BANDITS EMERGE VICTORIOUS IN AN EARLY BATTLE OF UNDEFEATED TEAMS
By Justine Jones • June 30, 2021
ABBOTSFORD, B.C., June 29, 2021 – Marek Klassen led the way with 21 points for the Fraser Valley Bandits who remain undefeated (2-0) in the 2021 CEBL season after a 104-81 win over the Niagara River Lions (1-1) on Tuesday night at the Abbotsford Centre.
The BC native headed the charge for Fraser Valley. Klassen pushed the pace and finished both at the rim and from the three-point line, shooting 71 per cent from beyond the arc. As one of the lone returning players from Fraser Valley’s team that made the CEBL finals last year, Klassen has played a large role early on this season.
“He’s treated them like brothers and welcomed them in, showed them around a bit, and he just understands the game, what the league is like and how to play out here,” said head coach Dave Singleton. “He’s been a really good leader for us overall.”
Fraser Valley carried the momentum from their opening night victory into tonight’s contest, dictating the pace early. The Bandits set the tone with their defensive play applying heavy on-ball pressure and forcing the River Lions into turnovers. Fraser Valley was able to get out in transition and make layups and three-pointers, opening up a 13-point lead after the first quarter, and a 20-point lead at the half. The Bandits shot an impressive 60 per cent from three-point range through two quarters and totaled a CEBL season high 60 first half points.
Another strength on display for Fraser Valley was their rotation depth. Alex Campbell and Ryan Ejim provided a boost for the Bandits off the bench and kept the team’s momentum strong in the first half. After the break it was Kenny Manigault who stepped up, hitting a corner three and finishing an alley-oop pass to maintain the Bandits’ control of the game.
Fraser Valley had seven players who finished in double digits and with double the games this year, coach Dave Singleton believes their depth will be a strong point this season. Despite only two returning players from last year in Klassen and fellow guard Malcolm Duvivier, the Bandits have been able to build chemistry quickly and have translated this full-team effort into two wins to open the season.
“One of the most important parts of being a professional basketball player is you have to move into a new team and gel right away,” said Klassen. “What this team does exceptionally well is we make each other better. We’re physical, we have an incredible shot-blocker and rim protection, we have a lot of really good pieces here it’s just a matter of working together to understand the referees, the system, and the way this league is going to work.”
Xavier Sneed led the charge for Niagara scoring 35 points and going 11 for 18 from the field. The former Greensboro Swarm guard drained seven of his nine attempted three-pointers in an attempt to keep the River Lions in the game early on. Niagara had difficulty finishing at the rim, and had they made some of these transition layups, the narrative of this game would have been much different.
“We have to execute better. We had a game plan that fit exactly what these guys did and we just didn’t execute,” said head coach and general manager Victor Raso. “This league is all about energy, teams who play harder win games and that team beat us until mid-way through the third quarter when our energy matched theirs and then it was a bit of a game from there on in.”
The matchup was a fast-paced, high-flying affair, something the River Lions found success with in their season opener in Ottawa. Niagara has an athletic roster, so while they may not have made some of the good looks in transition tonight, this style of play is something we may see from Niagara moving forward.
Next up for the River Lions is the reigning CEBL Champions, the Edmonton Stingers (1-0) on July 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. local time at the Expo Centre.
The Fraser Valley Bandits will take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers (0-2) at the Abbotsford Centre in a rematch of their opening night showdown on July 1 at 5:00 p.m. ET/ 2:00 p.m. local time (PT).
All CEBL 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. More information about the Bandits is available at thebandits.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Andrew Savory, Director of Operations, (604) 217-6213, asavory@thebandits.ca
About the Fraser Valley Bandits:
The Fraser Valley Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the club is proud to call Abbotsford Centre home. The Bandits offer a riveting entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue. PerfectLens, a Vancouver-based contact lens supplier, is the official presenting partner of the Bandits’ 2021 season. Head to thebandits.ca for more information.
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The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), are committed to making a positive impact through basketball and growing the game across British Columbia, and this dedication was highlighted this past week in Kelowna and the Okanagan area. Coming off the recent announcement of Kelowna HOOPFEST, a brand-new basketball festival featuring a CEBL neutral-site home game in partnership with the City of Kelowna, Bandits head coach Kyle Julius spent time at five Okanagan-area secondary schools and both of Kelowna’s post-secondary men’s basketball teams, as part of the Vancouver Bandits third-annual Bandits School Tour. Julius and Bandits staff visited Mount Boucherie Secondary School, Immaculata Regional High School, Okanagan Mission Secondary, Rutland Secondary School and Kelowna Secondary, as well as the men’s basketball teams at UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College, providing dedicated and tailored practices along with motivational talks and training materials. Launched in 2023, the Bandits School Tour is supported by the Bandits Community Foundation, Preston Chevrolet and Envision Financial and offers a unique opportunity for student-athletes and volunteer coaches to learn directly from BC’s only professional basketball coach. “What stood out most during our visit was the impact basketball can have when it is rooted in mentorship and connection; it is clear how vibrant the basketball and business ecosystem is in the Okanagan,” said Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “We are thankful to the Okanagan and Kelowna communities for welcoming us so openly, and this is only the beginning. We are committed to being present and intentional in the lead-up to Kelowna HOOPFEST from June 5th to 7th.” In addition to the Bandits School Tour, Julius and members of Bandits staff had the opportunity to connect with various Okanagan business, media and community leaders, including attending the 51st annual Western Canada Tournament at Kelowna Secondary and a Kelowna Rockets hockey game. Nearly 1,000 tickets have already been sold for Kelowna HOOPFEST, tipping off Saturday, June 6 at 6:00 p.m. PM at Prospera Place between the Vancouver Bandits and Saskatoon Mamba, and speaks to the growing interest in Bandits Basketball and the CEBL across the province. More information and tickets are available at thebandits.ca .
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Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on August 3rd, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on July 25, 2025.