Bandits seek retribution in rematch with Stingers

Dillon White • July 5, 2024

Two west coast powerhouses will meet in a regular season rubber match on Friday in Edmonton. 


The first-place Vancouver Bandits (9-3) will visit the second-place Edmonton Stingers (9-4) in an important matchup atop the Western Conference standings. 


The game is set for Friday at 7 p.m. MT / 9 p.m. ET at Edmonton EXPO Centre, streaming live on CEBL+ and TSN+.


Vancouver is coming off a bounce-back 105-83 rout of the Niagara River Lions at Langley Events Centre on Canada Day, while Edmonton fell to Winnipeg in a one-point nailbiter on Wednesday to give the squad its first road loss of the season. 


The Stingers and Bandits split the two previous meetings in 2024, with Vancouver claiming the first contest 93-90 on June 4 and Edmonton responding with a 107-88 victory last Saturday. The road team emerged victorious in each of the previous clashes, with Vancouver travelling to Edmonton this time around for the final instalment of the regular season. 


In the first outing on June 4, the Bandits handed the Stingers their first loss of the season after overcoming a 12-point deficit. Edmonton played spoiler as well during the second contest, ending Vancouver’s perfect home record. 


The Stingers dominated early in front of a sold-out crowd at Langley Events Centre in that matchup and never looked back. The victory largely stemmed from contributions from the Edmonton bench, which outscored Vancouver’s by 31 points.


After the game, Stingers Head Coach Jordan Baker said the Bandits wanted to pressure the ball and disrupt their actions.


“We worked on being a little more composed. We didn't do a perfect job but we saw some improvement from the last time we saw them," Baker said after the 107-88 win. 


If the previous game is any indication, both teams can expect a physical battle. 


Vancouver's Tazé Moore was ejected in the third quarter after picking up his second technical foul, while big man Nick Ward fouled out before Target Score Time. After the game, Bandits Head Coach Kyle Julius attributed the loss to a lack of emotional resilience. 


“The only team that can beat the Bandits is the Bandits and I think we proved that tonight," Julius said post-game. 


The Bandits boast the highest-scoring offence in the league with 93.6 points per game, in addition to the top defence at 83.8 points allowed per game. 


The Stingers also feature a disruptive defence, ranking atop the league in steals per game at 9.6 and third in points against per game at 87.2. 


Additionally, the Bandits announced Friday that forward James Karnik has been placed on Injury Reserve. Following a successful appendectomy that took place earlier this week, he will be listed as week-to-week as he recovers from appendicitis. Karnik will work with the club's strength and conditioning team to return to game action and will be reevaluated at a later date.


Player spotlight


Edmonton will have a lot to handle in the paint on Friday with the presence of Ward. In both matchups with the Stingers this season, Ward led the team in scoring. 


He notched a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in the first game and a game-high 29 points in the second game. 


The Stingers have an inside answer as well with Brody Clarke, who led the team with 27 points in a winning effort on Saturday.


Each team also features lethal perimeter options. Vancouver’s Zach Copeland and Koby McEwen find themselves among the CEBL’s top five in threes made per game, while Edmonton’s Elijah Miller is third in three-point percentage after hitting a league-record 10 triples against Saskatchewan earlier in the week. 

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