FRASER VALLEY BANDITS SIGN OLU ASHAOLU

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.”

The Vancouver Bandits spoiled the Niagara River Lions’ banner ceremony with a dominant 110-100 win over the two-time defending Canadian Elite Basketball League champions on Friday night. Tyrese Samuel’s season-high 29 points and season-high 14 rebounds led the game in both categories. The 6’9 forward missed just one shot all game, going 9-10 from the field and a perfect two-for-two from three. Samuel credited his teammates for helping get into a groove offensively, describing the Bandits as a “good time” early in the season. Bandits head coach Kyle Julius praised Samuel’s play as a backbone for the rest of the team’s play. “He knows he’s a leader and he wants to keep leading us,” said Julius. Jaelen House, who entered action averaging a league-high 10.0 assists per game, notched his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 assists. The game began in back-and-forth fashion with neither team putting an emphasis on defence, tied at 29 after the first 10 minutes. The Bandits created separation in the final minutes of the second quarter to take a 59-55 lead into the break, which they built on in the second half. Samuel scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half, remaining a perfect eight-for-eight from the floor. Julius praised his team’s resiliency to play in front of a road crowd, particularly in a game where a banner is raised. “Sitting through the ring ceremony is always difficult. Our guys did a great job of playing together and fighting through some adversity.” Eight players were on the scoresheet for the Bandits, including D’andre Davis who made his Bandits debut. Out of half time, the defence tightened up with the Bandits holding the River Lions to just 14 points in the third quarter. Vancouver ended the final five minutes of the quarter on a 14-6 run. The Bandits pulled away in the latter minutes of the third quarter, highlighted by a four-point play by Miller Kopp, to lead 80-69 heading into the final frame. Kopp finished the game with 18 points and five three pointers made. The Bandits extended the lead to as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter, but once the target score of 110 was set, the River Lions went on a 11-2 run to cut the deficit to 103-94. Julius called his team’s play in target time a “struggle”. “We’ve come in with some big leads and relaxed so we’ve got to work on that,” he said. Vancouver eased off a Niagara comeback as Coquitlam native Dominic Parolin clinched the victory with a game-winning free throw. Parolin, who is in his first professional season, scored a career-high 14 points to go along with seven rebounds and two steals. The River Lions outscored the Bandits 43-40 in bench points, but the main highlight was Jarkel Joiner who scored 17 points in 22 minutes off the bench in only his second game as a Bandit. Vancouver wins its third straight game to improve to 4-1 on the season, the best record in the Western Conference. The Bandits are next in action tomorrow against the undefeated Brampton Honey Badgers (5-0) in the second game of a three game road trip.

The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that former Brooklyn Nets G League guard Dre Davis II has signed with the club for the remainder of the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Originally from Indianapolis, IN, Davis began his first professional season with the Brooklyn Nets’ NBA Summer League season before joining the club’s NBA G League affiliate, Long Island Nets, where he averaged 7.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 37 games played. Following the conclusion of the Nets’ season, Davis signed for a brief stint with Venezuelan club Piratas de La Guaira. Davis played his collegiate basketball at Louisville and Seton Hall before finishing his senior season at Ole Miss. During his senior year in 2024-25, he appeared and started in all 34 games for the Rebels while averaging 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Davis will wear number 34 with the Bandits.