Calgary Surge look to solve Vancouver Bandits in third meeting of season

Dillon White • June 25, 2023

The Vancouver Bandits (-120) will look to complete the regular season sweep of the Calgary Surge (-114) at the Langley Events Centre on Sunday at 5 p.m. PT. 


The game will be available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.


Vancouver handed Calgary their first two losses of the season with an 84-81 win in Langley on June 3 and an 82-77 win in Calgary on June 14. 


In the first win on Vancouver territory, the Bandits relied heavily on big men Nick Ward and Giorgi Bezhanishvili to power them to victory. University of Victoria guard Diego Maffia also had his best performance of the season in that win with 15 points and 11 assists.


Each team shot under 40 per cent from the field and 30 per cent from three in the first outing. However, Vancouver’s roster had a much different look – Shane Gibson, MJ Walker, Shaquille Keith and Jahenns Manigat all had yet to join the team. 


In the second outing in Calgary, all four new acquisitions were in the lineup with Gibson and Keith making their season debuts. But it was Bezhanishvili that put the team on his back with 27 points and 13 rebounds. 


Calgary stars Simi Shittu and Stefan Smith also earned double-doubles in the loss. Smith netted a team-high 23 points while dishing 10 assists and Shittu tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds. 


The Surge enter Sunday’s contest in third place in the Western Conference at 6-5 on the season, trailing the 5-4 Edmonton Stingers and the 7-3 Winnipeg Sea Bears. Calgary is in a tight playoff race with the rest of the Western Conference — the exception being 4-5 Vancouver. 


Because the 2023 CEBL Championship Weekend is in Vancouver from August 11-13, the Bandits have a spot in the Western Conference final clinched. 


The Bandits are coming off a 93-84 loss to the Sea Bears on Wednesday that snapped a three-game winning streak. With their roster coming together, Vancouver has looked like a team that deserves to be in championship weekend. 


The presence of Ward and Bezhanishvili from game one has been steady for the Bandits, with the bigs both averaging numbers to match their size. “Giorgi B” is one of two players in the CEBL to average a double-double with 17.6 points per game and a league-best 11.3 rebounds per game. His frontcourt teammate, the bruising forward Nick Ward, has averaged 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in nine appearances. 


Walker has also been spectacular in his five games with the team, averaging 15 points on 47 per cent shooting. Meanwhile, Gibson led the Bandits in points per game last season but is averaging just under 10 points through three games off the bench in 2023.


On the other side, the Surge have lost two consecutive games and four of their last five. Calgary has depended on blanketing defence to start the season, but the team’s usually stingy defending has faltered in recent games.


After conceding no more than 84 points in the opening nine games of the season, the Surge have lost their last two contests 93-80 to Brampton and 99-86 to Niagara. The Surge will look to their stellar starters to return to form on Sunday in Langley. 


Calgary has been consistent with their starting lineup when healthy, tipping off with Smith, Shittu, Trevon Scott, Admon Gilder Jr. and Sean Miller-Moore. Almost the entire starting five is averaging at least 10 points per game, with Gilder just short at 9.9.  


Shittu is the only other player in the CEBL outside of Bezhanishvili to average a double-double at 15.2 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game, in addition to 1.1 blocks. Smith has been outstanding in target time for the Surge, leading them on the biggest target time comeback in league history and averaging 15.2 points and 2 steals overall. 


Meanwhile, Miller-Moore’s elite athleticism has been on full display all season. With a highlight reel full of dunks and blocks, “Rugzy” has averaged a team-high 16.7 points to go along with 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.9 blocks. Scott rounds out the starting lineup with 12.3 points per game in 11 appearances this season. 


Up next for the Bandits is a Canada Day showdown with the Edmonton Stingers at Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, the Surge will return home for a matchup with the Scarborough Shooting Stars on Wednesday.


All games are available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.


A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 per cent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.

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By Bandits Staff • October 2, 2026
This weekend, youth across Haida Gwaii will have the opportunity to learn and sharpen their basketball skills from British Columbia’s professional basketball team. Through the generous support of the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) and Langara Island Lodge, the Vancouver Bandits and Bandits Community Foundation will be hosting free-of-charge youth basketball camps across Haida Gwaii, marking the organization’s first community visit to the North Coast region. “Haida Gwaii means a great deal to us, and we know how much basketball means to these communities. The game gives young people a place to grow, brings families together, and creates opportunities for teams to proudly represent where they come from,” said Yos Gladstone, Sales Coordinator, Langara Island Lodge. “The young players, coaches, families, and teams here deserve every opportunity we can help bring their way. We are grateful to the Vancouver Bandits, I∙SPARC and the Bandits Community Foundation for their commitment to make this program happen, and especially to those in Haida Gwaii who give so much of their time, energy, and efforts to basketball year-round.” “For us, supporting this program is personal. We care about the communities and the people who make them so special. If this visit from the Vancouver Bandits gives local players more time on the court, encouragement to keep going, and a chance to connect through the game, that is something we are proud to be part of.” The camps are hosted in collaboration with I∙SPARC, Bandits Community Foundation, Haida Gwaii Recreation and School District 50 Haida Gwaii. Across three days, over 200 youth athletes aged 10 to 17 and their families will gather in gymnasiums across Haida Gwaii for camps and workshops led by Bandits and Bandits Community Foundation staff members. Youth participants will also receive complimentary Vancouver Bandits merchandise. "Haida Gwaii holds a legendary place in this province and Indigenous basketball culture and being on the ground in Masset and Skidegate truly showcases how powerful this sport is," said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. "The competitive drive and skill level of these youth are incredible, but what is even more inspiring is how basketball acts as a heartbeat for the entire region. Seeing the immediate connection between the youth, the coaching staff, and the local fans highlights exactly why we wanted to bring the Bandits to Haida Gwaii.” “We want to extend our deepest thanks to the Haida Nation and our partners at I∙SPARC and Langara Island Lodge for hosting us and sharing their incredible hospitality. This visit marks an exciting milestone for our organization, and we look forward to building on this relationship for years to come." The camp schedule for this weekend is as follows: Friday, October 2 Kwiiyaans Community Hall, Old Massett 12:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Daaxiigan Sk’adáa Née School, Masset 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, October 3 George Brown Recreation Centre, Skidegate 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, October 4 George Brown Recreation Centre, Skidegate 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The forthcoming camps are part of the Indigenous Basketball Collective, representing the ongoing collaboration between I∙SPARC and the Vancouver Bandits, and build upon recent previous community visits to Williams Lake and Bella Coola earlier this year. Established in 2023, ongoing and past projects through the Collective include camps and clinics for Indigenous youth and coaches, building new basketball courts in Indigenous communities, and hosting the 2026 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament.

