Vancouver Bandits falter on the road versus Saskatchewan Rattlers

SASKATOON, SK, July 19, 2023 – The Vancouver Bandits were unable to keep up with Justin Wright-Foreman, who once again led the Saskatchewan Rattlers with 22 points as the squad picked up its second consecutive win in a 103-82 victory over the Bandits on Wednesday night.

The league’s points per game leader finished with a stat line of 22 points and four rebounds on over 50 per cent shooting from the field.

Wright-Foreman also drew nine fouls and went a perfect 9-of-9 from the line, including the game-winning free throw.

Wright-Foreman was helped by his supporting cast, as four other players also scored in double figures, led by Trey Niemi who put up a season-high 20 points, shooting over 70 per cent from the field in just 18 minutes of action.

“I can’t say enough about him (Trey Niemi),” said Saskatchewan head coach Tanner Massey. “I think this is a springboard game for him to finish the season with us. We needed that scoring and playmaking.”

Quenton DeCosey and Michael Nuga put up 16 points each, with Malik Benlevi’s 12 points rounding things out as the Rattlers put up 103 points.

On the other side, Nick Ward led the way for Vancouver with a team-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Alex Campbell also added 11 points and Shaquille Keith had one of his better performances of the season with a near double-double of 10 points and eight rebounds.

Fans at the SaskTel Centre were treated to a back-and-forth affair in the first couple minutes of the contest as the two squads traded baskets. It wasn’t until halfway through the first frame, with the teams tied 9-9, that Saskatchewan began separating themselves. 

The Rattlers went on an 18-2 run from that point on thanks to Vancouver committing five turnovers in the opening frame.

Things didn’t fare much better for the Bandits in the second quarter as Vancouver couldn’t contain the Rattlers’ scoring threats.

DeCosey and Niemi stepped up off the pine, doing most of the Rattlers’ damage throughout that stretch. The pairing put up 11 and 10 points respectively, helping their second unit to a +18 edge on bench scoring as Saskatchewan held a 49-37 lead at the break.

Ward tried to spark Vancouver back into the game in the third quarter, scoring seven straight points for the Bandits at one point, but the squad couldn’t put a run together. Despite scoring a game-high 19 points through three quarters, on 88 per cent shooting individually, Ward’s club team shot a lowly 37 per cent from the field as they faced an 80-62 deficit heading into the fourth.

Wright-Foreman closed things out for the Rattlers. The guard scored six of Saskatchewan’s final nine points, ending the contest at the free throw line. He knocked down a game-winning free throw to ice the game at 103-82.

His squad keeps their playoff hopes alive as they head into their final two games of the season. The Rattlers have the opportunity to gain even more ground in the west as they return to action on Saturday to take on the second-seeded Calgary Surge, who sit just one game ahead of them in the standings.

The Bandits head back to Langley Events Centre where they’ll hope to snap their losing skid as they play host to the Edmonton Stingers on Friday and the western conference-leading Winnipeg Sea Bears on Sunday.

“We’re going into every game like it’s a playoff game,” said Ward on his team’s mindset heading into the final couple games of their regular season. “That’s our culture.”

The Bandits’ next game tips off Friday, July 21st at 7:30 p.m. PT against the Edmonton Stingers.

Single game tickets are available for purchase at this link.

A key highlight of Vancouver’s fifth CEBL campaign will be its hosting of Championship Weekend, which takes place between Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13. An annual celebration of the highest level of Canadian professional basketball, Championship Weekend features a postseason format that combines three games of playoff basketball as part of a multi-day festival experience designed to celebrate the intersection of arts, culture and sport. As hosts of Championship Weekend, the Bandits receive an automatic berth in the conference finals doubleheader on Friday, August 11.

Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ 2023 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email tickets@thebandits.ca. A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here.

More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.