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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The Canadian Elite Basketball League has confirmed that the start time for the Vancouver Bandits’ away game on Thursday, May 14 against Saskatoon Mamba at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Sask, has been changed from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. PT. This game will be Vancouver’s first game of the 2026 CEBL regular season. The game, along with all Bandits games during the 2026 season, will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, and the CEBL Mobile app. Fans can also tune in on the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6-foot-9 forward Dominic Parolin to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Hailing from Coquitlam, B.C., this marks Parolin’s first professional basketball contract after recently completing a six-year NCAA DI career with stints at Boise State University and Lehigh University. “I can’t wait to start off my professional career with the Bandits. This organization has a history of success and I am excited to be a part of it,” said Parolin. “Having grown up around Vancouver, this is also a great opportunity to reconnect with the local basketball community.” After redshirting during the 2024-25 season, Parolin appeared in 32 games for the Boise State Broncos in 2025-26 where he suited up in 32 games with averages of 5.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.5 blocks in 17.0 minutes per game. Prior to Boise State, Parolin played four seasons with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks where he was named Third Team All-Patriot League in 2024. “We are all excited about working with Dominic. He has had a tremendous college career and has a very high ceiling as a professional player,” said Bandits head coach and general manager, Kyle Julius. “Dominic plays with big time toughness, has great size and a versatile game as a power forward. Being a B.C. kid, we are thrilled that he is back home playing for us in front of friends and family.” An alumnus of Centennial Secondary in Coquitlam, B.C., Parolin captained the Centaurs’ senior boys team to a fifth-place finish at the 2020 BC 4A Boys Basketball Provincial Championship, while also earning First Team All-Star honours at the tournament. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed NBA-experienced guard Mychal Mulder for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A 6-foot-3 guard from Windsor, Ont., Mulder appeared in 84 NBA games between 2019 to 2022 for the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. His breakout season in 2020-21 saw him appear in 60 games for the Warriors, where he averaged 5.6 points, 1.0 rebounds, 0.4 assists in 12.8 minutes, including six starts alongside the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins. “I am excited to be in Vancouver to play with the Bandits and work with coach Kyle Julius this summer. Playing in a Canadian league is a first for me, and it is an opportunity that I take pride in,” said Mulder. “We are going to have a really good group and a very competitive season; Bandits fans, get ready.” Mulder most recently played for the Washington Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, Capital City Go-Go, during the 2023-24 season where he appeared in 27 games and averaged 5.2 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists in 17.3 minutes per game. A product of the University of Kentucky, Mulder played two seasons of NCAA DI basketball from 2015 to 2017. He averaged 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists in 10.6 minutes through 32 contests for a Wildcats squad that advanced to the Elite Eight at the 2017 NCAA March Madness tournament. “Mychal is an elite Canadian player who has built a career as accomplished as any player to play in our league. He will provide big time experience and leadership to our group,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “He has played with the best players in the world and it is going to be awesome to have him enhance our culture and push our group towards a championship.” Internationally, Mulder has represented Canada at the senior level on two occasions at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers and the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Mulder joins reigning CEBL Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel as players who have signed with the Bandits for the upcoming 2026 season. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is proud to announce CEBL Signing Day , coming April 8. Replacing the CEBL Draft , Signing Day will roll out across league-wide social platforms, spotlighting the next wave of elite Canadian talent as student-athletes from U SPORTS and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) officially sign for the 2026 season. Two athletes per team will be announced, with the possibility of more signings as the season approaches. Since 2019, the CEBL’s partnership with U SPORTS and more recently also the CCAA has built a pro-level stage where the best intercollegiate talent from coast to coast can shine. CEBL teams are incentivized to carry development players on their active rosters, with up to three developmental players eligible per game outside the Club’s salary cap. The results speak for themselves: 116 student-athletes from 44 schools across Canada have been selected by CEBL clubs through the draft process, a testament to the exceptional depth and calibre of Canadian collegiate basketball. The world will be watching. Through the CEBL's landmark five-year broadcast partnership with CBC Sports, these talented student-athletes will get national, and global, spotlight. Marquee games will air on CBC TV, including the first-ever best-of-three CEBL Finals in league history, with every CEBL game live streamed on CBC Gem and CBC Sports YouTube and CEBL+ . Canadian basketball has never been more visible and it's only getting bigger. For the full 2026 CEBL schedule, visit cebl.ca/schedule . Details on the league’s new playoff format are available at cebl.ca/playoffs , and ticket information for all CEBL games can be found at cebl.ca/tickets .
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