From Last Dance to a Championship Berth: Bandits Complete Comeback to Defeat Honey Badgers, Advance to CEBL Summer Series Final
August 9, 2020
ST. CATHARINES, ON, August 8, 2020 – The Fraser Valley Bandits pulled off a miraculous comeback in the semifinals of the CEBL Summer Series on Saturday afternoon, turning around a 14-point fourth quarter deficit and winning a game for the ages on the strength of a reverse lay-up from Olu Ashaolu that sealed the game, 76-75. With the win, the Bandits advance to the CEBL Championship game Sunday afternoon where they will meet the Edmonton Stingers, 88-75 winners over the Ottawa BlackJacks in the back-end of Saturday’s semifinal double-header.
After finishing last in the league standings during the 2019 inaugural season with a 4-16 record, the Bandits hit reset and entered the 2020 campaign with one returning player – Marek Klassen. Head coach and general manager Kyle Julius recruited an entirely new roster that was athletic and guard oriented. With a roster featuring eight guards and two forwards, pundits labelled the Bandits undersized. But they failed to account for the size of the hearts in the orange and blue jerseys.
The Bandits trailed the Honey Badgers 39-32 at halftime and 64-50 entering the final period. A 12-1 run during the first five-and-a-half minutes of the fourth quarter cut the deficit to 65-62, and a Junior Cadougan three-pointer made the score 67-65 in favour of Hamilton heading into the Elam Ending.
With an Elam Ending target score of 76, the Honey Badgers clawed to a 73-67 lead after Mukama hit a pair of free throws. The Bandits clamped down defensively and converted one timely bucket after another. Ashaolu hit a lay-up to put the Bandits ahead, 74-73, but the lead was short-lived as Kalif Young threw down another dunk to draw Hamilton to within a single point of victory. But the Bandits would not be denied a comeback. Ashaolu barrelled his way to the rim off a pass from Cadougan and dropped in the game winning basket on a reverse lay-up.
“We lost our composure a few times today, but I think we regrouped. I don’t think it’s about not losing your composure, it’s about how you react to it, and I think we did a great job of that,” Julius said. “If we don’t make that last shot and they make the last shot, I’m really proud of the fight in our guys.
It was Fraser Valley’s third come-from-behind victory of the season, with the previous two coming over Saskatchewan and Guelph.
One week removed from a 102-96 thriller during round robin play that ended with a Hamilton Honey Badgers victory, these two teams picked up right where they left off.
Hamilton got out to a big lead in the first half as rising star Jean-Victor Mukama continued his hot shooting, scoring 14 of his 18 first-half points in the second quarter, fueling an 11-point run for Hamilton. Mukama nailed four three-pointers in the second quarter to fuel a 39-32 lead for the Honey Badgers at halftime.
Hamilton continued to pull away from Fraser Valley in the third quarter on the ability to navigate the pick-and-roll and break the Bandits down off the dribble, leading to 14 points in the paint for the team in pinstripes. Young threw down a two-handed slam a split a pair of free throws in the quarter’s closing moments to give the Honey Badgers a 14-point lead entering the final frame.
The Bandits were left to play the fourth quarter without Marcus Capers, who was ejected from the game midway through the third for unsportsmanlike conduct after appealing a foul call to the officials.
With a small-ball lineup of four guards in Cadougan, Jahenns Manigat, Malcolm Duvivier, Klassen and Ashaolu as the lone forward, Fraser Valley came alive in the fourth quarter. The Bandits outscored the Honey Badgers 26-11 in final frame, though Fraser Valley did not take the lead until the game’s closing moments.
“We’re happy to get over that hump,” Ashaolu said. “I think this game of basketball is about trying to win possessions – you’re trying to win possessions offensively and defensively and put some stops together.”
The semifinal win marks another exciting chapter in the Bandits’ bounce back season. The loss sends Hamilton home with a 4-4 record.
“To their credit, they kept competing as we knew they would,” said Honey Badgers head coach Ryan Schmidt, who had his contract extended July 31 for the 2021 season. “We made way too many mistakes and too many self-inflicted errors. But like I said, hats off to them. I thought they played a good game. They competed from start to finish, and we didn’t make enough plays down the stretch to win.”
The Bandits and Stingers will compete for the league championship Sunday, with tip-off scheduled for 12 p.m. ET (10 a.m. MT, 9 a.m. PT).
Sunday’s Championship game will be nationally televised by CBC and livestreamed on Twitch, CBCSports.ca and the CBC Gem App. A complete broadcast schedule can be found here.
