Bandits, Rattlers Fight to Remain Only Undefeated Team
July 28, 2020
Blowouts, upsets and surprise performances have been a regularity at the CEBL Summer Series thus far. With each team playing only six round robin games following a one-week training camp, they have been tasked with learning on the fly and adjusting to the exciting new format of the Elam Ending. Although no comebacks have been witnessed yet, the Elam Ending has forced some teams to revisit how they close out games.
The Fraser Valley Bandits, for example, were outscored by the Edmonton Stingers 20-9 during the Elam Ending on Sunday. The Rattlers on the other hand have not had much to worry about thanks to a convincing 96-79 opening game win over the Niagara River Lions. Despite bringing back only a few pieces from last year’s Championship roster, and having a new coach in Chad Jacobson (formerly Greg Jockims’ assistant coach last season) at the helm, the Rattlers looked ready to pick up where they left off last season by dismantling 2019’s top regular season CEBL team.
Both the Bandits and Rattlers sport 1-0 records and are the only two teams that have yet to lose a game.
Tuesday’s game is available to watch on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Gem App and Twitch (CEBLeague). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. CT; 4:30 p.m. PT).
Scoring by Committee
Niagara’s bench was outscored by Saskatchewan’s second unit, 36-28, in Sunday’s contest. Rashawn Browne scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds in his first professional game, and Shane Osayande was his usual Energizer bunny self as he posted 14 points and seven rebounds (three offensive) in just 17 minutes of action. If the Rattlers can continue to get that type of production off their bench in support of their starting unit, then Saskatchewan will continue to be tough to beat.
Factor in solid output from starters Kevin Bracy-Davis, Negus Webster-Chan and Kemy Osse, who combined for 53 points against Niagara, and the Rattlers are a formidable group.
Who are the Fraser Valley Bandits?
It took 10 games for the Fraser Valley Bandits to record their first win in team history last season. That win came against the Rattlers, who owned a 3-1 record against the Bandits in 2019. Despite last year’s disappointing campaign, the Bandits are a new group lead by a new head coach and general manager in Kyle Julius and feature a collection of players that have experience at the international and professional level together. That rapport proved crucial in a decisive opening game thumping of the Edmonton Stingers, who were outscored by the Bandits 85-67 through the first three quarters of Sunday’s game.
Although the Bandits were stellar through the first 30 minutes of the game, they struggled to put the finishing touches on what should have been a wider margin of victory.
Each member of the Bandits’ starting five—Marcus Capers, Malcolm Duvivier, Cameron Forte, Kyle Johnson and Junior Cadougan scored in double figures—but Fraser Valley’s inability to cleanly close out the game left some room for concern. If the Bandits can prove they are capable of dealing that final blow, then they will be a tough matchup for any team.
Battle of Tempos
The Rattlers and Bandits feature a contrast in playing styles. Saskatchewan brings a more structured and gradual approach on offence that sees a flurry of screens and off-ball movement open up room for its shooters. Fraser Valley offers more of a run and gun style. The Rattlers scored 11 fast-break points in their previous tilt against Niagara on Sunday, while the Bandits adopted a fast-paced approach against Edmonton, which helped them rack up 40 fast-break points.
Both styles have their pros and cons, but whichever team is able to dictate the pace of play and disrupt that of the opposition will have the best chance to win tonight’s game.
Next Up
Following Tuesday’s game, Fraser Valley takes on Ottawa (0-2) on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT). Saskatchewan’s next game is Friday against the Guelph Nighthawks at 5:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. MT).
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Physio District is proud to partner with the Vancouver Bandits as the organization’s Official Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Provider. Led by Director of Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Vic Sanghera and Physiotherapist Neil Nijjar, the partnership will support the Bandits with comprehensive injury management, rehabilitation, performance optimization, recovery, and return-to-play services throughout the CEBL season. With extensive experience working in high-performance sport, amateur and professional athletics, and international competition environments, Physio District brings an integrated approach focused on athlete availability, performance support, and evidence-informed care through manual therapy, movement analysis, and corrective exercise principles. In collaboration with the Bandits performance staff, the partnership will also incorporate advanced athlete monitoring and performance technologies through Hawkins Dynamics systems, including force plate testing and TruStrength performance assessment tools, to support rehabilitation progression, performance profiling, and return-to-play decision-making. Physio District is committed to helping athletes perform at their highest level while supporting long-term health, recovery, and durability throughout the demands of a professional basketball season. Physio District is excited to support the Vancouver Bandits organization and contribute to a high-performance environment both on and off the court.
