Bandits lose pace in second quarter, drop opening game of road swing

The countdown is on! Today, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced TSN, Canada's Sports Leader, will deliver live coverage of the 2026 CEBL Playoffs on TSN and TSN+ from August 6 to 16th. All playoff games are available to stream live on TSN+, providing fans with comprehensive coverage of the postseason. The majority of games are also available on TSN, including the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals matchups from Scarborough and Vancouver on August 6 at 4:30 p.m. PT and 7:00 p.m. PT. The intensity ramps up when the Eastern and Western Conference Finals take to the court on August 8, before it all builds to a thrilling peak with the best-of-three CEBL Finals on August 12, 15, and 16. “TSN has been a great supporter of our League for years, and they share our commitment to making Canada's Pro Basketball League accessible to as many fans across the country as possible,” stated CEBL President & CEO Ty Mazereeuw. “Together with our coverage on CBC, these broadcasts will showcase the rivalries, elite talent and non-stop intensity that will make the CEBL Playoffs some of the best basketball you'll see this summer.” The 2026 CEBL Playoffs are bringing more teams, more drama, and more can't-miss basketball than ever before with an expanded postseason format that sees the top four teams from each conference battling it out for the ultimate prize: the title of Canada's professional basketball champions. For the complete 2026 CEBL Playoff schedule, including game times and broadcast details, visit cebl.ca/playoffs. Fans can also view the full 2026 CEBL schedule at cebl.ca/schedule , follow the latest 2026 CEBL Standings at CEBL.ca/Standings , and stream every game on CEBL+ and the CEBL YouTube channel. Playoff tickets are available for purchase at cebl.ca/tickets . 

The Vancouver Bandits’ quest for the 2026 CEBL championship tips off Thursday. The Bandits will host the fourth-place Edmonton Stingers on Thursday, August 6 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre in the opening round of the 2026 CEBL Playoffs. Tickets for the single-elimination Western Conference Semifinal match are available now at www.thebandits.ca/tickets . After wrapping up the regular season this past weekend with a 15-9 record, the Bandits finished atop the CEBL’s Western Conference for a second consecutive season and have qualified for the playoffs in seven seasons in a row. Bandits fans have been bringing the energy to Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre, marking six sellouts so far this season, and are ready to take it to the next level in the CEBL Playoffs. The 2026 CEBL Playoffs sees the debut of a new three-round format, capped by the first-ever multi-game CEBL Finals series. The postseason will begin with single-elimination Conference Semifinals on Thursday, August 6, where the 1st seed faces the 4th seed and the 2nd seed faces the 3rd seed in each conference. Winners will advance to the Conference Finals on Saturday, August 8, also single elimination, with higher seeds hosting each round. The remaining conference semifinal games also occur on August 6, and will determine the top four teams that will advance to the conference finals. If Vancouver wins on Thursday vs. Edmonton, they will face the winner of the Saskatoon or Winnipeg at home on Saturday, August 8 at 12:30 p.m. PT in the single-elimination Western Conference Final. The CEBL Finals will be a best-of-three series from August 12–16, marking the first multi-game playoff series in league history. Game 1 will be played Wednesday, August 12; Game 2 on Saturday, August 15; and Game 3, if necessary, on Sunday, August 16. The lower seed will host Game 1, while the higher seed will host Games 2 and 3 (if necessary), replacing the previous single-elimination Championship Weekend host team model. Ticket information for all 2026 CEBL Playoff games can be found by visiting thebandits.ca/tickets. For full details on the CEBL playoff format, visit cebl.ca/playoffs . All 2026 CEBL Playoff games will be streamed live on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports and CEBL YouTube channel, with the Conference Finals and CEBL Finals also broadcast nationally on CBC TV.

“Enjoy this win and be proud of what we’ve accomplished up until now, but the hunt isn’t over.”  That was the message from Bandits interim head coach Rans Brempong after Vancouver locked up first place in the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference with a dominant 114-90 victory over the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Sunday before a sold-out Fan Appreciation Day crowd on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. The one-sided victory — Vancouver never trailed and led by as many as 33 points — clinched top spot in the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference. The Bandits finished atop the West with a 15-9 record while Winnipeg settled for second at 14-10. As a result, the road to the CEBL Championship will go through Langley. Vancouver will host the Edmonton Stingers on Thursday (Aug. 6) at 7:00pm in the Western Conference semi-final, and with a win would also host the conference final on Aug. 8 with a berth in the CEBL Finals on the line. The game was delayed by 90 minutes following travel disruptions which prevented the Sea Bears from arriving until game-day morning. “We had something to play for today. We wanted first place, we wanted home-court advantage,” said Bandits guard Mychal Mulder. “It’s games like this we get out of bed for, so we were excited and took advantage of the opportunity.” Vancouver was all over the Sea Bears from the opening whistle, leading 17-4 midway through the first quarter and by 21 at halftime. Mulder and Mitch Creek led the team with 29 and 28 points, respectively, while Shamar Givance added 16 points with John Knight III chipping in a dozen. Givance set a new CEBL single-game record with 18 assists. As a team, the Bandits had 36 assists on their 46 field goals. “We knew it was important to play with pace. I think we also shared the ball really well. Shamar had 18 assists and pushed the ball up and down the floor all night. I think everybody did a great job sharing the ball,” Mulder said. “And having (reigning league MVP Mitch Creek) back was super helpful. I think he puts a lot of guys in the right position to succeed, and it's been super helpful for the whole group.” Emmanuel Akot led the Sea Bears with 20 points while Teddy Allen – the league’s leading scorer at 27.8 points per game – was held to half that, finishing with 14. “There was a lot to like tonight. I liked the energy right from the beginning and our attention to detail,” Brempong said. “We were sharp. The mindset we have has been we are on a hunt, and you have to be sharp to hunt something.” General manager (and former head coach) Kyle Julius was in attendance for Sunday's game after stepping down from coaching to pursue an opportunity in the Chinese Basketball Association. “Obviously, everything that we're doing is his blueprint,” Brempong said. “He's the one who developed sort of the blueprint and got the players here. To have him sitting beside me, giving me advice that he saw, was a comforting feeling.” The focus now shifts to Thursday's single-elimination playoff game against an Edmonton team that split the season series 2-2 with Vancouver. The Bandits enter with wins in three of their past four games. “I think momentum is important. I always say it's a game of runs; that applies to the season as well,” Mulder said. “The whole year, the whole summer, we've been trying to peak at the right time,” Mulder said. “I think we're playing the style of basketball we've been working toward for months, and we're finally peaking at the right time.” -