Bandits rout River Lions in rematch of 2024 CEBL Final

Zulfi Sheikh • May 23, 2025

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.”

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By Zulfi Sheikh July 12, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits proved on Friday that it’s not about how you start a game, just how you finish it. Despite trailing for a majority of the game, and by eight points at the start of Target Score Time, the Bandits walked away with an 89-85 victory over the Brampton Honey Badgers on Friday thanks to a 19-7 run once the clock stopped. Leading Vancouver’s effort as they improved to 12-4, extending their lead atop the West to 1.5 games, was Zach Copeland, who finished with a team-high 27 points and a franchise-record tying seven made triples. Behind him were Corey Davis Jr. (18 points, 10 assists) and Kur Jongkuch (13 points, season-high 17 rebounds) with a pair of double-doubles, while Mikyle McIntosh chipped in with 18 points and seven rebounds. The quartet helped the Bandits overcome the fact that they were missing all three of their leading scorers on the season — Mitch Creek (23.1 points per game), Tyrese Samuel (18.9) and Kyle Mangas (17.8). “We were working hard to adapt to our roster,” Vancouver head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said after the win. “We’ve had some changes and some new faces, so we just wanted to be able to settle in … and I thought we did a good job of that.” Meanwhile, the Honey Badgers fell to 4-12 on the season after a fourth consecutive loss, still in last place out East. Spearheading Brampton on Friday was Quinndary Weatherspoon, who put up a game-high 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Rounding out the Honey Badgers’ double-digit scoring efforts were David Muenkat and Marcus Carr with 17 and 13 points, respectively. “It was a tough loss,” Weatherspoon said post-game. “I thought we played well throughout the whole game, but just the last couple of possessions … some things got away.” Despite both squads entering the matchup on the heels of double-digit losses, their last time squaring off less than a week earlier — an 87-84 down-to-the-wire win for the Bandits — led to the belief that Friday’s contest would also be a neck-and-neck battle. Which turned out to be true for much of the ball game, as neither squad carved out a double-digit lead for the entirety of the contest and were separated by a narrow 63-62 Bandits edge headed into the fourth quarter. The final frame proved to be the ultimate difference maker, but it, too, wasn’t without back-and-forth action. Brampton appeared to capture the momentum thanks to an 11-0 run in the early minutes of the fourth, sparked by three consecutive triples. The Honey Badgers finished with 12 made threes on a 38 per cent clip, five of those long balls coming in the fourth. And although Brampton led 78-70 at the start of Target Score Time thanks to that run to open the fourth, Vancouver stormed right back thanks to a defensive clinic. The Honey Badgers punched first with back-to-back threes by Carr and Weatherspoon to put themselves on the cusp of victory but were held to just one point after that point as they missed their next six field goal attempts while the Bandits rallied. Vancouver shot 7-of-12 in Target Score Time, capping off the comeback effort with a Davis triple from the right corner. “Crazy, hard-fought game,” Copeland said after the win. “I just felt like we stuck it out to the end and made a lot of high-level plays to pull it out.” Underscoring the Bandits' comeback effort was their effort on the glass, building a 50-36 rebounding edge throughout the night, leading to 15 second-chance points (plus-10). “We have to end possessions,” Honey Badgers head coach Sheldon Cassimy said post-game. “If we don’t give up 19 offensive rebounds, then we win the game by way more.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600634 Up next Both squads return Sunday, starting with the Honey Badgers visiting the Scarborough Shooting Stars for the second of three regular-season matchups between the GTA rivals. Meanwhile, the Bandits visit the Montreal Alliance to wrap up a three-game road trip before heading back to Vancouver.
By Myles Dichter July 11, 2025
It was a battle worthy of a championship rematch. And perhaps, even, a championship preview. In the end, the Niagara River Lions left no doubt they are coming for the CEBL crown once again. The River Lions beat the Vancouver Bandits 96-77 on Thursday at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, Ont., in a contest pitting the top team in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences. Both squads entered on winning streaks — but only Niagara’s continued as the Rivers Lions earned their third straight victory and improved to 10-5 on the season. “We just haven't played to our potential yet, and we're starting to now,” River Lions head coach Victor Raso said. “I mean, we defended with serious intensity. We took quality shots. We were on the same page. We won a rebounding battle. We had 25 assists and eight turnovers. Like, that was the best we’ve played.” Vancouver, meanwhile, saw its three-game run end to fall to 11-4. A closely contested game was blown open by Niagara in the third quarter with an 18-5 run to start the frame, pushing its lead to a game-high 14 points. Vancouver never got particularly close again. When Target Score Time rolled around, Niagara led by a massive 23-point margin at 87-64. The game ground to a bit of a halt with the clock off as a series of unsportsmanlike and technical fouls — plus ensuing reviews — lengthened what was essentially a done deal. After the final review, Niagara’s Eddie Ekiyor