Bandits Impress Sellout Crowd With Decisive Win Over Sea Bears

Dillon White • August 4, 2025

Vancouver cruised to a 106-74 victory over Winnipeg in a potential Championship Weekend preview on Sunday (Aug. 3).


On Fan Appreciation Night, the sellout crowd of 5,504 at Langley Events Centre had a lot to appreciate. After setting a franchise record with 121 points on Friday, the Bandits followed that up with another offensive outburst.


The duo of Mitch Creek and Tyrese Samuel paced the Vancouver attack with a combined 51 points.


Creek netted a game-high 27 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists. Meanwhile, Samuel flirted with a double-double, scoring 24 points to go along with nine rebounds.


Zach Copeland complemented the frontcourt with consistent outside shooting, contributing 19 points as well.


Vancouver improves its record to 17-5 on the season and maintains its spot atop the Western Conference with the Calgary Surge in pursuit.


“The west is not the east …  we've got [17] wins and we're biting and clawing to finish this thing out on top. So the West is a beast over here, and it's serious, and I'm proud that we're at the top of it for sure,” said Kyle Julius, head coach of the Bandits.


Vancouver forced 19 Winnipeg turnovers, leading to 24 points. The Bandits’ defence also sparked the transition offence, outscoring the Sea Bears 27-4 on the fastbreak.


Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor said the Bandits came ready to play and “jumped all over” the Sea Bears.


“People will look at the transition defence from our team or the fastbreak points from them, but I'm more concerned about our half-court offensive execution. I thought they were physical with good ball pressure. We didn't get the type of shots that we wanted,” Taylor said.


Simi Shittu led the charge for Winnipeg with another double-double. The big man battled his way to 20 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. He said Winnipeg needs to tighten its transition defence moving forward.


“We didn't come out the way we did in the last couple of games,” Shittu said. “[We were] fighting back most of the game.”


Jalen Harris added 11 points and 7 assists while reaching a significant milestone. Harris became the ninth player in CEBL history to score 1,000 points all-time in regular-season and playoff games.


“For the last several years, Jalen has been one of the top players in the league. For him as an import player to come in and have some of these accomplishments – it's a great thing,” Taylor said.


Winnipeg veteran and former Bandit Alex Campbell became the fifth player in CEBL history to join the 500-rebound club on Sunday, collecting three boards just an hour after Edmonton’s Nick Hornsby hit the milestone in a separate game.


Vancouver’s offence was dominant to start the game. After an early exchange of buckets, the Bandits seized control with a 16-0 run that featured triples from Creek and Copeland, along with inside finishes from Samuel.


Trevon Scott and Shittu kept the Winnipeg attack afloat, but Vancouver entered the second quarter with a 33-24 lead.


Efficient offence continued for Vancouver in the second, carried by Creek and Samuel. The pair combined for 18 points in the frame, including highlight reel jams from Samuel.


Vancouver’s defence also stepped up, holding Winnipeg to 10 points in the second quarter to head into the locker room with a 60-34 advantage.


Copeland caught fire from long-range in the third with a pair of trifectas in a back-and-forth quarter. However, the Bandits maintained a sizable 83-55 lead heading into the final frame.


Vancouver built on its lead with a 10-0 run early in the fourth that featured a pair of triples from Creek. Copeland and Maurice Calloo traded buckets before Target Score Time, with Vancouver entering the final stretch ahead 31.


Five points from Creek, a triple from Shamar Givance and a game-winning putback from Samuel propelled the Bandits to the win.


Vancouver claims the regular season series against Winnipeg after splitting the first two games.


Box Score


https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600665


Up next for both teams


Winnipeg returns to Canada Life Centre for a meeting with the Niagara River Lions on Wednesday (Aug. 6) in another possible Championship Weekend preview. The Bandits hit the road for the final two games of the regular season with a matchup against Scarborough next Friday (Aug. 8) first on the agenda.


Next CEBL action


Vancouver will be keenly watching Calgary’s visit to Montréal on Monday (Aug. 4) with implications for the top spot in the Western Conference. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games.

LATEST NEWS

Roster Update: Thursday, June 18 at Winnipeg

By Bandits Staff • June 18, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Thursday, June 18 away game against the Winnipeg Sea Bears at 5:00 p.m. PT: G Shamar Givance has been added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F Tyrese Samuel has been placed on the Club's reserve roster in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments.

