Bandits on the Road to Face the Undefeated Stingers

The Edmonton Stingers (4-0) put their perfect start on the line when they host the Vancouver Bandits (3-1) at Edmonton EXPO Centre on Tuesday night.

Live coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. local / 9:00 p.m. ET, televised on Game+, with streaming available on CEBL+, TSN+ and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices.

It’s been a picturesque opening two weeks for Edmonton ahead of their first of three matchups against Vancouver. They’re the lone undefeated team remaining in the CEBL and sitting pretty atop the Western Conference. And although it’s still a ways away from their franchise-best 7-0 start to the 2021 season, the Stingers have been handily taking care of business.

The league’s fourth-best offence (91.3 points per game) and second-best defence (79.3 points against) is what Edmonton brings to the table as their four wins have come by an average margin of 11.5 points. 

In their most recent victory against the previously 3-0 Saskatchewan Rattlers, the Stingers won by 16 points. It wasn’t a spectacular offensive performance as Edmonton shot 41 per cent from the field and 33 per cent from beyond the arc, but their defence did the heavy lifting. 

Saskatchewan was held to a season-low 77 points – the first time they scored less than 94 points this year – on 36 per cent shooting from the field. The Stingers also forced the Rattlers into 16 turnovers, double their own number of giveaways, which earned Edmonton 10 extra points for the effort.

On the other side, Vancouver may not be undefeated but they’re not far off, just one game behind and in a tie for second place in the West. 

The Bandits are coming off a convincing 100-74 win over the Calgary Surge, bouncing back after the Rattlers snapped their 2-0 start. It was a balanced offensive effort for Vancouver, hitting triple-digit scoring for the time this season, shooting 56 per cent from the field while drilling a season-high 12 threes on a 42 per cent clip.

Zach Copeland was noticeably instrumental in the victory as he exploded for a season high 28 points on 52 per cent shooting and six made triples. The offensive outburst has the import guard up to fifth on the CEBL’s scoring leaderboard, averaging 20.8 points per game.

Meanwhile, Tazé Moore returned to the Bandits lineup after missing their loss against the Rattlers due to illness and his impact couldn’t be overstated. Moore finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with 11 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and two blocks, proving why Vancouver is undefeated this season with him in action.

Keys to victory

Points in the paint: Through the first two weeks of the 2024 season both teams have made it evident that they excel at scoring close to the basket. Edmonton is first in two-point makes (24.8) and third in percentage (52.9) while Vancouver is third in makes (22.5) and second in percentage (53.6), respectively. 

Expect both squads to make it a priority to test each other’s interior defence and rim protection – and don’t be surprised if the team that wins that battle also comes out victorious. Last season through three games between the Bandits and Stingers, whichever team scored more points in the paint ended up winning.

Ball security: It’ll be interesting to see if the Stingers aggressive defence or the Bandits disciplined offence prevails on Tuesday night. Edmonton enters the contest leading the CEBL with 10.5 steals a game in contrast to Vancouver who averages 14 turnovers, the fourth fewest.

So, both teams excel in their own way. The Stingers find way to force mistakes while the Bandits do their best to minimize them. Meaning, whichever team wins the turnover margin is likely to set themselves up for a positive outcome.

2023 season series

Vancouver got the best of Edmonton last year, winning two of their three regular season matchups.

The Stingers – not known for elite rim protection – unsurprisingly struggled against forward Nick Ward in their two losses. The big man averaged 20.5 points on 68 per cent shooting to go with nine rebounds through the Bandits victories, compared to eight points and four turnovers in their lone loss. 

For what it’s worth, Ward played just 13 minutes in that singular defeat to Edmonton. If the Bandits wants to put an end to the Stingers undefeated start, keeping their 2023 team MVP on the floor will likely help make it possible.