FRASER VALLEY BANDITS HOST GUELPH NIGHTHAWKS IN PLAY-IN WITH QUARTERFINALS BERTH ON THE LINE

CEBL Staff • August 4, 2022

The Fraser Valley Bandits and Guelph Nighthawks will look to advance to the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) quarterfinals in a play-in showdown at Langley Events Centre at 7:30 PT on Thursday night.


The Bandits enter the game after finishing the regular season in fourth place in the CEBL standings with a 12-8 record to clinch a home playoff game in Langley. The Nighthawks finished in seventh place at 10-10 and earned the final playoff spot after clinching with a win over Saskatchewan last week. The winner will play either the Niagara River Lions or Scarborough Shooting Stars in this weekend’s quarterfinals. The Bandits would play Scarborough if they win, while the Nighthawks would play Niagara.


Fraser Valley and Guelph split their two matchups in the regular season with the Bandits securing a 90-85 victory at the Sleeman Centre and the Nighthawks winning 87-79 in Langley. In Fraser Valley’s win, Shane Gibson led all scorers with 23 points while Thomas Kennedy netted 21 points to go along with 9 rebounds. Cat Barber provided Guelph with 22 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in the loss, while AJ Hess added 20 points, Ahmed Hill contributed 19 points and TJ Lall had 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Bandits had a 40-30 advantage in points in the paint in the win, and a 22-4 advantage in bench points. Free throws were also a difference maker in the first meeting, with the Nighthawks going 14- 21 from the line at a 66 per cent rate.


In the second meeting, the Nighthawks went on a 9-2 run in Elam time to power themselves past the Bandits. Giorgi Bezhanishvili was a low-post force for the Nighthawks in the win, scoring a game-high 19 points on 8-14 shooting from the field and 2-4 from three, along with 7 points in Elam time. Cat Barber chipped in 15 points that included the game-winning bucket and Stef Smith also scored 15 points for Guelph. Gibson led the way with 16 points on 6-11 shooting for the Bandits while Alex Campbell scored 15. Both teams had balanced attacks with five players reaching double figures on each side. The Nighthawks were efficient from the field and beyond the arc, shooting 52 per cent from both areas in a winning effort. After giving up 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, Guelph regained focus on the boards in the second half, giving up just one offensive rebound.


Shane Gibson emerged as the number one scoring option for the Bandits this season and leads the team with 18.7 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals per game on 48 per cent shooting from the field. Alex Campbell is a two-way weapon for Fraser Valley, averaging 13.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game, and 1.6 steals per game and Marek Klassen showed off his elite playmaking in 9 games, averaging 10 points per game and 6.4 assists per game. The Bandits also have a strong frontcourt with Thomas Kennedy, James Karnik, Brandon Gilbeck and Maxie Eshoe. Kennedy

is averaging 14.5 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game on 64 per cent shooting from the field, while Karnik averages 15.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game.


“This Fraser Valley team has toughness. We have a lot of grit, a lot of good chemistry,” shooting guard Shane Gibson says, “We've had a lot of guys come in and out of the team, which has thrown off the chemistry, but somehow we've been able to bring it all back around and the core group of guys have been there.”


Meanwhile, Cat Barber has cut through defences all season and scored 19.6 points per game for Guelph to go along with 5.2 assists per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. TJ Lall has been a consistent two-way force for the Nighthawks with 10.2 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game, 1.2 steals per game and 1.2 blocks per game. Ahmed Hill played all 20 games for Guelph and averaged 17.8 points per game on 44 per cent shooting from the field and 40 per cent from three. Mid-season additions AJ Hess, Maurice Calloo and Giorgi Bezhanishvili have all had a positive impact on the squad and average double-figures. Bezhanishvili has had the largest impact, averaging 15.2 points per game on 50 per cent shooting from the field while hauling in 6 rebounds per game.


The Nighthawks wrapped up the season as the second-best offence in the league behind Niagara with 87.7 points per game on a league-best 46 per cent from the field off of 17.9 assists per game. Meanwhile, the Bandits finished fourth in points per game at 85.9 on 45.1 per cent shooting, and they usurped the Saskatchewan Rattlers for the league lead in three point shooting, finishing with 221 threes made on a league-best 37.6 per cent.


Tickets for the play-in game are available at https://www.thebandits.ca/tickets.


Fans will be able to live stream all games including the playoffs on the CEBL’s OTT streaming service CEBL+, the CEBL’s official app, CEBL Mobile for iOS and Android devices, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and Android devices and on NXT Level Sports in the U.S. As part of its playoff coverage, CBC Sports will broadcast the quarterfinal games Sunday, August 7, semifinal games Friday, August 12, and the Championship game on Sunday, August 14. For the complete broadcast and streaming schedule, click here. All times are subject to change.


The CEBL’s fourth regular season began May 25 and ends August 1. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL is the largest pro sports league in the country with 10 teams located in six provinces. It has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 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 runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.


