and get ready for tomorrow.”
Newcomer Kyle Johnson opened the scoring for the Bandits with a breakaway finger roll. Cameron Forte made his presence felt early for the Bandits, scoring six of Fraser Valley’s first eight points. Forte’s finesse allowed the talented big man to get to the rim, which forced the Stingers’ defence to collapse, allowing for open Bandits shooters on the wings. The Stingers were unable to find an answer for Fraser Valley’s marksmanship from three-point range.
With Fraser Valley’s lead growing throughout the first quarter, a corner three-pointer by Stingers guard Mambi Diawara cut the lead to 20-10 midway through the frame, but the Bandits were relentless in their attack. A three-pointer by Jahenns Manigat put Fraser Valley ahead 32-19 after one quarter.
The Bandits threatened to break ahead in the second quarter, but returning star guard Adika Peter-McNeilly had other ideas. The former Ryerson Ram traded buckets with various Bandits scorers and hit multiple three-pointers in the second. Despite Peter-McNeilly’s best efforts, a late three-pointer made a dent in the deficit, but the Stingers entered halftime trailing, 59-42.
Edmonton shot just 38 percent through the first two quarters of play, while Fraser Valley connected on 56 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc through one half of play. Peter-McNeilly led Edmonton at the half with 14 points, while former Alberta Golden Bear and Canada West all-star Brody Clarke had 10 points. Johnson was the game’s high-point scorer at halftime with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field, including 3-of-3 from downtown.
Edmonton came out firing on all cylinders to open the second half. Back-to-back three-pointers by Mathieu Kamba helped the Stingers claw to within 59-49 early in the third quarter, but the Bandits responded to each Edmonton run. A three-pointer from Junior Cadougan and a three-point play from Klassen pushed the Fraser Valley lead to 84-63.
The Stingers kicked it up a gear in the fourth quarter and trailed 102-80 at the start of the Elam Ending. They outscored Fraser Valley, 20-9, in the late stretches of the game, but a three-pointer by Jahenns Manigat ended the game at 113-100.
“It’s a 40-minute game and everybody’s coming off not having played in a long time,” said Stingers head coach Jermaine Small. “It’s a game of runs, but like I told our guys, ‘It’s a 40-minute war.’ We had some really good runs there, but at the same time we have to keep focussed on that and just build from it.”
“I was very pleased with how hard we played and how we came out of the gates,” said Johnson. “I think the Elam Ending – we definitely got to get better at that. You know, we stopped playing. But for three quarters and a half we did a really good job of setting the tone, weathering their storm. At the end of the day it’s a win, so we’ll take it. It’s important for us to get that first win.”
Forte led all scorers with 28 points on 13-of-21 shooting from the field, while also hauling in 10 rebounds in a double-double performance. Peter-McNeilly scored a team-high 18 points, two rebounds and two steals.
Edmonton takes on the expansion Ottawa BlackJacks (0-1) Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET, while Fraser Valley’s next matchup arrives Tuesday when the Bandits take on Saskatchewan (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT).
All CEBL Summer Series games are available to watch on Twitch, CBCSports.ca and the CBC Gem App. A complete broadcast schedule can be found here.
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Today, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced the winners of the 2026 CEBL Awards and the All-CEBL Teams via the league's digital and social media channels. Bandits forward Tyrese Samuel captured Canadian Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. He was also named to the All-CEBL First Team and earned his second straight CEBL All-Canadian Team selection. Additionally, longtime international basketball official and Lower Mainland resident Mike Thomson was named a recipient of the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award in recognition of continued contributions to the CEBL officiating program. The full list of award winners is as follows: 2026 CEBL Award Winners Most Valuable Player: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Canadian Player of the Year: Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) Coach of the Year: Tyrell Vernon (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Sixth Man of the Year: Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars) CDIC Defensive Player of the Year: Kellen Tynes (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Developmental Player of the Year: Easton Thimm (Saskatchewan Mamba) Clutch Player of the Year: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award: Mike Thomson All-CEBL First Team: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Teddy Allen (Winnipeg Sea Bears), Javonte Smart (Ottawa BlackJacks), Sean East II (Brampton Honey Badgers), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) All-CEBL Second Team: Tavian Dunn-Martin (Saskatoon Mamba), Khalil Ahmad (Niagara River Lions), Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Nick Hornsby (Edmonton Stingers), Matthew Cleveland (Ottawa BlackJacks) CEBL All-Canadian Team: Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits), Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Quincy Guerrier (Montréal Alliance), Sean Miller-Moore (Calgary Surge), Jaden Bediako (Saskatoon Mamba) Samuel returns as the reigning Canadian Player of the Year, repeating as this year's winner after finishing third in the CEBL in rebounding at 8.7 per game. The Montreal, Que., native led Vancouver in rebounds (8.7), blocked shots (1.1) and field goal percentage (53.5 per cent), while finishing second on the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Samuel’s standout performances and accolades across his two seasons with the Bandits helped accelerate his career progression. Following the 2025 CEBL season, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns joining the team on its training camp roster. He is now preparing for his first overseas opportunity, signing with French club Cosea JL Bourg for the 2026-27 season who compete in the prestigious EuroCup league and the Ligue Nationale de Basket. A resident of New Westminster, Mike Thomson was honoured with the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award for his continued contributions to the CEBL officiating program. A FIBA-licensed Referee Instructor with nearly 50 years of basketball officiating involvement, Thomson’s resume includes officiating the 2000 Summer Olympic Games and serving as a Referee Instructor at the 2024 Summer Olympics and both the 2019 and 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cups. A longtime contributor to the CEBL, he served as both a Referee Coach and member of the Referee Advisory Committee this past season, drawing on his extensive experience in Canadian and international basketball to provide steady guidance and leadership throughout the season. Award winners and All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian Teams are determined by votes cast by the CEBL's team head coaches, general managers, assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and internal media personnel, based on regular season performance. Team representatives are prohibited from voting for a player or head coach from their own team. All CEBL award winners will receive a customized ring from Jostens, the Official Supplier of Award Rings of the CEBL, as well as a special gift from Foot Locker, the official sportswear retailer of the CEBL and its 10 teams. Details on tickets for the 2027 season can be found via CEBL.ca/tickets .