finally iced the game with a pair of free throws. “It was a battle, but our identity's effort and just trying hard. We got a lot of skilled guys, and we just worked as a team, right? We were very upset about our first loss with them. … So it's just that togetherness and we're proud of the outcome,” River Lions forward Elijah Lufile said. Niagara beat Vancouver 97-95 in the CEBL Finals last year for the franchise’s first-ever title. However, the Bandits got a measure of revenge early in the season with a 37-point blowout win in the rematch. In that game, the Bandits enjoyed a near-full roster while Finals MVP Khalil Ahmad, among others, was out for the River Lions. On Thursday, the roles were reversed. With Niagara boasting its top roster, Vancouver was without second-leading scorer Tyrese Samuel and sharpshooter Kyle Mangas, who are both competing at NBA Summer League. Still, the River Lions made sure they wouldn’t blow the opportunity against a short-handed Bandits team. “It's taken a long time for us to play really good basketball, and it's just the beginning of what we're capable of. I've been saying that this team's got a lot of potential to play well, and I think we saw tonight what it can look like when we're completely dialled in,” Raso said. It was a team effort for Niagara, who got contributions from up and down the lineup. Curry, in his third game back with Niagara, paced the River Lions with 20 points to go with seven assists and four rebounds. Ekiyor had 16 points and seven rebounds, while Lufile neared a double-double off the bench with eight points and 10 rebounds. Kimbal Mackenzie added 17 points and six rebounds. Leading scorer Khalil Ahmad has 13 points on five-for-nine shooting. “I think it was just a collective effort on the bench because you got all the guys on the bench clapping, just cheering the guys on the court, whether they make or miss a shot on defence,” Lufile said. “So I had that energy from the get-go. I knew exactly what my assignment was. So coming into the game, it was just a no-brainer.” Meanwhile, the Bandits struggled to get going offensively in their first game without the Canadian Samuel. Potential MVP candidate Mitch Creek struggled to the tune of 13 points on five-for-18 shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists. Zach Copeland led the way for Vancouver with 15 points despite making just two of 10 three-point attempts, and Corey Davis Jr., posted 14 points and six assists before being ejected in Target Score Time thanks to a pair of technical fouls. “Got a little out of control,” Copeland said. “We tried to scrap it out, grind it out, trying to make comeback, but it's tough team, so we couldn't pull it out.” Vancouver will now be back on the court in less than 24 hours as an Ontario road trip continues in Brampton on Friday before a trip to Scarborough on Sunday. Copeland said the team’s ball movement must improve in order to get the offence humming again. “I felt like it was kind of stagnant. They played good defence. They were in the gaps, but we got to drive the ball and get kickouts,” he said. In the first quarter, Niagara used a frame-ending 8-0 run to lead 20-17 after 10 minutes. Vancouver replied with a 12-0 run in the middle of the second as the teams traded blows, but the River Lions held a 40-39 advantage at halftime. In the third quarter, the River Lions widened the gap with an 18-5 start to the quarter. They led 67-56 after 30 minutes, and did not look back from there. Niagara and Vancouver will not see each other again in the regular season as they look to pave their paths to and through the playoffs. But, off course, a date in the Finals could still await. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600627
By Bandits Staff July 10, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Thursday, July 10 road game against the Niagara River Lions at 4:00 p.m. PT: F James Karnik and G Curtis Hollis have been placed to the Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. G Izaiah Brockington, G Kyle Mangas, F Tyrese Samuel and G Tristan Jass remain on the Club's Suspended List. Players can be placed on a CEBL team's Suspended List due to roster limitations, NBA Summer League commitments or other external factors. Players are able to maintain their club's rights throughout the season and can be reactivated and return to the club at a later date.
By Bandits Staff July 8, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Monday that guard Izaiah Brockington has signed an NBA Summer League contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. The news was announced by the Clippers on social media and the club’s website in a release . Brockington was a member of the Clippers’ organization prior to joining the Bandits, dressing in 11 games for the club’s NBA G League affiliate, San Diego Clippers, during the 2024-25 season. A 6-foot-4 guard from Philadelphia, PA, Brockington served as a high-impact Import player appearing and starting in the first eight games of the 2025 CEBL season, averaging 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists and finishing in double-digit scoring on four occasions. Brockington will be joined by 2025 NBA Draft selections Konan Niederhauser (30th overall) and Kobe Sanders (50th overall) on the Clippers’ roster, who will begin NBA Summer League play on July 11 with scheduled games running until July 20. Brockington has been on the Bandits' Suspended List since June 14, 2025 and will continue to listed in order for him to participate in NBA Summer League play while also retaining his CEBL rights, with the option to return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments.

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