SLOW START IN SECOND HALF SPELLS DEFEAT FOR THE BANDITS
By Matthew Winick • July 9, 2021
ABBOTSFORD, B.C., July 8, 2021 – The Niagara River Lions (3-2) caught fire in the third quarter, dropping 37 points en-route to a convincing 103-82 victory over the Fraser Valley Bandits (4-1) at the Meridian Centre on Thursday evening.
The River Lions used a 20-2 spurt near the start of the third frame to pull away from the Bandits, and never relinquished the lead after that. Despite missing three of its best players in Kassius Robertson, Trae Bell-Haynes and Phil Scrubb, Niagara’s hustle and energy were the difference in the win.
Niagara used Fraser Valley’s aggressive and fast-paced play style to its advantage, dominating the Bandits 32-4 in points off turnovers and 26-11 in fast-break points. Every time a loose ball fell to the floor, it seemed like a River Lions player was off and running towards the basket for an easy hoop.
“I think that’s who we are. We’re an aggressive defensive team,” said River Lions’ head coach Victor Raso after the game. “It’s our strength, it was one of our keys to get out and run this game.”
Xavier Sneed led the way for Niagara with 20 points, but he was far from the only River Lion to make an impact.
Jaylen Babb-Harrison provided instant offense with 19 points, Javin DeLaurier played his best game as a pro, putting up an 18-point, 17-rebound double-double, and Guillaume Payen-Boucard chipped in across the board with 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block.
“Guillaume is just tough, we’ve known that for a long time,” said Raso. “He plays super hard.”
“I try to be able to impact the game as much as I can,” said Payen-Boucard, “Just being aggressive on the boards, talking on defense, being in the right place on offense and just staying aggressive.”
Even though the River Lions put up a season-high tying 103 points, they only shot 29% from deep. The majority of their offense came near the basket, with players like DeLaurier, Payen-Boucard and Olu Ashaolu helping Niagara outscore Fraser Valley 58-24 in the paint.
Between getting dominated on the fast break and near the rim, the Bandits were beat at their own game on Thursday. Typically, the team bullying other squads with physical play and energy, Fraser Valley got a taste of its own medicine.
“We just had a bad night. I thought they wanted it more and they deserved to win,” said Bandits’ head coach David Singleton. “We never really found our rhythm and flow, missed a lot of easy shots, they outworked us and outhustled us. We have to be a lot better.”
Malcolm Duviver led the Bandits in scoring with 17 points on efficient 6-12 shooting from the floor. The rest of the team combined to shoot only 19-61 (31%) from the field. Fraser Valley also had five players cough up at least three turnovers. While it was a rough performance overall, a strong Elam Ending performance could turn into momentum for the still-strong 4-1 Bandits despite the loss.
“We’re a good team, we know how to win, we have good players,” said Singleton. “We just found a lineup that worked on the court at that time, but really it doesn’t matter, it was too late.”
Fraser Valley will look to regain its form as the team continues its Ontario road trip, facing the Ottawa BlackJacks on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, Niagara will look to keep up its winning ways on Sunday as the River Lions take on the Hamilton Honey Badgers on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET.
All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service CEBL+, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 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 typically runs from May through August. More information about the Bandits is available at thebandits.ca.
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Vancouver Bandits forward Mitch Creek has been called up to the Australia men’s national team for the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, as announced by Basketball Australia. The reigning CEBL Most Valuable Player and All-CEBL First Team member captained the Bandits during the 2025 season, where he appeared and started in 20 games and averaged 24.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 34.4 minutes played. Following his stellar sophomore campaign with the Bandits, he signed with U-BT Cluj-Napoca in Romania for the 2025-26 season in EuroCup, one of the premier pro basketball leagues in the world. Hailing from Horsham, Victoria, Creek has appeared in 20 games for the Australia Boomers. This call up marks his first appearance for his country since 2019, where he competed at the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. Australia, who are ranked sixth in FIBA's men's world rankings, will face Guam on Thursday, February 26 at 1:00 a.m. PT before taking on the Philippines on Sunday, March 1 at 1:30 a.m. PT.
3x3 basketball action will be taking over Guildford Town Centre this Family Day long weekend as the Vancouver Bandits and Basketball BC host 3x3 Clutch. 3x3 Clutch is a joint partnership between BC's professional basketball club and Basketball BC that is designed to increase awareness and interest in 3x3 basketball through collaborative events hosted across British Columbia throughout the calendar year. Set to run Friday, February 13, to Monday, February 16, 3x3 Clutch will welcome nearly 250 young athletes from across the Lower Mainland competing on a custom-built court setup at Guildford Town Centre. Athletes will be competing in the following age groups; Boys U12, U13, U14 and Girls U12, U13. This weekend’s games at 3x3 Clutch are open to the public; spectators are welcome to attend for free as no admission fee will be charged. This upcoming 3x3 Clutch event will mark the first time that a 3x3 basketball tournament will be held inside a shopping centre in British Columbia, following in the footsteps of recent 3x3 basketball events in Canada including in Edmonton during Summer 2025. “Hosting the first-ever 3x3 basketball tournament inside a shopping centre in British Columbia speaks to how creative and accessible this sport can be. Our partnership with Guildford Town Centre is built around growing the game in meaningful ways and bringing community together,” says Dylan Kular, Vancouver Bandits team president. “3x3 basketball thrives in community spaces and this event shows how the game can adapt, grow, and reach new audiences in exciting ways.” In addition to exciting 3x3 basketball action, the weekend will also feature several youth development clinics led by Bandits coaching staff, and interactive basketball opportunities for shoppers and the public. "As we approach our fourth year partnering with the Vancouver Bandits, we are thrilled to host the 3x3 Clutch basketball tournament at Guildford Town Centre. This action-packed weekend promises excitement for both players and spectators, and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting our community through dynamic events that bring people together," says Kiran Deol, Marketing Manager at Guildford Town Centre. The sport of 3x3 basketball is a fast-paced rendition of the traditional 5-on-5 game that is played globally; thanks to its surging popularity and global interest in the 3x3 basketball format, the sport was incorporated at the Olympics for the first time at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games. 3x3 basketball is played in a half-court setting, thus requiring less space to play and also affords each player more opportunities to touch the ball given the reduced amount of players on the court. Launched in the summer of 2023 and featuring its inaugural tournament at the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s 2023 Championship Weekend festivities at Langley Events Centre, the goal of 3x3 Clutch is to provide a recreational and competitive framework for youth and adult 3x3 basketball. For more information, visit www.thebandits.ca/3x3clutch .
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