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By Rois Chand • June 16, 2026
Mitchell Creek’s season debut didn’t disappoint. The reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League Most Valuable Player poured in 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists as a late game comeback by the Vancouver Bandits fell short. “I thought (Creek) was awesome tonight, as he always is,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. The Scarborough Shooting Stars defeated the Vancouver Bandits 108-105 in dramatic fashion on Monday Night. The Shooting Stars led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, which eventually turned into a one point deficit, led by Creek. However, the comeback proved to be too much for the Bandits as they fell in the final moments of the fourth quarter. “I was disappointed with our third quarter. It was like an implosion,” said Julius. In the opening quarter, back-and-forth action followed, with neither team gaining too large of an edge. The Shooting Stars led 24-23 after the first quarter. This contest featured a star-studded cast of players as both teams boast the best records in their conferences. The Bandits entered action with a 7-2 record, while the Shooting Stars were 7-1. Countless lead changes ensued, yet Scarborough’s lead jumped out to 65-61 by halftime. They continued the pressure as the lead grew to double digits in the third quarter, headlined by Myles Powell’s 33 points. Julius thought his team “lost their cool” and acted “immature” as the Shooting Stars took the lead. Jaelen House scored 22 points on seven-for-nine field goal shooting, while Miller Kopp followed with 20 points, five three pointers made and three steals. Jarkel Joiner had 17 points in 26 minutes. Despite the loss, Julius praised the versatility and depth of his team, noting the Bandits’ adversity through injuries. “I’m proud of where we are,” he said. The Bandits were without reigning Canadian Player of the Year Tyrese Samuel and Dre Davis, allowing Dominic Parolin into the starting lineup. Parolin finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Next, the Bandits will travel to Winnipeg for a matchup with the Sea Bears on Thursday before playing the Brampton Honey Badgers at home on Saturday.

CEBL MVP Mitch Creek Re-Signs With Vancouver Bandits

By Bandits Staff • June 14, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits announced Sunday that the reigning Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Most Valuable Player Mitch Creek has re-signed with the club and will suit up on Monday, June 15 against the Scarborough Shooting Stars. The 6-foot-5 forward and fan favourite returns to the Bandits after a stellar 2025 campaign in which he was named Most Valuable Player and an All-CEBL First Team Selection. Creek had one of the most statistically productive stretches of his career during the 2025 CEBL season. Starting in all 20 regular season games, he averaged a team-high 24.4 points per game along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes.Creek made his CEBL debut during the 2024 season and currently ranks second on the Bandits’ all-time leading scorers list (643 points). Creek appeared in five NBA regular season games during the 2018-19 season, splitting time between the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves averaging 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game on 50 per cent shooting from the field across both clubs. A veteran of 15 professional seasons, Creek was a mainstay and all-star in his home country’s National Basketball League (NBL), logging 338 games and served as captain for both the Adelaide 36ers and South East Melbourne Phoenix. Most recently, Creek competed for Romanian club U-BT Cluj-Napoca during the 2025-26 season where he captained the team to a Romanian League championship and received All-EuroCup Second Team honours. A native of Horsham, Australia, Creek is a major basketball figure in his home country and has been instrumental to the success of the national team, known as the Boomers, and was recently named to Australia’s roster for the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers taking place in July. Creek will step away from the Bandits’ roster later this month to join the Australian national team in advance of its FIBA World Cup Qualifier games on July 3 and 6 against Guam and the Philippines, respectively. He will rejoin the Bandits at the conclusion of his international duties. Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.

Bandits Victorious Over BlackJacks on Record Scoring Night

By Gary Ahuja • June 14, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits led nearly from start to finish, avenging an earlier loss with a 104-95 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks. The teams met on Saturday night on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre, with the Bandits improving to 7-2 atop the Canadian Elite Basketball League's Western Conference. The BlackJacks fell to 4-5, dropping into a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference. “The way they beat us was pretty evident and obvious,” said Vancouver Bandits coach Kyle Julius of the earlier meeting on June 2. “So, I thought we did a great job – for the most part – correcting what hurt us, so that was nice to see.” “I think there was probably a little more urgency defensively,” he explained. The Bandits led for all but 29 seconds of the game, thanks in large part to a 30-point opening quarter. From there, however, the offence struggled to maintain the same rhythm. “Fatigue. We just didn’t have our rotation,” Julius said. “We were shorthanded, and I wasn’t really surprised with the ebb and flow and the dips we had. “Even D’Andre Davis – who is going to be a very good player for us – but if you look at his ankle, it’s still swollen, so he’s out there hobbling around.” The offence was powered by Jarkel Joiner, who had 37 points – a franchise record – seven assists and four rebounds. “The coaches had a great game plan, and we executed it,” Joiner said. “We locked in, we didn’t take the game for granted.” Joiner had a larger role in the game, especially with point guard and leading scorer Jaelen House sidelined. “Honestly, it’s hard without him. He makes the game so much easier with his quickness, how fast he is, how explosive he is, how he sees the game,” Joiner admitted. “But coach needed me to step up tonight, and (Duane Notice) helped with the point guard role, and everybody stepped up.” Miller Kopp added 15 points and eight rebounds, Mychal Mulder finished with 13 and Tyrese Samuel chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Dominic Parolin came off the bench to finish with a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds, giving Vancouver five scorers in double figures. Ottawa was led by Javonte Smart’s 29 points with Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon both adding 19. "They play hard. They have respect for the game and force you into a lot of contested shots, so for us, we have to continue to fight for great shots," said BlackJacks coach Justin Mazzulla. “We have to continue to play together and have our energy not be impacted by whether the ball goes in or not.”  Up next, the Bandits return to Envision Financial Court on June 15 to host the Eastern Conference-leading Scarborough Shooting Stars (7-1). Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.

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By Bandits Staff • June 11, 2026
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