Bandits lose pace in second quarter, drop opening game of road swing
By: Matthew Winick • August 5, 2021
The Edmonton Stingers (12-1) used a dominant 25-0 spurt to begin the second quarter to cruise to a 106-65 victory over the Fraser Valley Bandits (5-6) on Wednesday night at the Expo Centre in Edmonton.
After getting thoroughly outplayed in the first quarter and trailing by 14, the Stingers caught fire in the second, using the 25-0 run to outscore the Bandits 35-4 in the frame. Edmonton never looked back from there and won the second half battle 57-33 to claim a 41-point win, tied for the second-largest margin of victory in CEBL history.
“They made a lot of shots in the beginning, but we hang our heads on defense and we got a lot of deflections and got out and running,” said Stingers’ head coach Jermaine Small after the game, “Once we play like that, we’re just really hard to beat. I was really impressed with our defense from the second quarter on.”
Just as surprising about the Stingers’ domination is who they did it without. Starters Marlon Johnson and Mathieu Kamba sat Wednesday’s game out for rest, and star guard Xavier Moon didn’t hit a single field goal in the first half while Edmonton made its run.
Still, the offense thrived, as the 106 points scored by the Stingers was the highest total of any team in any CEBL game this season.
The biggest reason for the offensive performance was the stellar play of guard Jahmal Jones. The former Ryerson Ram comes off the bench when Edmonton has its entire roster handy but starred against Fraser Valley, scoring a game-high 28 points with seven made threes, nine assists, six rebounds, five steals and only one turnover.
“I know my teammates want me to stay aggressive,” said Jones, “On the offensive end, I just got confident, the guys have been telling me to shoot all season and today I got in a good rhythm.”
“I had the pleasure of coaching (Jahmal) when we were at Ryerson, and the thing I like about him is if he has a bad game, he always bounces back,” said Small, “Last game he was a little disappointed with his play, so I knew he was going to bounce back… he had a great game and he’s kind of the unsung hero right now. He’s so valuable.”
Edmonton beat Fraser Valley in basically every statistical category, but the 32-12 assist tally, and 15-6 three-pointer differential made some of the biggest differences. It seemed like each mistake the Bandits made was capitalized on by the Stingers, including back-breaking transition threes.
The Bandits jumped out to a strong first quarter on the back of hot shooting, which saw the team drill five of seven three-pointers early on. However, when the shots stopped falling and Edmonton’s did, the team lost its composure and never fully regained it.
“I think it was a little bit of a lack of confidence for us. Early in the game, I thought the first quarter was the best quarter of our season,” said Bandits’ head coach David Singleton, “As we tell these guys, one quarter can change a game. We got away from what we were doing and started turning it over and missing shots, and it unraveled from there.”
Alex Campbell was a bright spot offensively for Fraser Valley, scoring a team-high 21 points on the night.
Despite the demoralizing loss, the Bandits must regain their composure and take on the Stingers for the fourth consecutive time on Friday night at 9:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. MT in Edmonton/6:30 p.m. PT in Abbotsford. Most importantly for Fraser Valley, thanks to Ottawa’s loss earlier on Wednesday, just one win would clinch a quarterfinal game hosted at home in the Abbotsford Centre.
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.
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The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team, hosted a youth basketball camp on Wednesday, September 9 in Williams Lake, in partnership with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) and FortisBC. The Bandits welcomed over 40 local athletes and their families to the camp, with the main goal of building confidence, inspiring young athletes, and bringing youth sports development and mentorship to athletes across the province. Held at Lake City Secondary, the camp marked the first community visit by BC’s professional basketball team to the Cariboo region, bringing more basketball to more people across our province. “Community is a core pillar of the Bandits organization, and we are proud to host camps and opportunities that help shape and inspire the next generation of players and leaders,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “Thank you to our partners at I∙SPARC and FortisBC for their support in bringing this camp to fruition, and to the Williams Lake basketball community for welcoming our team this week.” "We're proud to support opportunities that help young people build confidence, strengthen their skills and create lasting connections," said Janet Devaney, senior manager, community & Indigenous initiatives at FortisBC. "Through initiatives like this basketball camp, Indigenous youth can connect with peers and mentors, develop new skills and experience the positive impact that sport can have on confidence, leadership and a sense of belonging.” The free-of-charge camp was part of the Indigenous Basketball Collective, representing the ongoing collaboration between I∙SPARC and the Vancouver Bandits. 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.
Vancouver Bandits guard Jarkel Joiner has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets. The news was announced by the Hornets on social media . During his time with the Bandits in the 2026 season, Joiner made 21 appearances, including 13 starts, and finished with 16.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.0 steals per games. 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.
Former Vancouver Bandits guard Kyle Mangas has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets. The news was announced by the Hornets on social media. Mangas is expected to practice and compete with the Hornets during the 2026-27 Training Camp and preseason from October 3rd to 12th. During his time with the Bandits in the 2025 season, Mangas finished top five on the team in points (15.3), rebounds (4.6), assists (3.3) and steals (1.3). 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.
The Vancouver Bandits have partnered with the Vancouver Park Board, Bandits Community Foundation and Little Legends Foundation to unveil a newly renovated outdoor basketball court at Grays Park in South Vancouver. Part of the Bandits Community Foundation’s Court Projects initiative, the team officially unveiled the refurbished court on Saturday (August 30). The grand opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a free youth basketball clinic led by local coaches. Attendees also enjoyed a complimentary BBQ lunch, free haircuts and massages, and free backpacks and school supplies distributed for local youth. “The Bandits Community Foundation’s Court Projects initiative was designed to build and enhance public outdoor courts,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “The love for the game grows in spaces like Grays Park. This project would not have been possible without the support of our community partners. We will continue to enhance outdoor public courts, make them more inviting, and create stronger communities through basketball.” “Over the past few years, we have been trying to build one of the nicest courts here in South Vancouver for the community,” said community leader Spensir Sangara. “We recognized that Grays Park was one of the few neighbourhood parks without a quality basketball court for the community. Thank you to our businesses and donors who came together to make our vision a reality. This court is filled with a rich basketball culture and this is a legendary day for our community.” “When the Vancouver Bandits approached the Vancouver Park Board with the idea to upgrade this park, it seemed like the right fit and partner to help renew an important asset in a community where basketball plays such an important role,” said Vancouver Park Board Director of Business Services John Brodie. “Thank you to the Bandits and our partners for their generous contributions, and for being examples of what having a strong, community-oriented mission looks like.” The court refurbishment at Grays Park, located at 4850 St. Catherines Street in Vancouver, includes upgrades to the basketball hoops, playing area resurfacing and seating areas. Grays Park was identified as one of Vancouver’s most active outdoor basketball spaces, and community feedback strongly supported the refurbishment. Established in October 2023, the goal of Court Projects is to enhance outdoor basketball courts across British Columbia, creating productive and safe spaces for individuals to play while enriching local basketball at the community level. To date, this partnered team effort has featured the construction and installation of six brand new outdoor basketball courts and upgrading hundreds of basketball rims in communities across BC.
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