Bandits Take Down Undefeated Honey Badgers For Fourth Straight Win
A late game comeback helped the Vancouver Bandits become the first team to defeat the Brampton Honey Badgers this season, clinching a 93-87 win on Saturday night.
A career-high 19 points from Dominic Parolin and 23 points and 12 assists from Jaelen House led the Bandits to their fourth straight win.
“It’s just another game. I trust my work and I trust my teammates,” said House, who recorded his fourth double-double of the season.
Both teams entered action on top of their conferences, the Bandits at 4-1 while the Honey Badgers were undefeated at 5-0.
It was a slow start on either end for the Bandits and the Honey Badgers, with the Bandits showing rust on the latter half of a back-to-back.
Bandits head coach Kyle Julius credited his team’s recovery to stay engaged during back-to-back games.
“We spend a lot of time on recovery because no one has to travel like we do,” said Julius.
“We make it a tough grind in practice so (we) can come and do that in games like this. I feel like we’re built for it.”
An early sub, entering Parolin into the game, gave the Bandits a jolt of energy. He recorded eight points and four rebounds by the end of the first quarter.
“Those are major stats for a Canadian in our league so I’m super proud of him,” said Julius about the Coquitlam native.
“I think the sky is the limit. He’s going to be a great pro for a really long time.”
The teams could barely be separated after ten minutes as the Bandits narrowly led 21-20 after one.
It was a physical game as the Bandits and Honey Badgers carved their way into the heart of the defence and got rewarded, shooting a combined 42 free throws.
Five Bandits reached double-digit scoring, including Parolin who also finished with a game-high three blocks. Tyrese Samuel added 17 points, a season-high seven assists and 10 rebounds, while Jarkel Joiner scored 11 points to continue his streak of scoring 10+ points in his first three games.
More back-and-forth followed in the second quarter, but the Bandits surrendered the lead to trail 47-45 into the break. Brampton’s Sean East II scored 20 of his 35 points in the first half.
The Bandits briefly took the lead in the third quarter, but the Honey Badgers’ bench, led by six quick points from Keon Ambrose-Hylton helped them take a 67-64 lead into the final quarter.
Vancouver began the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run and never looked back, with buckets coming from all areas of the court.
A Miller Kopp three pointer in target time sealed the win for the Bandits. Kopp finished with 18 points and four threes made.
“(Miller) has been phenomenal. I love coaching him and being around him,” said Julius.
“He’s special because he doesn't get too high or too low and that’s why he’s always ready to make a shot.”
The Bandits will travel to take on the Ottawa Blackjacks for the final game of a three-game round trip on Tuesday, before heading to Kelowna for a matchup with the Saskatoon Mamba.
“We just stay the course and follow the process.”
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