The Vancouver Bandits were unable to find consistent offense against the Edmonton Stingers, suffering a 91-78 defeat Saturday night at the Edmonton Expo Centre. The game started with both teams going blow for blow in scoring, until the Stingers began to pull away with three-pointers from Samage Teel and Michael Nuga. The Stingers applied overwhelming defensive pressure, slowing down the Bandits up-tempo offence. The Bandits got into a rhythm in the second quarter, chipping away at the deficit and out-pacing the Stingers defense. The Stingers went cold offensively as they approached half time, going a full three minutes without scoring. That dry spell for the Stingers took place during a 19-6 run for the Bandits in that quarter, as they defended aggressively and found more space on the attack. Jalen House shot 8 for 9 in the first half at the free throw line, while Tevian Jones used his explosive athleticism to score 16 points. The Bandits took the lead on free throws from reigning Canadian Player of the Year, Tyrese Samuel, who finished with a team-leading 13 rebounds. The second quarter ended with the Bandits on top, 42-38. The Stingers responded in the third quarter with gritty, physical defense, while using the full shot clock on offense. The Bandits couldn’t build momentum, allowing 33 points and surrendering the lead. The Bandits flirted with a comeback in the fourth, shrinking the Stingers’ lead to seven points, but were unable to capitalise. House led the game in scoring with 27 points, but he was disappointed with the defensive effort from the Bandits. “We were letting them get [points] too easily in the paint, easy threes.” Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said “our defensive effort was poor everywhere,” calling tonight’s game “one of our worst performances in two to three years.” The success in the second quarter came from the Bandits “playing good defense, playing hard,” said House. “That’s obviously why we shot up and got that three point lead going into half time, but we got away from it.” The Stingers big man Dain Dainja put up 25 points and 14 rebounds in over 29 minutes, all of which led his team. Vancouver falls to 1-1, and goes down 0-1 in the home-and-home series. Vancouver will play Edmonton again on Friday, May 22 for their Home Opener at Envision Financial Court at the Langley Events Centre. Tickets are available for purchase at this link . Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2798728
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.
The Vancouver Bandits opened the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season on the road with a 124-95 victory over the re-branded Saskatoon Mamba at SaskTel Centre on Thursday. Guard Jaelen House, who was signed just two days prior to the season opener, ran the floor for the fast-paced Bandits offense posting a double-double with 33 points and 10 assists. His debut efforts earned him “Player of the Game” honours in his first CEBL games “Jaelen [House] just got in here 24 hours ago,” said Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius. “Figuring the guys out, figuring the system out, that’s big.” Vancouver wasted no time, jumping out to an early lead from House and Mychal Mulder. The team set a new franchise record, scoring 68 points in the first half. Local rookies Dominic Parolin and Shadynn Smid both debuted and got their first professional buckets. Parolin logged an efficient 11 points in over six minutes, while Smid played impressive defense. Saskatoon had difficulties slowing down Vancouver, especially struggling with the chemistry between House and Tyrese Samuel as they combined for 57 points. Their soft and porous defense provided plenty of time and space for Vancouver to feast, with six players scoring double digits. When asked about the balanced attack, Mulder credited their teamwork. ”Just continuing to play together. I think we did a good job of sharing the ball, did a good job of locking in on our defensive assignments,” he said. Saskatoon’s offense was stymied, with every player logging a negative plus/minus. Vancouver’s tight defense clogged passing lanes and strangled Saskatoon’s offense to the tune of 21 turnovers. Tevian Jones picked up four steals, leading the team. Mulder was proud of the effort, saying they defended “as a unit on that end of the floor. [We’re] continuing to grow as a unit and staying together.” Vancouver dominated in the paint, scoring 74 points under the hoop against Saskatoon’s underwhelming 42. House, Samuel, and Jones flashed their speed on the fast break, with the team scoring 21 points while flying downhill. Saskatoon head coach Isaiah Fox got a rude awakening in his first game with the team, saying “Obviously, that could’ve went better.” “Vancouver is a very physical team, and I don't think we quite matched their physicality,” he said. “There were some good moments but unfortunately they came already when we were down double-digit points.” The physicality was on display in the third quarter as Vancouver suffocated Saskatoon defensively, allowing just 17 points. Saskatoon went a whole 2:45 without scoring, while Vancouver increased their lead to 32 in that time. Their biggest lead of the game would be 36. However, Saskatoon made progress in the fourth quarter, out-scoring Vancouver 31 to 24. Trey Townsend came off the bench to lead Saskatoon, scoring 10 of his 15 points in the final frame. Dajuan Gordon chipped in 20 points for Saskatoon, knocking down 5-6 at the charity stripe. Julius was unhappy with the team letting off the gas late in the game. “I thought we really let up in the fourth quarter, but it's an entirely new group,” he said. “We only have two, three guys from last year's team, so overall it was a solid first game for sure.” “I think these first couple games are all about us getting used to the league. We have a lot of guys that have never played in this league,” Julius added. “so we're still kind of just getting used to everything.” Vancouver begins their season 1-0. Vancouver will travel to Edmonton to take on the Stingers on Saturday, May 16, at the Edmonton EXPO Centre at 6:00 p.m. in a home-and-home series. Edmonton comes to Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre to play Vancouver in their Home Opener on Friday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at this link .
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Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Mamba on May 14, 2026.
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