Bandits Smash Franchise Scoring Record and Secure Home Playoff Game
The road through the Western Conference will go through Vancouver.
The Bandits smashed their franchise single-game scoring record in a 121-105 victory over the Edmonton Stingers on Friday at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
Vancouver’s win assured it would finish no worse than second in the Western Conference, while being guaranteed a home playoff game.
The Bandits can now fall no further than second in the West. They lead the conference at 16-5 on the season.
“We trust ourselves down the stretch because we are fierce, we are strong, we are trained mentally, physically, spiritually at a very high level. That’s what the Bandits do,” said captain Mitch Creek.
Edmonton fell to 12-8 and can no longer catch the Bandits with four games left to play. The Stingers’ loss was just their second in the past 10 games — both at the hands of Vancouver.
And the Bandits’ latest win came in classic fashion for this team.
After a tightly contested first half, the Bandits trailed by one point early in the third quarter. Then, head coach Kyle Julius called a timeout.
And in the blink of an eye, Vancouver and its quick-strike offence had built a 15-point lead.
“Just challenged them. We’ve been doing it all year,” Julius said of his message during the timeout. “You don’t have to say too much to this group. We have great leadership. Our leaders really did a lot of talking in that timeout, especially Mitch, but yeah, it sparked our guys.”
The Stingers fought back to get within six, but when the clocks stopped for Target Score Time, the Bandits led 112-101.
Vancouver ended the proceedings quickly, capped by a game-winning three-pointer from Duane Notice.
“We couldn’t stop them enough to win a basketball game. That’s about it. Can’t give up 121,” Stingers head coach Jordan Baker said.
Vancouver entered Friday’s game leading the league with 95 points per game — then ensured that number would rise with its franchise-record performance.
The Bandits’ previous single-game scoring record was 113, set in July 2020. And they were also one point away from matching the CEBL’s Target Time Era scoring record, set at 122 by the Ottawa BlackJacks last season.
Meanwhile, the combined total of 227 points set a league record for the Target Time Era, which began in 2020. It was just the second time ever that both teams have reached the century mark in scoring.
Vancouver’s offence came in all fashions – it made 10 three-pointers, 21 free throws and connected on 66 per cent of its two-point attempts.
Creek led the way with a whopping 35 points to go with nine rebounds. He credited the coaching staff for juicing the offence.
“I thought some of the plays that we had put in got us some really easy, cheap buckets and that’s what basketball’s about. It’s trying to play chess a few moves ahead, 10 moves ahead, and the other coaches try to do the same thing. I just thought that we were a few moves ahead tonight,” Creek said.
Including Creek, all five Bandits starters scored in double figures during a game in which the team depth was tested amid injuries and overseas exits.
Guard Zach Copeland contributed 27 points and seven rebounds, Tyrese Samuel had 17 points and nine rebounds in just 20 minutes before he was ejected for a second technical, Kyle Mangas scored 16 points and Shamar Givance pitched in with 12.
“I just think there was high-level buy-in. Everybody really bought in. And when everybody buys in and nobody cares who shoots it or who scores, those kinds of nights occur,” Julius said.
The Stingers, meanwhile, are now playing for second place and the right to host the West play-in game.
Despite a mid-season turnaround, and even while enjoying a strong offensive night themselves, the Bandits are still proving to be a thorn in their side.
“Our urgency and our mental transition wasn’t where it needed to be and they started to get comfortable and get hot and they didn’t have to execute a whole lot. It was basically come down and get layup,” Baker said.
Keon Ambrose-Hylton and Sean East II led the way with 19 points apiece, while Nick Hornsby neared a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds to go with seven assists.
Guard Scottie Lindsey also had 18 points in the losing effort, while Chris Smith added 13 off the bench.
Lindsey called the loss a missed opportunity.
“We did it to ourselves. They’re obviously a good team, but I think this game was more us beating ourselves, turning the ball over, not being where we’re supposed to be,” he said.
Vancouver ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 31-25 after 10 minutes. A high-scoring first half ended with the Bandits leading 60-57.
Then, the Bandits went on that riveting third-quarter run, and led 97-81 before the final frame had even begun. The Stingers threatened in the fourth, but the Bandits shut them down yet again.
It was yet another reminder, with playoffs just a couple weeks away, that Vancouver rules the West.
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