BANDITS LOSE PACE AGAINST RATTLERS, SUFFER 1ST LOSS OF SEASON

Dillon White • June 2, 2022

SASKATOON, SK, June 1, 2022 – The Fraser Valley Bandits suffered their first loss of the season 86-77 against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Wednesday night to fall to 2-1 on the young Canadian Elite Basketball League season.


The Bandits will debut at Langley Events Centre (LEC) for their home opener in a rematch against the Rattlers on Saturday, June 4. Limited tickets remain and are available at THIS link. 

 

The Rattlers were paced by another strong performance from Philadelphia native and former New Orleans Pelicans draft pick Anthony Carr. Carr netted a game-high 25 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals without turning the ball over. In the Elam ending, Carr scored or assisted on seven of the team’s final nine points. 

 

Saskatchewan also saw contributions from the rest of their core, with Devonte Bandoo, Jordy Tshimanga and Scottie Lindsey each scoring 14 points. Tshimanga and Bandoo were both active on the glass as well, snatching 13 and 8 rebounds, respectively, for the Rattlers. 

 

Meanwhile, Shane Gibson led the Bandits’ offence with 17 points and four assists. Alex Campbell struggled against his former team, finishing with 14 points on 3-9 shooting from the field and 6-10 from the free throw line. Thomas Kennedy and Chris McLaughlin provided a strong interior presence splitting time at the centre position. Kennedy had 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks on 6-of-7 shooting while McLaughlin had 10 points and five rebounds on 4-of-5 shooting. Kadre Gray and Malcolm Duvivier both left the game early with lower body injuries. 

 

Saskatchewan continued to connect from three, shooting 40 per cent on 13-32 shooting as a squad. However, the biggest difference maker for the Rattlers on Wednesday was their tenacity on the glass. They outrebounded Fraser Valley 52-34, picking up 18 offensive rebounds and outscoring the Bandits 20-3 on second chance points. 

 

“The main takeaway from the game was their offensive rebounding,” Bandits head coach Mike Taylor said. “We’ve got to make a physical response in the game on Saturday.” 

 

“I’d rather set my offence up to make the first shot,” Rattlers head coach Dean Demopoulos said. “I’m glad we had a lot of second chance points, but we need to do better offensively.”

 

The first quarter saw the Rattlers come out firing. They shot 61 per cent from the field in the opening frame and 62 per cent from three. Saskatchewan went on a run to close out the quarter, powered by Carr’s dish to D’andre Bernard for a dunk off an inbounds pass and a contested Carr three to beat the buzzer. The Rattlers led the Bandits 29-20 after one quarter. 

 

Fraser Valley was able to fight back early in the second quarter with the Rattlers cooling off. The two west coast squads went back and forth all quarter and entered halftime tied 45-45. After the hot start in the first, Saskatchewan finished the half with a 39 per cent field goal percentage, shooting 53 per cent from three. Fraser Valley shot 46 per cent from the field in the first half, but were outrebounded by the Rattlers 27-16. 

 

Carr led all scorers at halftime with 12 points to go along with five rebounds, while Lindsey chipped in 11 points, 9 of which came from longe range. Meanwhile, Shane Gibson attacked the hoop and hit open threes in the first half, leading the Bandits with 11 points heading into the locker room. 

 

Bandoo started to heat up in the third quarter for the Rattlers. The squads exchanged punches with the Bandits finding success in the paint with Kennedy and McLaughlin, who started the second half after picking up 2 early fouls in the first. Tony Carr continued to ball out for Saskatchewan, scoring from the post and from the outside. The teams remained tied at 63 heading into the final quarter of play. 

 

Both teams opened the fourth quarter cold with a single bucket in the first three minutes. However, the Rattlers picked up the pace coming out of a timeout with Tshimanga picking up two putback buckets and an and-one. The Bandits went the first six minutes of the quarter with just one field goal and entered the Elam Ending trailing 77-71 with a target score of 86. The Rattlers were able to close it out and evened their all-time record against Fraser Valley to 5-5. 

 

The Bandits and Rattlers won’t have to wait long for a rematch. Saskatchewan travels to British Columbia for a Saturday afternoon matchup at Langley Events Centre at 2 p.m. PT in the second leg of a home-and-home with Fraser Valley.