Vancouver Bandits & I SPARC Host Basketball Camps in Bella Coola and Nuxalk First Nation

By Bandits Staff • September 30, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team, and the Bandits Community Foundation partnered with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) and Nuxalk First Nation to host a series of youth basketball clinics throughout the Bella Coola Valley earlier this month, marking the club’s first visit to the region. Led by Bandits Team President Dylan Kular and Community Manager Pavan Kalair, nearly 200 local youth athletes participated in free-of-charge workshops and basketball camps, furthering the Bandits Community Foundation’s goal of bringing more basketball to more people across the province. Beginning with a welcome ceremony from Nuxalk Nation community leaders and drummers, Bandits staff led PHE classes at Acwsalcta School, hosted skill development clinics at Sir Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School (SAMSS), and assisted community coaches with tryouts for Nuxalk Nation’s U13 and U17 teams participating at the 2027 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament, taking place in March. "Bella Coola has one of the richest basketball traditions anywhere in this province, and you feel it the moment you walk into their gyms. The passion that Nuxalk Nation has for this game runs deep, and it gets passed down from generation to generation," said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. "What stood out to us all week was how basketball brings this community together. Elders, parents, coaches and kids were all in the same room, and that is what the game is supposed to look like. We are grateful to Nuxalk Nation for welcoming us, and to I∙SPARC for helping us get here. This is the first time we have made the trip to the Valley, but it certainly will not be the last." “It was a pleasure to host the Bandits in Bella Coola; we are super grateful for the Bandits and I∙SPARC for their partnership and making the trip to experience the passion and love that Nuxalk Nation has for basketball,” said Nuxalk Nation youth coordinator Cole Sankey. “As a coach, it was a great opportunity to bring high-level basketball minds to our community and show our youth a little bit of what professional players go through. Dylan and Pavan brought great energy to our workshops at Acwsalcta, SAMSS and Nuxalk Hall, and they emphasized in each session that the best players master the basic details every day. Stutwiniititsxw Vancouver Bandits and I∙SPARC!” The camps were part of the Indigenous Basketball Collective, representing the ongoing collaboration between I∙SPARC and the Vancouver Bandits. Established in 2023, ongoing and past projects through the Collective include camps and clinics for Indigenous youth and coaches, building new basketball courts in Indigenous communities, and hosting the 2026 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament.

Former Bandits Guard Jaelen House Signs Exhibit 10 Contract With Utah Jazz

By Bandits Staff • September 26, 2026
Former Vancouver Bandits guard Jarkel Joiner has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Utah Jazz. The news was announced by the Jazz via press release on Friday . During his time with the Bandits in the 2026 season, House made 10 appearances, including 9 starts, averaging 24.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game and earned CEBL Western Conference Player of the Month honours for May 2026. On June 18, 2026 at Winnipeg, he set the Bandits' single-game franchise scoring record with 42 points. Introduced in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, Exhibit 10 contracts are one-year deals. They can include a potential bonus if the player spends time with the team’s G League affiliate.

Vancouver Bandits, FortisBC, I SPARC Host Youth Basketball Camp in Williams Lake

By Bandits Staff • September 10, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits, BC’s professional basketball team, hosted a youth basketball camp on Wednesday, September 9 in Williams Lake, in partnership with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I∙SPARC) and FortisBC. The Bandits welcomed over 40 local athletes and their families to the camp, with the main goal of building confidence, inspiring young athletes, and bringing youth sports development and mentorship to athletes across the province. Held at Lake City Secondary, the camp marked the first community visit by BC’s professional basketball team to the Cariboo region, bringing more basketball to more people across our province. “Community is a core pillar of the Bandits organization, and we are proud to host camps and opportunities that help shape and inspire the next generation of players and leaders,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “Thank you to our partners at I∙SPARC and FortisBC for their support in bringing this camp to fruition, and to the Williams Lake basketball community for welcoming our team this week.” "We're proud to support opportunities that help young people build confidence, strengthen their skills and create lasting connections," said Janet Devaney, senior manager, community & Indigenous initiatives at FortisBC. "Through initiatives like this basketball camp, Indigenous youth can connect with peers and mentors, develop new skills and experience the positive impact that sport can have on confidence, leadership and a sense of belonging.” The free-of-charge camp was part of the Indigenous Basketball Collective, representing the ongoing collaboration between I∙SPARC and the Vancouver Bandits. Established in 2023, ongoing and past projects through the Collective include camps and clinics for Indigenous youth and coaches, building new basketball courts in Indigenous communities, and hosting the 2026 Junior All Native Basketball Tournament.

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