LATEST NEWS
The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has partnered with the Vancouver Park Board, Bandits Community Foundation and Little Legends Foundation to support the refurbishment of an outdoor basketball court at Grays Park in South Vancouver. The refreshed court will be unveiled this fall as part of an official launch event in collaboration between the Vancouver Bandits, Vancouver Park Board, Bandits Community Foundation and Little Legends Foundation. The court refurbishment project is part of the Bandits Community Foundation’s Court Projects program that enhances outdoor basketball courts across British Columbia, including most recently a court refurbishment in partnership with City of Pitt Meadows in September of 2024. “Building a world class basketball court in this community has been a long time dream. Thanks to our partners at the Vancouver Bandits, Bandits Community Foundation and Vancouver Park Board for coming together to make this project happen - there are a number of incredible donors we are going to announce in the coming weeks,” said Little Legends Foundation founder Spensir Sangara. “Grays Park was the perfect place for Court Projects, the basketball culture here is strong and connected. The legacy goes beyond the refurbishment where, with Vancouver Bandits and Bandits Community Foundation, we are going to host free youth camps and The Legendary Tournament at Grays Park starting in 2026.” The partnership was sparked in 2023 when Sangara expressed interest in building a basketball court for the South Vancouver community. Around the same time, the Bandits Community Foundation had completed a similar project in Pitt Meadows with the City of Pitt Meadows, creating a natural alignment between the two organizations. “Basketball has the power to bring people together, and this project is about more than just a court - it is about creating a safe, vibrant space where young people and families can connect, play, and grow,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “We are proud to work through Court Projects with our partners in the Vancouver Park Board, Bandits Community Foundation, and Little Legends Foundation to invest in South Vancouver and to use sport as a tool for building resilience, unity, and positive change in the community.” The court refurbishment at Grays Park, located at 4850 St. Catherines Street in Vancouver, includes upgrades to the basketball hoops, playing area resurfacing and seating areas. Grays Park was identified as one of Vancouver’s most active outdoor basketball spaces, and community feedback strongly supported the refurbishment. "It has been amazing to see the local community come together with the Vancouver Bandits to upgrade this beloved neighbourhood court," says Vancouver Park Board Chair Laura Christensen. "Strategic partnerships like this allow us to deliver so much public benefit for our residents.
A message from Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius on the 2025 season and thoughts on the CEBL Western Conference Semifinal.
The last of this year’s four CEBL conference finalists was locked in once the dust settled at the Langley Events Centre on Saturday. It was the Calgary Surge earning that slot after 105-103 win over the Vancouver Bandits in the West Semifinal. Import Jameer Nelson Jr.’s 14-of-23 showing from the field and Evan Gilyard II, who finished with 29 points on a CEBL playoff record eight made triples, powered the Surge to the win. On the other side, Zach Copeland led Vancouver’s effort as he put up 30 points on 7-of-14 shooting from three and three steals. Meanwhile, captain Mitch Creek and Montreal native Tyrese Samuel chipped in 25 and 22 points, respectively. “We hunted them down, got to a position to win the game,” Creek said after the loss. “We did our job … I’m beyond proud of this organization. It’s been an incredible season, we had so much fun. But it’s so heartbreaking.” Calgary’s backcourt was humming early. First, a Miller-Moore baseline drive and dish to Gilyard II above the break for a triple, followed by a Gilyard II drive and wrap-around pass to a cutting Nelson Jr. for two more and then a Gilyard II transition make from distance for good measure. But just as it seemed Calgary was well on its way to figuring out Vancouver’s defensive strategy as the Surge held an early lead, the tides quickly changed on one play. The Bandits ran a fastbreak midway through the opening frame that not only ended with Creek finding Samuel on a dump-off pass for an easy slam, but also saw Nelson Jr. tweak something in his lower body. The Defensive Player of the Year finalist hobbled to the Surge sideline and eventually the locker room. When the Defensive Player of the Year finalist did return to the floor, what was once an 18-18 ball game had turned into a 26-18 Bandits lead. Vancouver’s charge went down as a 13-0 run as it ultimately carved out a 27-23 advantage after the first, led by Samuel’s eight points. A short-lived lead, however, as Calgary flipped the script on what was once a nine-point first-half deficit into a 61-51 lead at the break. The Surge outscored the Bandits 35-22 in the second, including a 17-2 run powered primarily by none other than the dynamic duo of Nelson Jr. and Gilyard II, who scored seven and 12 points in the frame, respectively. Also underscoring Calgary’s halftime lead was an uncharacteristically sloppy showing from Vancouver. The Bandits entered the matchup averaging the third fewest turnovers per game (13.7), but gave the ball away 11 times in the first half. Mistakes the Surge happily capitalized on with a barrage of transition triples — on 11-of-20 (55 per cent) — for a 21-1 edge for points from turnovers. And although the Bandits' struggles handling the ball continued — 10 second-half turnovers — they were able to cool down the Surge coming out of the break. Vancouver outscored Calgary 23-17 in the third, cutting what was a deficit as large as 14 down to 78-74 headed into the fourth. “We were sluggish walking around in the first half, but we came in the huddle at halftime and says ‘we got this,’” Creek said of the Bandits' second-half effort. “We changed gears, we switched mentalities and (the Langley Events Centre) woke up because we woke up.” The Bandits' momentum only continued from there as they used an 8-2 run early in the fourth to propel them to a 96-95 lead at the start of Target Score Time. Lost in the one-point advantage was a choice from Vancouver not to foul when they led by four a few possessions earlier, a decision Gilyard II made sure to make the most of as he hit a triple before the clocks stopped. After three consecutive foul calls which sent Vancouver to the line, which were overturned by independent official review, a back-and-forth Target Score Time came down to one final play that put the ball in Gilyard II’s hands. The import was fouled by Kyle Mangas while attempting a triple, sending him to the line for the win. After an official review — all foul calls that result in potential game-winning free throws are automatically reviewed — the on-court decision was confirmed and Gilyard II nailed all his attempts at the charity stripe, booking the Surge’s spot in the Western Conference Final. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2700450
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on August 16th, 2025.
LATEST VIDEO
A message from Vancouver Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius on the 2025 season and thoughts on the CEBL Western Conference Semifinal.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on August 16th, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Winnipeg Sea Bears on August 3rd, 2025.
Highlights of the Vancouver Bandits against the Calgary Surge on July 25, 2025.