Bandits Fall to Scarborough in Down-to-the-wire Thriller

By Rois Chand • June 16, 2026
Mitchell Creek’s season debut didn’t disappoint. The reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League Most Valuable Player poured in 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists as a late game comeback by the Vancouver Bandits fell short. “I thought (Creek) was awesome tonight, as he always is,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. The Scarborough Shooting Stars defeated the Vancouver Bandits 108-105 in dramatic fashion on Monday Night. The Shooting Stars led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, which eventually turned into a one point deficit, led by Creek. However, the comeback proved to be too much for the Bandits as they fell in the final moments of the fourth quarter. “I was disappointed with our third quarter. It was like an implosion,” said Julius. In the opening quarter, back-and-forth action followed, with neither team gaining too large of an edge. The Shooting Stars led 24-23 after the first quarter. This contest featured a star-studded cast of players as both teams boast the best records in their conferences. The Bandits entered action with a 7-2 record, while the Shooting Stars were 7-1. Countless lead changes ensued, yet Scarborough’s lead jumped out to 65-61 by halftime. They continued the pressure as the lead grew to double digits in the third quarter, headlined by Myles Powell’s 33 points. Julius thought his team “lost their cool” and acted “immature” as the Shooting Stars took the lead. Jaelen House scored 22 points on seven-for-nine field goal shooting, while Miller Kopp followed with 20 points, five three pointers made and three steals. Jarkel Joiner had 17 points in 26 minutes. Despite the loss, Julius praised the versatility and depth of his team, noting the Bandits’ adversity through injuries. “I’m proud of where we are,” he said. The Bandits were without reigning Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel and Dre Davis, allowing Dominic Parolin into the starting lineup. Parolin finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Next, the Bandits will travel to Winnipeg for a matchup with the Sea Bears on Thursday before playing the Brampton Honey Badgers at home on Saturday.

CEBL MVP Mitch Creek Re-Signs With Vancouver Bandits

By Bandits Staff • June 14, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits announced Sunday that the reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Most Valuable Player Mitch Creek has re-signed with the club and will suit up on Monday, June 15 against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The 6-foot-5 forward and fan favourite returns to the Bandits after a stellar 2025 campaign in which he was named Most Valuable Player and an All-CEBL First Team Selection. Creek had one of the most statistically productive stretches of his career during the 2025 CEBL season. Starting in all 20 regular season games, he averaged a team-high 24.4 points per game along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes.Creek made his CEBL debut during the 2024 season and currently ranks second on the Bandits’ all-time leading scorers list (643 points). Creek appeared in five NBA regular season games during the 2018-19 season, splitting time between the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves averaging 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game on 50 per cent shooting from the field across both clubs. A veteran of 15 professional seasons, Creek was a mainstay and all-star in his home country’s National Basketball League (NBL), logging 338 games and served as captain for both the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix. Most recently, Creek competed for Romanian club U-BT Cluj-Napoca during the 2025-26 season where he captained the team to a Romanian League championship and received All-EuroCup Second Team honours. A native of Horsham, Australia, Creek is a major basketball figure in his home country and has been instrumental to the success of the national team, known as the Boomers, and was recently named to Australia’s roster for the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers taking place in July. Creek will step away from the Bandits’ roster later this month to join the Australian national team in advance of its FIBA World Cup Qualifier games on July 3 and 6 against Guam and the Philippines, respectively. He will rejoin the Bandits at the conclusion of his international duties. 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.

Bandits Victorious Over BlackJacks on Record Scoring Night

By Gary Ahuja • June 14, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits led nearly from start to finish, avenging an earlier loss with a 104-95 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks. The teams met on Saturday night on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre, with the Bandits improving to 7-2 atop the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference. The BlackJacks fell to 4-5, dropping into a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference. “The way they beat us was pretty evident and obvious,” said Vancouver Bandits coach Kyle Julius of the earlier meeting on June 2. “So, I thought we did a great job – for the most part – correcting what hurt us, so that was nice to see.” “I think there was probably a little more urgency defensively,” he explained. The Bandits led for all but 29 seconds of the game, thanks in large part to a 30-point opening quarter. From there, however, the offence struggled to maintain the same rhythm. “Fatigue. We just didn’t have our rotation,” Julius said. “We were shorthanded, and I wasn’t really surprised with the ebb and flow and the dips we had. “Even D’Andre Davis – who is going to be a very good player for us – but if you look at his ankle, it’s still swollen, so he’s out there hobbling around.” The offence was powered by Jarkel Joiner, who had 37 points – a franchise record – seven assists and four rebounds. “The coaches had a great game plan, and we executed it,” Joiner said. “We locked in, we didn’t take the game for granted.” Joiner had a larger role in the game, especially with point guard and leading scorer Jaelen House sidelined. “Honestly, it’s hard without him. He makes the game so much easier with his quickness, how fast he is, how explosive he is, how he sees the game,” Joiner admitted. “But coach needed me to step up tonight, and (Duane Notice) helped with the point guard role, and everybody stepped up.” Miller Kopp added 15 points and eight rebounds, Mychal Mulder finished with 13 and Tyrese Samuel chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Dominic Parolin came off the bench to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, giving Vancouver five scorers in double figures. Ottawa was led by Javonte Smart’s 29 points with Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon both adding 19. "They play hard. They have respect for the game and force you into a lot of contested shots, so for us, we have to continue to fight for great shots," said BlackJacks coach Justin Mazzulla. “We have to continue to play together and have our energy not be impacted by whether the ball goes in or not.”  Up next, the Bandits return to Envision Financial Court on June 15 to host the Eastern Conference-leading Scarborough Shooting Stars (7-1). Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

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