Bandits season comes to an end in Western Conference Final defeat

At this stage of the season, style points don’t matter. “Just win the day. I said after the game, it wasn’t pretty, but this time of year, it’s survive and advance,” said Vancouver Bandits General Manager Kyle Julius, who returned to coaching duties on Thursday night. Julius had stepped away from coaching duties earlier in the season after accepting a coaching position in China but retained his role as the Bandits’ general manager. With Vancouver entering the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs, Julius returned to the sidelines Thursday night after consulting with interim head coach Rans Brempong, who had previously served as his lead assistant. The result was a 92-83 victory over the visiting Edmonton Stingers in the Western Conference semi-final on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. Edmonton raced out to a 9-0 lead before Vancouver settled into its game and took a 52-42 lead into halftime. The Stingers responded with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Bandits 25-13, and led by five points in the fourth quarter before Vancouver battled back with an 11-1 run heading into Target Score Time. The game ended on a Mychal Mulder three-pointer from the corner. “I was spaced properly … and Shamar (Givance) made the right read and kicked it out to me, and I was able to knock it down,” Mulder said. “Our entire fourth quarter is a testament to how we fight and how you pull a win out.” Mulder scored 15 points off the bench and was one of five Vancouver players in double figures, with Givance leading the way with 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Mitch Creek (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Tyrese Samuel (13 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles, while Tevin Brown added 19 points and connected on five three-pointers. Nick Hornsby led the Stingers with 22 points, but he was the only Edmonton player to score more than 11. A big factor in the late-game turnaround was the sold-out crowd cheering on the home side. “The crowd really got into it in the fourth quarter and they really boosted us,” Julius said. “I cannot say enough about our fans, they have been tremendous.” It was a sentiment echoed by Mulder. “They are incredible. They pack it out every game. (Coach) was saying in the locker room, it’s like all of a sudden, it turns into six-on-five,” Mulder said. “They are great for our energy and that’s what we fought for, to have home-court advantage.” Vancouver will look to capitalize on that home-court advantage once again when the Bandits host the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Saturday (August 8) at 12:30 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre in the Western Conference Final, with a spot in the CEBL Championship Finals on the line.

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The countdown is on! Today, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced TSN, Canada's Sports Leader, will deliver live coverage of the 2026 CEBL Playoffs on TSN and TSN+ from August 6 to 16th. All playoff games are available to stream live on TSN+, providing fans with comprehensive coverage of the postseason. The majority of games are also available on TSN, including the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals matchups from Scarborough and Vancouver on August 6 at 4:30 p.m. PT and 7:00 p.m. PT. The intensity ramps up when the Eastern and Western Conference Finals take to the court on August 8, before it all builds to a thrilling peak with the best-of-three CEBL Finals on August 12, 15, and 16. “TSN has been a great supporter of our League for years, and they share our commitment to making Canada's Pro Basketball League accessible to as many fans across the country as possible,” stated CEBL President & CEO Ty Mazereeuw. “Together with our coverage on CBC, these broadcasts will showcase the rivalries, elite talent and non-stop intensity that will make the CEBL Playoffs some of the best basketball you'll see this summer.” The 2026 CEBL Playoffs are bringing more teams, more drama, and more can't-miss basketball than ever before with an expanded postseason format that sees the top four teams from each conference battling it out for the ultimate prize: the title of Canada's professional basketball champions. For the complete 2026 CEBL Playoff schedule, including game times and broadcast details, visit cebl.ca/playoffs. Fans can also view the full 2026 CEBL schedule at cebl.ca/schedule , follow the latest 2026 CEBL Standings at CEBL.ca/Standings , and stream every game on CEBL+ and the CEBL YouTube channel. Playoff tickets are available for purchase at cebl.ca/tickets .