Edge-of-your-seat Excitement Expected When Fraser Valley, Hamilton Clash in Semifinals of CEBL Summer Series
Ottawa BlackJacks • August 8, 2020
Before the CEBL Summer Series began, league prognosticators were looking at Fraser Valley and wondering how much better they might be than the Bandits team from a year ago that finished 4-16 and last in the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s inaugural campaign. New head coach and general manager Kyle Julius brought an impressive international coaching resume and a roster of players familiar to him to Abbotsford to relaunch a franchise that dropped the first nine games in its history.
Midway through the Bandits opening game of the Summer Series, those questions were answered. Fraser Valley would be a team that would get after its opponent from the opening tip through the final buzzer. They opened eyes around the league by taking a 59-42 lead into halftime of their opening game against an Edmonton team that would lose that night but then roll off five straight wins over every other club in the league en route to securing the top seed in the playoff rounds. The Stingers were a popular pick to win the CEBL Summer Series before it began, but it was Fraser Valley that turned heads on opening weekend.
Julius made it a point to explain how his Bandits are everything today’s opponent, the Hamilton Honey Badgers, are not, posting a team video rightly touting that his club lacked the NBA G League and Canadian National team flavour of some other clubs. The Honey Badgers weren’t named, but they didn’t need to be. Their roster is filled with well-known players, while the Bandits roster is filled with players who have only become better known to observers who have watched the Summer Series since it began July 25.
Hamilton lost three probable starters, all with NBA G League pedigree, for different reasons the week before the Summer Series began - and then lost spiritual leader Duane Notice, also from the G League and national team program, to a torn Achilles during the Series. Head Coach Ryan Schmidt has had to reshape his roster multiple times in the past month, especially in the past 10 days, as players have been lost along the way. Yet the Honey Badgers still lead several CEBL statistical categories and have shown they can play with anybody on any given night.
Today’s matchup presents two teams similar in that they rely heavily on ball pressure and scoring in transition. While it may look like controlled chaos to the casual fan, generating scoring from defense and ball movement is key to both clubs. Fraser Valley rolls four guards much of the time, led by sharp-shooting veterans Marek Klassen and Junior Cadougan. Youngster Malcolm Duvivier and vocal team leader Jahenns Manigat push the ball, get to the basket, and wreak havoc on defense. In the black pinstripes, Brianté Weber has shown to be the best defensive player in the Summer Series and why he’s had stints in the NBA with Miami, Houston, Golden State, Charlotte, and Memphis. He’s averaging a league-best 2.43 steals a game, but more than that, he’s a presence on all 94 feet of hardwood any time he’s in the game.
Hamilton has shown the most balanced lineup in the Summer Series with eight players averaging 19 or more minutes of playing time through seven games. Weber’s 25.4 average leads the way. Only Weber (12.9) and Jean-Victor Mukama (12.7) are averaging double-digit scoring on the Hamilton roster for today’s game. Hamilton’s 44.1 to 41.7 rebounding advantage enables the team to get out and run as it likes to do.
Look for Hamilton to exploit its size advantage in the frontcourt and force Fraser Valley to beat them with outside shooting. The Bandits are averaging 22.0 points off opponents’ turnovers, so will be working to force Hamilton, already generous with league-high 19.4 giveaways per game, into sloppy play and careless mistakes.
Number three seed Hamilton topped second-seed Fraser Valley, 102-96, in their August 1 meeting. But since then both clubs have lost key producers—Cameron Forte who was the Bandits most productive offensive threat in the frontcourt, and Caleb Agada for Hamilton who scored 16 points in 19 minutes despite not having had a minute of practice time with the Honey Badgers prior to being added to the active roster 90 minutes before tipoff.
Expect an entertaining high-octane game fueled by ball pressure and grit this afternoon. The winner draws either top-seed Edmonton or the expansion Ottawa BlackJacks in the CEBL Championship game at 12 noon Sunday. Knowing these two clubs, the loser starts work Monday preparing for the 2021 CEBL season.
Quarterfinal Recap
After defeating Guelph, 84-70, on Wednesday to earn the number-two seed and a bye into the semifinals, Fraser Valley had the advantage of watching Thursday as Hamilton and Ottawa each played quarterfinal games. The BlackJacks grounded the Guelph Nighthawks, 83-75, to advance to the semifinals to face top-seed Edmonton at 3:50 p.m. ET today.
The Honey Badgers knocked out Niagara for the second year in a row to open the playoffs, 85-83, in a game that looked out of reach for the River Lions before they waged a furious comeback and took the Elam Ending the distance. With the target score of 84 posted, Weber rolled home a tough layup in traffic to deliver the victory. Hamilton had led 75-69 heading into the Elam Ending. Mukama scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds to pace the Honey Badgers.
