BANDITS DOMINATE QUARTERFINAL AGAINST GUELPH, ADVANCE TO CEBL CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
By: CEBL Staff • August 15, 2021
The Fraser Valley Bandits used an explosive offence to defeat the Guelph Nighthawks, 104-84, and advance to the CEBL Championship Weekend for a second straight season.
Setting a CEBL playoff record for most assists in a playoff game (29) and tying the high for most points, the Bandits, who were without Head Coach Dave Singleton, reminded the league how impressive they can play both inside and outside the paint.
Bandits centre Brandon Gilbeck owned the rim. He recorded game highs of 26 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. The final play of the game included Gilbeck who was double-teamed in the key, but made a terrific dish to Shaquille Keith who scored the game-winning layup.
Keith, who is a finalist for the CEBL Sixth Man of the Year Award, led all bench players with 14 points but it was his passing that stood out most, recording a game-high nine assists, finding Gilbeck on multiple occasions down low.
Despite a late surge by the Nighthawks in the fourth quarter, Fraser Valley was in control for most of the game and never trailed in the quarterfinal contest. Leading by as much as 31, the Bandits withheld a desperate Guelph team who pulled to within 14 (95-81) heading into the Elam Ending.
Tanner Massey was placed into the head coaching role for the Bandits with Singleton out due to Covid-19 protocols. He orchestrated an offence that was fluid throughout the entire game with players willing to share the ball and play as a unit.
“It was great to get back into that seat,” expressed Massey. “We have a collection of players that really compete. The message going into the game was ‘no excuses.’ Our guys, they are really resilient. It’s the best thing of this roster. We have hungry guys, we have gritty guys who have been there before at a high level. They have competed for championships, they have won championships. They know what it takes.”
The Bandits used a boisterous sellout crowd at Abbotsford Centre to bring unmatched energy to the court. Nine of the 10 players on the Fraser Valley roster scored in the first quarter, led by Alex Campbell and Malcolm Duvivier, who each netted eight points as the Bandits took control 24-15 through 10 minutes.
The Nighthawks managed a successful defensive zone that helped Guelph go on a 10-0 run early in the second frame, pulling to within two, 27-25. However, Duvivier stopped the momentum with a triple, followed by a massive dunk from teammate Gilbeck. Fraser Valley scored 19 of the next 21 points and never looked back. Duvivier finished with 21 points and five assists.
Nighthawks guard, Michael Bryson, who led all scorers with 17 points in the first half, was limited to just seven points in the final two quarters, finishing with a team-best 24 points.
“I thought in the second half we fought but we didn’t fight in the first,” said Nighthawks Head Coach Charles Kissi. “Michael Bryson is a high level basketball player. He came here and proved that. It was good to see him perform. I think overall it (the season) was pretty good. Overall, some really good growth and you can’t really ask for much more than that.”
After shooting two-for-11 from the field, Nighthawks guard Ahmed Hill picked up his second technical late in the second quarter, resulting in a disqualification and was unable to help his team the rest of the way. Hill was the fifth-leading scorer in the CEBL during the regular season (17.5 ppg) and was hugely missed for the remainder of the game.
The Bandits will travel to Edmonton for the CEBL Championship Weekend, where they will face the second-seeded Niagara River Lions on Friday night (9:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. PT). The two teams split the regular season series, 1-1, with blowouts for the home team in each game.
Notes and Numbers
Fraser Valley also set the CEBL playoff record for the largest margin of victory. The previous mark found the Bandits on the receiving end when Edmonton captured the 2020 CEBL crown with a 17-point win (90-73).