 

Games are available on CEBL+ live internationally and in Canada at cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices and the free CBC Gem streaming service. Games are also available on the CEBL’s official app, CEBL Mobile (available on iOS and Android devices), as well as TELUS Optik TV Channel 1901 Lower Mainland and via live streams on 604 Now’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

Full and partial season ticket packages, as well as group and single game tickets are available for purchase at thebandits.ca/tickets. Fans are kindly asked to call (604) 866-0529 or email tickets@thebandits.ca for any questions or ticket related inquiries.

 

Head to thebandits.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

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Bandits Fall To Montreal on Final Road Game of Regular Season

By Roid Chand • July 29, 2026
A season-high 25 points from Shamar Givance wasn’t enough as the Vancouver Bandits came up short in the final road game of the season. The Montreal Alliance defeated the Bandits 87-82 on Tuesday night, a game where three Bandits recorded their highest point totals of the season. Along with his 25 points, Givance also added eight rebounds and five assists in 36 minutes of action. “He was the definition of a warrior tonight,” said Bandits head coach Ransford Brempong. Givance, who came off the bench, took a bulk of the guard minutes after leading scorer Jarkel Joiner exited the game in the first half. “He picked up 94 feet and he went over every screen. It’s commendable. That’s why we brought Shamar here for the effort he gives,” said Brempong. Stephen Zimmerman in just his second game with Vancouver recorded 13 points and six rebounds. Jarrell Eddie scored a season-high 17 points and notched his first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. “Certain guys were thrust into positions they’re not normally in and that’s growth,” said Brempong. Both teams struggled offensively, particularly outside the paint, but what they lacked in offence was made up by their defence. The Bandits shot 9-33 from beyond the arc, and the Alliance cashed in on just 11 of the 32 three point opportunities. The Bandits recorded seven blocks and six steals, while the Alliance recorded four blocks and six steals. Montreal native Tyrese Samuel recorded 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. He played just 22 minutes after picking up two early fouls in the first quarter. No Canadian player has scored more points than Tyrese Samuel’s 358 points this season. Neither team separated themselves as the game stayed close for all four quarters. The largest lead of the game was eight, which belonged to Montreal. Vancouver exploded in the third quarter and outscored Montreal 27-17, yet their scoring wouldn’t translate to the fourth quarter. The Bandits offence lacked consistency all night, scoring just 16 points in the final frame. Quincy Guerrier led the Alliance with 26 points and seven rebounds. The Bandits will head home for the final game of the regular season against the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The Bandits (14-9) currently sit top of the Western Conference while the Sea Bears (13-10) sit in second place. “The mission is still the same.”

Bandits Pick Up Win Over Saskatoon, Secure Playoff Home Court Advantage

By Rois Chand • July 26, 2026
Five players were in double figures as the Vancouver Bandits defeated the Saskatoon Mamba 104-97 on Saturday night. The Bandits led for the entirety of the game, leading by as many as 17 points. Vancouver now sits atop of the Western Conference at 14-8, topping the Winnipeg Sea Bears (13-9). This win also secured home court advantage in the playoffs for the Bandits, who will officially begin the postseason on Thursday, August 6 at 7:00 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. Tevin Brown led the Bandits in scoring with 23 points and seven three pointers made. “My teammates did a good job of getting me open,” said Brown. “They just let me play my game. (We) play a fast-paced offence and that’s where I thrive.” James Karnik followed with 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. The Bandits jumped out to an early 31-15 lead as Brown scored 11 of his 23 points in the first quarter. The Mamba went on a 29-21 run in the second quarter to cut the lead to 52-44 by halftime. Bandits head coach Ransford Brempong applauded his team for their resilience in the wire-to-wire win, even as the lead dwindled. “They might fight back but (we) still have to stay aggressive,” said Brempong. “Credit to Saskatoon. They made their run, but I’m more proud of the team and the resilience they’ve shown during the last handful of games.” All 11 players who played tonight recorded a made basket. Former NBA draft pick Stephen Zimmerman made his Bandits debut, recording two points and four rebounds in just three minutes of action. “It’s going to take everybody. Whether you come off the bench, I don’t care. Be strong enough that you affect the game and you impact winning,” said Brempong. Brempong said the Bandits are still bought into the mentality of being “on the hunt”, despite being first in the Western Conference. Brempong also said they can’t take their recent success for granted. “Don’t let it lull you to sleep. You still have to stay sharp,” he said. A layup from Shamar Givance won the game for the Bandits in target time. He finished with nine points and eight assists. Next, the Bandits will head on the road for a matchup with the Montreal Alliance on Tuesday, before wrapping up the season at home against the Winnipeg Sea Bears.

