Bandits look to rebound from loss in rematch against Stingers
By: Matthew Winick • August 6, 2021
The Fraser Valley Bandits (5-6) will try to recover from a blowout loss to the Edmonton Stingers (12-1) as the two teams meet up for the fourth and final time this season on Friday night at 9:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. local time at the Expo Centre in Edmonton.
Fraser Valley fell 106-65 to Edmonton on Wednesday, with the 41-point margin of victory the second-highest total in CEBL history. Even more remarkably, the Bandits held a 28-14 lead after the first quarter, just to see a 25-0 run by the Stingers to begin the second entirely wash away the positive momentum.
While a loss as devastating as Wednesday’s can take a toll on a team, Fraser Valley has had minimal time to dwell on the result. With Friday’s contest brings a new opportunity to take down the league’s top team.
Shot Making
Fraser Valley began the game shooting 5-7 from three-point range on Wednesday, but went only 1-18 the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Edmonton shot only 4-17 from the field in the first quarter, then proceeded to go 31-59 from there on out. When the shooting percentages flipped, so did the score.
The Stingers and Bandits rank first and second in the league in points per game, and both squads are very capable of putting the ball in the basket. Whichever can do so consistently for four quarters will have a leg up in Friday’s matchup.
Steady Rams
Stinger guards Jahmal Jones and Adika Peter-McNeilly are used to playing on the same team, doing so at the U Sports level with Ryerson. The two veteran playmakers are also elite decision makers on the floor.
Two of the best in the CEBL when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio were at it again on Wednesday against the Bandits. The pair combined to dish out 15 assists to only one turnover.
Despite the constant pressure from Fraser Valley defenders, Jones and Peter-McNeilly were completely unphased. Having two guards who are able to methodically break down the defense without making mistakes is one of the luxuries that has allowed Edmonton to be so dominant this season.
Playoff Picture
As has been the case for a while now, playoff implications no longer mean much for the Stingers. They have locked up the number one overall seed and will look forward to their semifinal matchup at home on August 20th.
Fraser Valley does not have the same deal. The Bandits are holding on to the four seed, allowing them to secure a home court advantage in the quarterfinal round. However, a winless stretch to end the season in addition to a 2-0 finish from the Ottawa BlackJacks would knock them out of their position.
While the Bandits can likely sit back and see if Ottawa loses to the Guelph Nighthawks on Friday, they will much rather take business into their own hands.
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. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
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