Championship Weekend Schedule
Semifinals: Friday, August 20, 2021
No. 2 Niagara River Lions vs. No. 4 Fraser Valley (7 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. MT)
No. 1 Edmonton Stingers vs. No. 6 Ottawa BlackJacks (9:30 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. MT)
Championship Game: Sunday, August 22, 2021
Semifinal Winner 1 vs. Semifinal Winner 2 (4 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. MT)
All CEBL Playoff games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service CEBL+, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
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Seven players who have previously suited up for the Vancouver Bandits, including five from the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season, have been named to NBA G League training camp rosters ahead of the start of the 2026-27 season on November 6, 2026. The NBA G League serves as the NBA’s official minor league and features 31 teams, with 30 clubs having one-to-one affiliations with NBA franchises. Surrey, B.C.’s James Karnik will join the Portland Trail Blazers’ affiliate, Rip City Remix. Karnik has participated in 36 regular season games across four seasons dating back to 2022, including four games in 2026. This marks the first time that he has been named to an NBA G League training camp squad. Jaelen House, a former NBA G League All-Star who played in 10 games for the Bandits during the 2026 season, will be competing for a roster spot on the Utah Jazz’s affiliate, Salt Lake City Stars. He set the Bandits’ single-game scoring record, recording 42 points against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on June 18, 2026. The Charlotte Hornets’ affiliate and defending NBA G League champion, Greensboro Swarm, will feature Jarkel Joiner. Joiner played 21 games for the Bandits in 2026, leading the team in points per game (17.8), before being named to the Hornets’ training camp roster and logging minutes in four NBA preseason games. Joining Joiner on the Swarm is Kyle Mangas, who appeared in 16 games with 14 starts for the Bandits during the 2025 season. John Knight III, who logged 18 games for the Bandits in 2026, joins the Houston Rockets’ affiliate, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, a club he has played for since 2023. D’Andre Davis, who appeared in three games for the Bandits in 2026, looks to secure a roster spot with the Boston Celtics’ affiliate, Maine Celtics. A member of the 2023 Bandits roster, Georgian-born forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili will take the court with the Atlanta Hawks’ affiliate, College Park Skyhawks. The opening night rosters for all 32 NBA G League teams must be submitted by Sunday, November 5.
Former Vancouver Bandits forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Atlanta Hawks. The news was announced by the Hawks via social media on Wednesday. Introduced in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, Exhibit 10 contracts are one-year deals. They can include a potential bonus if the player spends time with the team’s G League affiliate.
HAIDA GWAII, BC - October 6, 2026 - This past weekend, Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team, and the Bandits Community Foundation hosted a series of youth basketball clinics on Haida Gwaii, continuing its ongoing series of community visits across the province in partnership with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC). The community visits and youth camps on Haida Gwaii were also made possible through the generous support of Langara Island Lodge and Skidegate Band Council. Led by Bandits Team President Dylan Kular and Community Manager Pavan Kalair, local youth athletes aged 10 to 17 from across Haida Gwaii participated in free-of-charge workshops and basketball camps, furthering the Bandits Community Foundation’s goal of bringing more basketball to more people across the province. "Haida Gwaii has an incredible passion for basketball, and it was an honour for our staff to spend time on the court with so many talented young athletes," said Vancouver Bandits Team President Dylan Kular. "Our partnership with I·SPARC through the Indigenous Basketball Collective is about building lasting relationships with communities across the province and making sure every young player has access to the game. We are grateful to Langara Island Lodge, the Skidegate Band Council and everyone in Old Massett, Masset and Skidegate who welcomed us, and we cannot wait to come back." “Programs like this show what is possible when partners come together for Indigenous youth,” said I·SPARC’s Chief Executive Officer Rick Brant. “We are proud to work with the Vancouver Bandits to bring high-quality basketball coaching to Haida Gwaii, where the game is so deeply loved." Bandits staff led PHE classes with students at Chief Matthews School in Old Massett, and ran skill development clinics for local youth athletes aged 13 to 17 across three communities at Kwiiyaans Community Hall (Old Massett), Daaxiigan Sk’adáa Née School (Masset) and George Brown Recreation Centre (Skidegate). “We are grateful for the opportunity for the Vancouver Bandits and I·SPARC to come in and work with our youth,” said Trevor Russ, head coach of the Old Massett Raiders boys basketball team. “Basketball plays a big role for our youth in Masset, and the Bandits coming to town provides an opportunity for them to work with some high-level coaches at the professional level. Our youth are very happy to have this opportunity.” “To be able to have the Vancouver Bandits come to Skidegate and Haida Gwaii is very important,” said Desi Collinson, Recreation Coordinator and elected representative to the Council of the Haida Nation. “Basketball means a lot to Haida Gwaii; it brings excitement, hope and inspiration to our communities. Organizations like the Bandits and I·SPARC give us different insights and outlooks that our young athletes have not experienced before, and we are happy to have them here to uplift our youth.” The camps are part of the Indigenous Basketball Collective, representing the ongoing collaboration between I∙SPARC and the Vancouver Bandits. Established in 2023, previous community visits hosted through the Collective since its inception include Ahousaht, Bella Coola (Nuxalk First Nation), Kitimat (Haisla Nation), Nanaimo (Snuneymuxw First Nation), Victoria, West Vancouver and Williams Lake with future youth camps and coaching seminars currently being planned for 2027.
