Bandits rout River Lions in rematch of 2024 CEBL Final

While it wasn’t with a title on the line this time, Vancouver still managed to exact a measure of revenge on Thursday.

The Bandits beat the defending champion River Lions 109-72 at the Langley Events Centre, flipping the script in a rematch of last year’s final while handing Niagara its first loss of the season.

Leading Vancouver (2-0) to a home-opening win was Kyle Mangas, who finished with a game-high 28 points on 5-of-9 shooting from distance. It was an all-around effort for the import guard as he also chipped in 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.

Curtis Hollis also did his part for the Bandits as he racked up 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting off the pine, while Tyrese Samuel notched his second consecutive double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds to go with a game-high four blocks.

“We had a bit of a sluggish start, but from there it was off to the races,” Mangas said during his on-court interview post-game. “It could be anyone’s night … you never know who it’s gonna be, we have a lot of weapons.”

On the other side, Niagara (2-1) was helmed by Guillaume Boucard, who put up his own double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. The 2019 Canadian Player of the Year made a bit of history as well, his lone steal of the contest bringing him to 100 all-time for his CEBL career (regular season + playoffs). Boucard joined Khalil Ahmad as the only players in league history to reach that milestone. The forward, who previously spent three seasons in Niagara (2019-2021), re-joined the River Lions this year after spending 2024 with his hometown Montreal Alliance.

“Guillaume is just a complete competitor,” Niagara head coach Victor Raso said. “He defends … you always know you’re going to get 100 per cent from Guillaume, he’s about as plug and play as you can find in this league.”

Right behind Boucard was Antonio Davis Jr., who added 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench, while River Lions captain Kimbal Mackenzie and Keyshawn Bryant chipped in 11 points each.

What was shaping up as a tightly-contested affair after 10 minutes — the River Lions led 20-17 at the end of the first — quickly broke open in the second quarter thanks to a pair of 7-0 Bandits runs. Vancouver ended up outsourcing Niagara 30-17 in the frame and went into halftime with the game’s first double-digit lead, up 47-37.

The Bandits' first-half success came in part thanks to their dominance on the glass, racking up a 31-18 rebounding edge at the break while grabbing 15 offensive boards (plus-eight) for 14 second-chance points. They finished the game plus-15 for total rebounds (52-37) and doubled the River Lions' production on the offensive glass (18-9).

“Second chances on rebounds kind of changed the momentum,” Boucard said after the game. “We’ve still got to rebound at a championship level … we’ve still got to be physical and set a standard for our defence. Rebounding has been our Achilles (heel) these last three games.”

And Vancouver’s lead only grew once action resumed, one-upping its dominance in the second quarter by outscoring Niagara 33-14 in the third.

Mangas had his fingerprints all over the victory-sealing stretch as he opened the second half by nailing three consecutive triples as part of a 13-3 Bandits run. He finished the frame with 14 points as his team extended their lead to 80-51.

“I just try to stay aggressive at all times,” Mangas said while reflecting on his strong third quarter and first-career CEBL double-double. “I know I’m a good shooter, I put in the work … always try to stay aggressive, because I know that can really help our team.”

Vancouver pushed that lead as high as 39 points throughout the final frame, eventually carrying a 99-65 lead into Target Score time. From there, it was Samuel who eventually put the game to bed, sealing the win with a dunk off a no-look bounce pass from Shamar Givance, who finished with 10 assists.

The Bandits couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season, picking up back-to-back dominant victories. They opened their 2025 campaign with a record-setting 40-point win over the Saskatchewan Rattlers last week, only to follow that up with an equally impressive 37-point rout of the defending champs.

And while the rosters may not have been all that similar to last year’s title game, make no mistake, it was a rematch Vancouver took personally.

“We’ve been hearing about Niagara and just the battle the Bandits had last year with (the River Lions), so we had a chip on our shoulders tonight,” Mangas said.

Thursday’s victory at the Langley Events Centre in front of 3,987 fans in attendance also continued a trend of success in that building dating back to 2024. The Bandits started a perfect 6-0 in Vancouver last season and eventually finished with a West-leading 9-1 home record.

“I thought it was electric tonight,” Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julis said post-game. “I thought that crowd was fantastic, it looked great, it sounded great, they were really connected to our players.”