Bandits Outlasted by Calgary Surge on Indigenous Celebration Night
The Calgary Surge ended the Vancouver Bandits’ undefeated start and jumped to the top of the CEBL standings on Sunday (June 1).
Calgary led for almost the entire game in a comprehensive 95-80 win over Vancouver at Langley Events Centre.
Surge guard Sean Miller-Moore dropped a game-high 22 points, including the game-winning layup, while hitting a major milestone.
“Rugzy” became the sixth player in CEBL history to score 1,000 total points, including the regular season and playoffs.
“It’s just a testament to [the] work I put in… it feels good,” Miller-Moore said.
Miller-Moore was proud of Calgary’s resilience down the stretch when Vancouver cut the deficit to just four points after trailing by 21 in the third.
“They were at the top of the west … so of course, it was a statement win,” he said. “But I'm just proud of how we showed our composure at the end there when they went on a run.”
Greg Brown III also had a massive impact on Sunday despite early foul trouble. The NBA-experienced forward notched a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Jameer Nelson Jr. continued to contribute on both ends for Calgary as well, with 15 points, eight assists, six rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.
The Surge defence laid the foundation for its transition offence on Sunday, outscoring the Bandits 24-6 on the fast break.
Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales has emphasized the defence to offence formula throughout the season. After a 5-1 start, Canales said the Surge are a great group to battle with every night.
“The togetherness, the communication on and off the floor, the chemistry – they just love being around each other, and we love coaching them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Bandits picked up their first loss after a 5-0 start. Head coach Kyle Julius said the Bandits need to take it on the chin after they “flat out got beat”.
“To be honest, we got a lot of wide open shots .. I think we got more wide open shots today than any other game we've played. I think we just didn't make them,” Julius said.
Mitch Creek led the Bandits in scoring once again with 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds. Curtis Hollis also had a big night off the bench for Vancouver, scoring 17 points and sparking a 17-3 run in the fourth quarter.
“The ball just finally hit my hands a couple times. I've been looking for it all game – sometimes it goes like that. We have a really deep team, so once it came to me I just stayed aggressive, and I started making [shots],” Hollis said.
Vancouver started the game with a pair of quick buckets before Calgary seized control with a 10-0 run. The Surge locked in defensively, limiting Vancouver to 23 per cent shooting from the field in the opening 10 minutes and 0-6 from beyond the arc.
The duo of Khyri Thomas and Stefan Jankovic led Calgary on another run to close the quarter, and the Surge carried a 26-13 advantage into the second.
Miller-Moore showed off his offensive versatility in the second quarter, fading from the short corner, forcing a Vancouver timeout with a fastbreak layup, and burying a pair of triples to slow momentum.
Vancouver responded by attacking the paint, sparking a late-half run that featured several highlight-reel finishes—including a massive transition poster dunk by Kyle Mangas. The Bandits closed the gap to 47-40 heading into halftime.
After a pair of mid-range finishes from Izaiah Brockington early in the third cut into the deficit, Calgary took a stranglehold on the lead. The Surge went on an 18-2 run and led by as much as 21 before free throws from Mangas made it 71-52 heading into the fourth.
Hollis jumpstarted the Vancouver offence in the fourth quarter, drilling three trifectas to lead the Bandits on a 17-3 run. The big run made it a four-point game, but Calgary maintained its poise.
Brown III calmed things down with the hoop and the harm, and the teams traded blows until Olumide Adelodun buried a clutch three to give Calgary an 85-77 lead ahead of Target Score Time.
Nelson Jr. drilled a triple of his own to open scoring in the final stretch. Brown III inched Calgary closer with a floater before Miller-Moore ended Vancouver’s undefeated start with back-to-back buckets.
The Surge and Bandits meet again later this month on June 22 at WinSport Event Centre.
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