This weekend, youth across Haida Gwaii will have the opportunity to learn and sharpen their basketball skills from British Columbia’s professional basketball team. Through the generous support of the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) and Langara Island Lodge, the Vancouver Bandits and Bandits Community Foundation will be hosting free-of-charge youth basketball camps across Haida Gwaii, marking the organization’s first community visit to the North Coast region. “Haida Gwaii means a great deal to us, and we know how much basketball means to these communities. The game gives young people a place to grow, brings families together, and creates opportunities for teams to proudly represent where they come from,” said Yos Gladstone, Sales Coordinator, Langara Island Lodge. “The young players, coaches, families, and teams here deserve every opportunity we can help bring their way. We are grateful to the Vancouver Bandits, I∙SPARC and the Bandits Community Foundation for their commitment to make this program happen, and especially to those in Haida Gwaii who give so much of their time, energy, and efforts to basketball year-round.” “For us, supporting this program is personal. We care about the communities and the people who make them so special. If this visit from the Vancouver Bandits gives local players more time on the court, encouragement to keep going, and a chance to connect through the game, that is something we are proud to be part of.” The camps are hosted in collaboration with I∙SPARC, Bandits Community Foundation, Haida Gwaii Recreation and School District 50 Haida Gwaii. Across three days, over 200 youth athletes aged 10 to 17 and their families will gather in gymnasiums across Haida Gwaii for camps and workshops led by Bandits and Bandits Community Foundation staff members. Youth participants will also receive complimentary Vancouver Bandits merchandise. "Haida Gwaii holds a legendary place in this province and Indigenous basketball culture and being on the ground in Masset and Skidegate truly showcases how powerful this sport is," said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. "The competitive drive and skill level of these youth are incredible, but what is even more inspiring is how basketball acts as a heartbeat for the entire region. Seeing the immediate connection between the youth, the coaching staff, and the local fans highlights exactly why we wanted to bring the Bandits to Haida Gwaii.” “We want to extend our deepest thanks to the Haida Nation and our partners at I∙SPARC and Langara Island Lodge for hosting us and sharing their incredible hospitality. This visit marks an exciting milestone for our organization, and we look forward to building on this relationship for years to come." The camp schedule for this weekend is as follows: Friday, October 2 Kwiiyaans Community Hall, Old Massett 12:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Daaxiigan Sk’adáa Née School, Masset 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 3 George Brown Recreation Centre, Skidegate 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, October 4 George Brown Recreation Centre, Skidegate 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The forthcoming camps are part of the Indigenous Basketball Collective, representing the ongoing collaboration between I∙SPARC and the Vancouver Bandits, and build upon recent previous community visits to Williams Lake and Bella Coola earlier this year. Established in 2023, ongoing and past projects through the Collective include camps and clinics for Indigenous youth and coaches, building new basketball courts in Indigenous communities, and hosting the 2026 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament.
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