First Meeting
Playing for the first time without guard Duane Notice, who appeared to be on his way to contending for tournament MVP honours, the Hamilton Honey Badgers welcomed Caleb Agada to the team 90 minutes before tip-off and needed all of his 16 points, plus the team-high 18 from Manny Diressa to seal a 102-96 victory. Fraser Valley got off to a slow start in this one, something that was a pattern for the team throughout the six-game regular season portion of the competition and had to play catch up most of the contest. Hamilton led 76-59 midway through the third quarter and resisted short rallies from Fraser Valley down the stretch. The Bandits posted an 18-10 scoring edge during the Elam Ending to narrow the final margin.
Hamilton shot .507 from the floor in this contest, and had six players score in double figures led by Diressa’s 18. The Honey Badgers dominated the boards by a 46-39 advantage, with the Bandits total including a game-high 10 retrieves from the now-departed Cameron Forte. Fraser Valley scored 26 points off 20 Hamilton turnovers, a key area the Bandits will need to exploit again today.
| PPG | FG-FGA | FG% | FT-FTA | FT% | O-D-REB | AST | TO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 86.6 | 211-486 | .434 | 116-161 | .721 | 92-217-309 | 131 | 134 |
| HBB Opp. | 84.7 | 210-496 | .423 | 112-151 | .742 | 90-202-292 | 132 | 122 |
| Fraser Valley | 87.7 | 185-423 | .437 | 100-131 | .763 | 73-182-255 | 113 | 94 |
| FV Opp. | 80.7 | 170-416 | .409 | 90-124 | .726 | 78-178-256 | 92 | 112 |
CEBL On the World Stage
More than 130 million new viewers will be able to watch this weekend’s semifinals and championship game of the CEBL Summer Seriesthanks to distribution agreements secured by MEDIAPRO Canada, the international media rights and production partner of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. The three games are now available to viewers in Australia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Fox Sports, the top sports broadcaster in Australia with more than two million subscribers, Astro SuperSport, Malaysia’s dominant pay-TV sports broadcaster, and Singapore’s Singtel mioSports channels are airing the games throughout Asia-Pacific territories.

In the Philippines, where there are 75 million smartphones in use, the free TapGo app is delivering the games to a country that is renowned for its passion for basketball and is the third biggest market for the NBA behind the United States and China. In Taiwan, Sportcast, operated by CSTV Group, will telecast the three games.

MEDIAPRO Canada previously facilitated the live streaming of all 26 CEBL Summer Seriesgames on Twitch.tv, the world’s leading live, interactive streaming service for gaming, sports, entertainment, and music with 17.5 million users. Games are available on the twitch.tv/cebleague channel. Twitch recently launched a standalone sports category, featuring other top professional basketball leagues, including the NBA G League, Australia’s National Basketball League, and Brazil’s Novo Basquete.

Next Up
The winner of this matchup meets the winner of today’s second game between top-seed Edmonton and four-seed Ottawa in the CEBL Championship game Sunday at 12 noon. Defending champion Saskatchewan failed to qualify for the playoff portion of the Summer Series after posting a 1-5 record during the round robin portion of the competition, so a new league champion will be crowned.
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Vancouver emerged victorious over Montréal in a battle between the best of both conferences on Saturday (June 14) at Langley Events Centre. The Bandits stormed back from a 20-point deficit in the first half to earn their third straight victory. A timely 15-0 run in the fourth quarter propelled the Bandits to the comeback, featuring clutch shooting from Curtis Hollis, along with inside finishing from Mitch Creek and Shamar Givance. Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said certain possessions in the third quarter set the tone for the comeback. “We just kept talking about chipping away and we talked a lot about the power of one possession and how it can change a game,” Julius said. Creek paced the Bandits’ attack with a game-high 30 points to go along with seven rebounds. Hollis added 18 points, including the game-winner. “I knew we had to get one more bucket. I knew the guys were helping off me all game, which I really don't know why, but I saw he helped off me, and Shamar made a great pass and I just had to make a shot,” Hollis said. James Karnik and Corey Davis Jr. also made their season debuts for Vancouver, adding nine points each. Julius said incorporating new faces mid-season can be a challenge. “The chemistry of a locker room is fragile. You build your offence around a particular group, you build your defense around a particular group, and when certain pieces change, it can affect your scheme. And so, yeah, you have to tweak things all week,” Julius said. Meanwhile, Montréal guard Tavian Dunn-Martin proved difficult to stop despite second-half struggles as a team. He netted 20 points with four threes on eight-of-13 shooting overall. “We settled for too many threes [in the second half]. We didn't attack the basket … didn't get to the line. Then they got out in transition and made shots, and we didn't,” Dunn-Martin said. Montréal seized control early on, shooting 70 per cent from the field in the first quarter and forcing the Bandits into catch-up mode. Alliance head coach Jermaine Small said his squad was outrebounded in the second half but expects to get better