Bandits hold on to beat Rattlers in CEBL’s final regular season game
By: Matthew Winick • August 11, 2021
The Fraser Valley Bandits (7-7) survived a late push from the Saskatchewan Rattlers (1-13) to win by a score of 84-79 on Tuesday night at the SaskTel Centre in the CEBL’s last regular season game of the 2021 campaign.
The contest was neck and neck throughout, with neither squad able to gain a double-digit lead at any point. Each time Fraser Valley tried to pull away, Saskatchewan fought back to bring the game within reach once again.
The Rattlers took a slim 74-72 lead into the Elam Ending thanks to an and-one finish from Nervens Demosthene, but the Bandits controlled the last few minutes of action. Much like Sunday’s contest which saw a narrow Fraser Valley victory, Saskatchewan was simply unable to get over the hump.
It was clear that the Bandits were ready for the pressure and intensity that comes with playoff basketball, something they will be faced with soon enough with the quarterfinals set for this weekend.
“We’re excited. We have some momentum right now, we’re catching a bit of momentum, and things are starting to fall into place,” said Bandits’ coach David Singleton after the game, “We just want to keep continuing this momentum… and I think we’re going to be in great shape.”
7-foot big man Brandon Gilbeck led the Bandits in scoring on the night with 18 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting from the field to go along with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The import from Spring Green, Wisconsin feasted on a shorter Rattlers frontline, using his elite size and impressive lateral quickness to run the floor and finish at the rim for easy baskets.
“I tried to do my work early, get close to the basket and seal them,” said Gilbeck, “It’s kind of nice because my teammates have really been giving me good post passes. It’s made it easy.”
On the other side, Saskatchewan put forth a valiant effort in its final contest of the season, with the Saskatoon faithful cheering their team on. While the Rattlers knew they had no playoff games to prepare for, they gave full effort and pushed the four-seeded Bandits to the final whistle twice in the last three days.
“The amount of respect I have for these guys is through the roof, we really had a genuine good group of guys,” said Rattlers’ head coach Conor Dow, “I didn’t know what to expect coming into tonight, but the togetherness we played with, the passion we exhibited on the court, is exactly what we want from our team.”
Leading the way in the scoring column for Saskatchewan was guard Kemy Osse, dropping 22 points in the loss. Potential Canadian of the Year candidate Devonte Bandoo also put together a solid game, scoring 19 points, adding four assists and four rebounds. The game for Bandoo was a strong finish to what was a very successful first year of professional basketball for the guard out of Mississauga, Ontario.
“I learnt about adversity, playing with a team that was struggling, and learning how to execute and play through that stuff,” said Bandoo, “Having a season like this, you learn from it, get better from it and take that to the offseason.”
Moving forward, the Rattlers will head into their offseason, looking towards improving on their second-straight last place finish in the CEBL standings.
On the other side, the Bandits will begin to prepare for their crucial quarterfinal matchup at home against the Guelph Nighthawks at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT on Sunday. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals the following weekend at the Final Four in Edmonton.
All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service CEBL+, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
LATEST NEWS
Tomorrow's Canadian Elite Basketball League game in Vancouver between the Winnipeg Sea Bears and the Vancouver Bandits has been moved from 12:30 p.m. PT / 3:30 p.m. ET to 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET due to travel disruptions. All tickets for the game remain valid. For any further ticketing issues or inquiries, please contact tickets@thebandits.ca.
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.”
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.
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.
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