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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Vancouver emerged victorious over Montréal in a battle between the best of both conferences on Saturday (June 14) at Langley Events Centre. The Bandits stormed back from a 20-point deficit in the first half to earn their third straight victory. A timely 15-0 run in the fourth quarter propelled the Bandits to the comeback, featuring clutch shooting from Curtis Hollis, along with inside finishing from Mitch Creek and Shamar Givance. Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said certain possessions in the third quarter set the tone for the comeback. “We just kept talking about chipping away and we talked a lot about the power of one possession and how it can change a game,” Julius said. Creek paced the Bandits’ attack with a game-high 30 points to go along with seven rebounds. Hollis added 18 points, including the game-winner. “I knew we had to get one more bucket. I knew the guys were helping off me all game, which I really don't know why, but I saw he helped off me, and Shamar made a great pass and I just had to make a shot,” Hollis said. James Karnik and Corey Davis Jr. also made their season debuts for Vancouver, adding nine points each. Julius said incorporating new faces mid-season can be a challenge. “The chemistry of a locker room is fragile. You build your offence around a particular group, you build your defense around a particular group, and when certain pieces change, it can affect your scheme. And so, yeah, you have to tweak things all week,” Julius said. Meanwhile, Montréal guard Tavian Dunn-Martin proved difficult to stop despite second-half struggles as a team. He netted 20 points with four threes on eight-of-13 shooting overall. “We settled for too many threes [in the second half]. We didn't attack the basket … didn't get to the line. Then they got out in transition and made shots, and we didn't,” Dunn-Martin said. Montréal seized control early on, shooting 70 per cent from the field in the first quarter and forcing the Bandits into catch-up mode. Alliance head coach Jermaine Small said his squad was outrebounded in the second half but expects to get better from the loss. “You have to understand that you've got to play a 40-minute game. We got off to a really good start [and] obviously we tapered off a little bit. But it's just a good lesson … basketball is a long game, so I'm not worried about it,” Small said. Montréal began the game on a 14-4 run that culminated in back-to-back threes from Anthony Walker and Quincy Guerrier. Creek showed off his rebounding ability on the offensive glass, keeping the Bandits in the contest with three putbacks. However, the Alliance offence was on fire in the opening 10 minutes. Montréal closed the quarter on a 13-3 run, highlighted by a pair of Michael Diggins Jr. slams and a deep trifecta from Dunn-Martin, to take a 32-15 lead into the second. Guerrier connected on a free throw and a spin layup to extend Montréal’s lead to 20 early in the second before Vancouver went on a quick run fueled by transition finishes to narrow the gap. However, the Alliance stayed hot with another deep triple from Dunn-Martin and a corner three from former Bandit Malcolm Duvivier. The red-hot Montréal offence cooled off to end the half and Vancouver took advantage, closing the deficit to single digits by halftime at 48-41 with a 9-2 run. The third quarter turned into a defensive battle, with neither team scoring more than 15 points. The Bandits fought back to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip, powered by an 11-2 run in which the Alliance didn’t connect on a field goal. However, long-range shooting put Montréal back in front with back-to-back threes from Guerrier and Dunn-Martin. The Alliance carried a 62-56 advantage into the fourth quarter. Dunn-Martin continued to showcase his range with another deep three early in the fourth to bring the Alliance lead back to double-digits. But the Bandits demonstrated their resilience with a massive 15-0 run that put the home squad in front for the first time all game. Alain Louis made some clutch trifectas ahead of the final stretch, but a Creek and-one put Vancouver ahead 80-77 with an 89-point Target Score. After Guerrier kicked off scoring in Target Score Time with a transition slam, Davis Jr. buried a three, Creek got the hoop and the harm, and Givance scored in transition to put Vancouver one point away from victory. Hollis connected on a catch-and-shoot from the wing to complete the comeback and improve the Bandits’ record to 8-1. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600585
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Montreal Alliance on June 14th, 2025.
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Saturday, June 14 game at home against the Montréal Alliance at 7:00 p.m. PT: G Corey Davis Jr. has been added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F James Karnik has been removed the the Club's Suspended List and added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F Tyrese Samuel has been placed on the Club's Suspended List in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts and Summer League opportunities; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments. G Izaiah Brockington has been placed on the Club's Suspended List in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts and Summer League opportunities; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments. G Tristan Jass (lower body) is ruled out for today's game.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6’1” American guard Corey Davis Jr. No stranger to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Davis Jr. was a member of the Calgary Surge during the 2024 season where he set the league record for most assists in a single season with 126 helpers. Appearing and starting in 19 regular season games and three playoff games, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals through 33.1 minutes played. He finished the season with three consecutive, 20+ point performances in the postseason, leading the Surge from the Play-In round to the CEBL Western Conference Final. Davis Jr. most recently played professionally with Vanoli Cremona, the highest-tier level of Italy’s basketball league system, where he appeared in 30 games and averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 29.8 minutes of action per game during the 2024-25 season. His pro career also includes stops in Spain, Montenegro, France, Turkey and a stint with the Washington Wizards during the 2019 NBA Summer League. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back in the CEBL and can’t wait to get started with the Bandits. I’m looking forward to working with coach Kyle and the team, and building on the success that the Bandits have had so far this season,” said Davis Jr. A member of the University of Houston’s men’s basketball team for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, Davis Jr. was a unanimous First Team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2019. Davis Jr. also helped the Cougars advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2019 Sweet 16. Davis Jr. will be on the active roster for the Vancouver Bandits game Saturday evening at home when the club hosts the visiting Montréal Alliance at Langley Events Centre. In a corresponding move, the club has placed guard Izaiah Brockington on its Suspended List in order to accommodate Davis Jr.'s addition while adhering to CEBL roster rules, which limit clubs to four Import players on active rosters.
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