Top-seeded Bandits take on Sea Bears in Winnipeg

The new-look Winnipeg Sea Bears (3-5) aim to end a four-game skid as they welcome the West-leading Vancouver Bandits to Canada Life Centre on Wednesday night.

Live coverage begins at 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET on TSN and on NLSE in the United States. Fans can also stream the action on CEBL+, TSN+, Courtside 1891 (outside North America) and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices.

Although the Western Conference rivals met less than a week ago, a lot has changed since Vancouver’s 112-91 victory.

Notably, Winnipeg will be without Teddy Allen after parting ways with him Monday. At the time of his release, Allen led the league in average scoring (28.1 points per game) and was second in minutes (34.2), made threes (3.3) and free throw percentage (89.8).

His individual offensive production hadn’t translated to team success like in 2023 however, as the Sea Bears enter Wednesday losers of four in a row while sporting the league’s weakest defence. Winnipeg is giving up 98.8 points per game, the most in the CEBL, and through their losing streak have seen that number jump to 105.

The 112 points conceded to the Bandits last Thursday was the most given up by any team this season. Vancouver shot 56 per cent from the field, 51 per cent from three (14-of-27) and 88 per cent from the free throw line (16-of-18).

Despite the Sea Bears doing plenty offensively – scoring the third-most points per game in the CEBL (91.3) – their gaps on defence have proven too big and Allen’s CEBL leading turnover rate (4.3) contributed to that.

The end of the Allen era marks the beginning of the Justin Wright-Foreman era in Winnipeg. The Sea Bears recently signed last year’s MVP runner-up and he has averaged 25.5 points, five rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in his first two contests with the club. Against the Bandits, Wright-Foreman finished with a team-high 29 points on 52 per cent shooting to go with six assists.

On the other side, the Bandits sport the best record in the CEBL and are in the midst of a league-best five-game win streak – tied for their longest in franchise history.

It’s been a balanced showing for Vancouver as they rank second on both offence (92.8 points per game) and defence (82.6 points allowed per game).

And in the Bandits’ most recent victory, they avenged the lone blemish on their record to this point, picking up a 98-85 win against the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Taking on the only team to hand them a loss appeared to be something the Bandits took personally.

Vancouver, despite being outproduced in the paint and on the glass, was able to snag the win thanks to a late surge. The Bandits edge from distance (+8 made threes) kept them in the ball game, and come the fourth quarter, their defence carried them to victory. Saskatchewan was held to just nine points in the fourth quarter as Vancouver extended its win streak.

The Bandits were once again led by Tazé Moore, their do-it-all point guard. The import finished with a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds, nine assist and two steals. Nearly making it a second consecutive triple-double after logging a monster line of 35 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists against Winnipeg the game prior.

Moore has steadily strengthened his early MVP case as the lone player in the top three for average points (21), rebounds (8.8), assists (8) and minutes (33.2) per game. There’s also the fact Vancouver remains undefeated with Moore in the lineup, as he was a scratch due to illness in their lone loss to the Rattlers.

Key Matchup

Although there’s plenty of dynamism in the backcourt for fans to enjoy in this matchup, keep an eye on a battle inside the paint. 

Winnipeg’s Byron Mullens, the league’s second-leading shot blocker (2.3) will look to slow down Nick Ward, the CEBL’s fifth leading scorer (18.9). The Vancouver forward took round one of the heavyweight bout, as Ward finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds and two blocks compared to Mullens seven points and nine rebounds.

If the Sea Bears are going to turnaround their defensive woes, the former first-round NBA draft pick will have to lead the charge. Mullens can do just so by shutting down Ward on Wednesday.