The Vancouver Bandits, in conjunction with the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), announced Tuesday that forward Tyrese Samuel is among the nominees for Canadian Player of the Year at the 2026 CEBL Awards. Most Valuable Player finalists Myles Powell of the Scarborough Shooting Stars and Teddy Allen of the Winnipeg Sea Bears headline the list of nominees revealed across five player award categories. 2026 CEBL Award Finalists Most Valuable Player: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Teddy Allen (Winnipeg Sea Bears) Canadian Player of the Year: Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) Sixth Man of the Year: Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Stanley Davis Jr. (Edmonton Stingers) Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Fudge (Ottawa BlackJacks), Kellen Tynes (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Developmental Player of the Year: Easton Thimm (Saskatchewan Mamba), Mohamed Mahadhi (Saskatchewan Mamba) Additional 2026 CEBL Awards, including Coach of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year, the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award, and the All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian teams, will also be announced next week following the conclusion of the CEBL Finals. Samuel returns as the reigning Canadian Player of the Year, up for the award for a second consecutive season. The Montreal, Quebec native ranked third in the CEBL in rebounding at 8.7 per game and led Vancouver in rebounds (8.7), blocked shots (1.1) and field goal percentage (53.5%), while finishing second on the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Award nominees and winners are determined by votes cast by the league's head coaches, general managers, assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and media personnel. Team representatives are prohibited from voting for a player or head coach from their own team.
The Vancouver Bandits’ championship aspirations ended in the Western Final. The visiting Winnipeg Sea Bears never trailed after the first quarter, defeating the Bandits 107-96 on Saturday afternoon on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre in the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Western Conference Final. Winnipeg advances to face the Brampton Honey Badgers in the best-of-three CEBL Finals. “We had a couple of defensive assignment game plan pieces that I thought we just did not ever execute,” said Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius. “They jumped on us right from the start and had more energy.” Vancouver had won the season series 3-1, including a crucial 114-90 victory less than a week ago that clinched home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. “This group (today) is way better than the Winnipeg we played the other day because of him,” Julius said of Sea Bears guard Trey McGowens, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. “I thought he was the X factor — the way he plays, the toughness he has, the athleticism,” Julius added. “He gave them a lot of life. The way he played, created a lot of opportunities.” Winnipeg’s Simon Hildebrandt also proved too much for the Bandits, finishing with 24 points to tie Xavier Moon for the team lead. “You have to give him a lot of credit … he absolutely killed us. He dominated his matchup all night,” Julius said. Shamar Givance led the Bandits with 21 points and 11 assists, while Mitch Creek and Tevin Brown finished with 19 points apiece.
At this stage of the season, style points don’t matter. “Just win the day. I said after the game, it wasn’t pretty, but this time of year, it’s survive and advance,” said Vancouver Bandits General Manager Kyle Julius, who returned to coaching duties on Thursday night. Julius had stepped away from coaching duties earlier in the season after accepting a coaching position in China but retained his role as the Bandits’ general manager. With Vancouver entering the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs, Julius returned to the sidelines Thursday night after consulting with interim head coach Rans Brempong, who had previously served as his lead assistant. The result was a 92-83 victory over the visiting Edmonton Stingers in the Western Conference semi-final on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. Edmonton raced out to a 9-0 lead before Vancouver settled into its game and took a 52-42 lead into halftime. The Stingers responded with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Bandits 25-13, and led by five points in the fourth quarter before Vancouver battled back with an 11-1 run heading into Target Score Time. The game ended on a Mychal Mulder three-pointer from the corner. “I was spaced properly … and Shamar (Givance) made the right read and kicked it out to me, and I was able to knock it down,” Mulder said. “Our entire fourth quarter is a testament to how we fight and how you pull a win out.” Mulder scored 15 points off the bench and was one of five Vancouver players in double figures, with Givance leading the way with 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Mitch Creek (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Tyrese Samuel (13 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles, while Tevin Brown added 19 points and connected on five three-pointers. Nick Hornsby led the Stingers with 22 points, but he was the only Edmonton player to score more than 11. A big factor in the late-game turnaround was the sold-out crowd cheering on the home side. “The crowd really got into it in the fourth quarter and they really boosted us,” Julius said. “I cannot say enough about our fans, they have been tremendous.” It was a sentiment echoed by Mulder. “They are incredible. They pack it out every game. (Coach) was saying in the locker room, it’s like all of a sudden, it turns into six-on-five,” Mulder said. “They are great for our energy and that’s what we fought for, to have home-court advantage.” Vancouver will look to capitalize on that home-court advantage once again when the Bandits host the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Saturday (August 8) at 12:30 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre in the Western Conference Final, with a spot in the CEBL Championship Finals on the line.
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A message from Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius on the 2025 season and thoughts on the CEBL Western Conference Semifinal.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on August 16th, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on August 3rd, 2025.