Bandits Reclaim Top Spot With Statement Win Over BlackJacks

“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.” -

Tomorrow's Canadian Elite Basketball League game in Vancouver between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the Vancouver Bandits has been moved from 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET to 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET due to travel disruptions. All tickets for the game remain valid. For any further ticketing issues or inquiries, please contact tickets@thebandits.ca.

A season-high 25 points from Shamar Givance wasn’t enough as the Vancouver Bandits came up short in the final road game of the season. The Montreal Alliance defeated the Bandits 87-82 on Tuesday night, a game where three Bandits recorded their highest point totals of the season. Along with his 25 points, Givance also added eight rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes of action. “He was the definition of a warrior tonight,” said Bandits head coach Ransford Brempong. Givance, who came off the bench, took a bulk of the guard minutes after leading scorer Jarkel Joiner exited the game in the first half. “He picked up 94 feet and he went over every screen. It’s commendable. That’s why we brought Shamar here for the effort he gives,” said Brempong. Stephen Zimmerman in just his second game with Vancouver recorded 13 points and six rebounds. Jarrell Eddie scored a season-high 17 points and notched his first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. “Certain guys were thrust into positions they’re not normally in and that’s growth,” said Brempong. Both teams struggled offensively, particularly outside the paint, but what they lacked in offence was made up by their defence. The Bandits shot 9-33 from beyond the arc, and the Alliance cashed in on just 11 of the 32 three point opportunities. The Bandits recorded seven blocks and six steals, while the Alliance recorded four blocks and six steals. Montreal native Tyrese Samuel recorded 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. He played just 22 minutes after picking up two early fouls in the first quarter. No Canadian player has scored more points than Tyrese Samuel’s 358 points this season. Neither team separated themselves as the game stayed close for all four quarters. The largest lead of the game was eight, which belonged to Montreal. Vancouver exploded in the third quarter and outscored Montreal 27-17, yet their scoring wouldn’t translate to the fourth quarter. The Bandits offence lacked consistency all night, scoring just 16 points in the final frame. Quincy Guerrier led the Alliance with 26 points and seven rebounds. The Bandits will head home for the final game of the regular season against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The Bandits (14-9) currently sit top of the Western Conference while the Sea Bears (13-10) sit in second place. “The mission is still the same.”