Bandits Complete 20-Point Comeback to Down Alliance

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