from the loss. “You have to understand that you've got to play a 40-minute game. We got off to a really good start [and] obviously we tapered off a little bit. But it's just a good lesson … basketball is a long game, so I'm not worried about it,” Small said. Montréal began the game on a 14-4 run that culminated in back-to-back threes from Anthony Walker and Quincy Guerrier. Creek showed off his rebounding ability on the offensive glass, keeping the Bandits in the contest with three putbacks. However, the Alliance offence was on fire in the opening 10 minutes. Montréal closed the quarter on a 13-3 run, highlighted by a pair of Michael Diggins Jr. slams and a deep trifecta from Dunn-Martin, to take a 32-15 lead into the second. Guerrier connected on a free throw and a spin layup to extend Montréal’s lead to 20 early in the second before Vancouver went on a quick run fueled by transition finishes to narrow the gap. However, the Alliance stayed hot with another deep triple from Dunn-Martin and a corner three from former Bandit Malcolm Duvivier. The red-hot Montréal offence cooled off to end the half and Vancouver took advantage, closing the deficit to single digits by halftime at 48-41 with a 9-2 run. The third quarter turned into a defensive battle, with neither team scoring more than 15 points. The Bandits fought back to tie the game for the first time since the opening tip, powered by an 11-2 run in which the Alliance didn’t connect on a field goal. However, long-range shooting put Montréal back in front with back-to-back threes from Guerrier and Dunn-Martin. The Alliance carried a 62-56 advantage into the fourth quarter. Dunn-Martin continued to showcase his range with another deep three early in the fourth to bring the Alliance lead back to double-digits. But the Bandits demonstrated their resilience with a massive 15-0 run that put the home squad in front for the first time all game. Alain Louis made some clutch trifectas ahead of the final stretch, but a Creek and-one put Vancouver ahead 80-77 with an 89-point Target Score. After Guerrier kicked off scoring in Target Score Time with a transition slam, Davis Jr. buried a three, Creek got the hoop and the harm, and Givance scored in transition to put Vancouver one point away from victory. Hollis connected on a catch-and-shoot from the wing to complete the comeback and improve the Bandits’ record to 8-1. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600585
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Montreal Alliance on June 14th, 2025.
The Vancouver Bandits have announced today the following roster updates in advance of its Saturday, June 14 game at home against the Montréal Alliance at 7:00 p.m. PT: G Corey Davis Jr. has been added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F James Karnik has been removed the the Club's Suspended List and added to Club's active roster and will be available for tonight's game. F Tyrese Samuel has been placed on the Club's Suspended List in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts and Summer League opportunities; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments. G Izaiah Brockington has been placed on the Club's Suspended List in order for him to participate in potential NBA team workouts and Summer League opportunities; he will return to the club at the conclusion of his commitments. G Tristan Jass (lower body) is ruled out for today's game.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed 6’1” American guard Corey Davis Jr. No stranger to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), Davis Jr. was a member of the Calgary Surge during the 2024 season where he set the league record for most assists in a single season with 126 helpers. Appearing and starting in 19 regular season games and three playoff games, he averaged 13.4 points, 6.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals through 33.1 minutes played. He finished the season with three consecutive, 20+ point performances in the postseason, leading the Surge from the Play-In round to the CEBL Western Conference Final. Davis Jr. most recently played professionally with Vanoli Cremona, the highest-tier level of Italy’s basketball league system, where he appeared in 30 games and averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 29.8 minutes of action per game during the 2024-25 season. His pro career also includes stops in Spain, Montenegro, France, Turkey and a stint with the Washington Wizards during the 2019 NBA Summer League. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be back in the CEBL and can’t wait to get started with the Bandits. I’m looking forward to working with coach Kyle and the team, and building on the success that the Bandits have had so far this season,” said Davis Jr. A member of the University of Houston’s men’s basketball team for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, Davis Jr. was a unanimous First Team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2019. Davis Jr. also helped the Cougars advance to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, including a berth in the 2019 Sweet 16. Davis Jr. will be on the active roster for the Vancouver Bandits game Saturday evening at home when the club hosts the visiting Montréal Alliance at Langley Events Centre. In a corresponding move, the club has placed guard Izaiah Brockington on its Suspended List in order to accommodate Davis Jr.'s addition while adhering to CEBL roster rules, which limit clubs to four Import players on active rosters.
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