Former NBA Draft Pick Stephen Zimmerman Signs With Vancouver Bandits

By Bandits Staff • July 24, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that the club has signed former NBA draft selection and decorated overseas champion Stephen Zimmerman for the remainder of the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A 7-foot centre hailing from Las Vegas, Nev., Zimmerman was selected 41st overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2016 NBA Draft and appeared in 19 games as a rookie. With the signing, Zimmerman becomes the first-ever NBA draft selection to sign with the Bandits. “Zimmerman brings additional size to our team and experience from the highest levels of the game around the world,” said Bandits general manager Kyle Julius. “His signing is part of our strategic plan to ensure we have a strong roster to compete in the CEBL playoffs.” A veteran of 10 professional seasons, Zimmerman most recently played for Gigantes de San Francisco in the Dominican Republic during the 2025-26 season where he helped lead the club to a Dominican LNB championship. He also earned championships in the Czech Republic, guiding ERA Nymburk to both a Czech Cup and Czech NBL title in 2021. His journeyman career overseas includes previous stops in Germany, Poland, Australia, Japan, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, Malaysia and China. In addition, Zimmerman played parts of four NBA G League seasons with the Orlando Magic’s affiliate (Erie Bayhawks, now Osceola Magic) in 2016-17, the Los Angeles Lakers’ affiliate (South Bay Lakers) in 2017-18, the New York Knicks’ affiliate (Westchester Knicks) in 2018-19, and San Antonio Spurs’ affiliate (Austin Spurs) in 2022-23. Internationally, Zimmerman represents the United States. He competed for his country at the senior level at the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup and 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and won a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in 2014. Before playing professionally, Zimmerman played one season of NCAA DI basketball for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). As a freshman, he started 24 of 26 games played and averaged 26.2 minutes, 10.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.0 blocked shots per game while shooting .477 per cent from the field.

Bandits Regain Top Spot in West after road win in Winnipeg

By Rois Chand • July 24, 2026
WINNIPEG, MB - July 23, 2026 - The Vancouver Bandits are back in the win column after a second half comeback against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Thursday night. The Bandits defeated the Sea Bears 92-77 to take them atop of the Western Conference, now tied with the Sea Bears at 13-8. “For the past two years, we’ve been in first place and we’ve been hunted. We’re the hunters this time around,” said Bandits head coach Ransford Brempong. Vancouver trailed for most of the game, and by as many as 14 points, before exploding in the final 20 minutes of the game. The Bandits shot just one-for-seven from three point range in the first half. “We’ll make mistakes but keep the game close and see if we can steal it, which is what we did.” Vancouver’s defence stepped up in the second half, holding Winnipeg’s best stars to a rough shooting night. Isiah Osborne, who averages 12.9 points, was held to four points on two-for-eight field goal shooting, while Emmanuel Akot made just one field goal for four points. CEBL scoring leader Teddy Allen scored 26 points, but he took 22 shots to do it and committed four turnovers. Jarkel Joiner’s 24 points once again led the Bandits. He also recorded three assists and two steals. “He’s quick and he’s strong,” said Sea Bears head coach Mike Raimbault about Jarkel Joiner. Joiner said there’s a “fight” within the team, especially with a close schedule remaining. “We know we’re fighting for homecourt advantage,” he said Bremprong praised the Bandits for sticking together in an unorthodox season. “This team is extremely resilient,” said Brempong about the Bandits’ second comeback win in three games. “The year has already thrown punches. We got thrown into the fire, but the fire is also a place where iron gets sharpened.” The paint was dominated by the Bandits as they scored 62 of their 92 points in the paint, including countless ferocious dunks from Tyrese Samuel and James Karnik. Rookie big man Dominic Parolin also poured in seven points, eight rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes of action. “We got those guys because they’re big boys and they’re Canadian,” said Brempong. Tied at 70 heading into the fourth, Tevin Brown was the answer Vancouver needed, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the final frame. Brown’s play catapulted a 22-7 scoring run in the fourth quarter to clinch the win. A putback layup by Karnik was the game winner. He finished with a season-high 17 points and season-high 12 rebounds. “To slay a Sea Bear isn't easy,” said Brempong. The Bandits will return home for a quick one game home stand on Saturday against the Saskatoon Mamba at 6 p.m. Tickets can be found at thebandits.ca . “Every game is a new challenge.”

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