Vancouver Bandits Drop Tough Road Contest Against Winnipeg

Zulfi Sheikh • June 22, 2023

WINNIPEG, MB, June 21, 2023 – ​​The Vancouver Bandits saw its three-game win streak snapped on Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Sea Bears, falling 93-84 at Canada Life Centre.


Teddy Allen finished the game with a stat line of 28 points, five rebounds and seven assists for Winnipeg. Tonight’s performance makes it seven straight games where the guard has eclipsed the 20-point mark.


He was helped by E.J. Anosike who scored 17 points on an efficient 70 per cent shooting and Glen Yang who dropped 14 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Yang came through in the clutch as he scored nine of those points in the fourth quarter and Target Score to help the Sea Bears to victory.


“We’re really proud to see him have a moment like that,” said Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor. “So much attention is brought to Teddy, so there’s opportunities for other guys to step up.”


On the other side it was M.J. Walker who led the way for the Bandits as he finished the game with a team-high 21 points and five rebounds on an impressive 77 per cent from the field.


Giorgi Bezhanishvili contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season.


To no one’s surprise, the first quarter was a back-and-forth affair, keeping consistent with the previous two matchups between Vancouver and Winnipeg this season. Neither team was able to build a significant lead early.


Bandits guard Jahenns Manigat–after going scoreless in the first quarter–ended the half with 12 points on a stellar 4-of-5 shooting from distance. None of which were more impactful than the three he drained in the final seconds of the half that gave his team a 50-43 lead at the break.


Allen was doing his part for Winnipeg as they were trying not to lose back-to-back games for the first time this season. He scored six points in the third quarter as his team tried to cut down the Bandits lead. His efforts were rewarded as the Sea Bears bench woke up to support their leader. 


Specifically, it was Watson-Gayle – one of the front-runners for CEBL sixth man of the year–who stepped up. After scoring just four points in the first half, the bench guard dropped eight in the third, punctuated by back-to-back triples that tied the game at 64-64 at the 2:08 mark of the quarter.


Allen continued to take the game over for his team as he drilled three triples–seven total to that point–as Winnipeg went on a massive 19-4 run to go up 84-77 heading into Target Score Time.


The Sea Bears had previously struggled in the final frame this entire season, being outscored at the end of games more often than not. This contest, however, did not go that way as Yang put Winnipeg on his back and led them to their sixth win of the season.


Yang scored seven of his team’s nine points in Target Score Time, making the last two baskets that gave the Sea Bears a 93-84 victory.


Despite Vancouver’s three-game win streak being snapped, head coach Kyle Julius did see room for upside as his squad was getting set to head back home to regroup. 


“We need a lot of work, time and energy,” Julius said. “We haven’t had any real opportunity to practice. We’ve only been together a couple weeks and have had two eight-day road trips. We’re going to try and get back home, get some work in and then we can evaluate how good we can be after that.”


Following tonight’s action the Bandits return to Langley Events Centre to host the Calgary Surge on Sunday, June 25 for the club’s Indigenous Celebration Night. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. PT and tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT.


Single game tickets for the fifth season of Bandits Basketball 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 semifinal berth.


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.

LATEST NEWS

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By Bandits Staff • April 30, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced today a two-year partnership extension with Sentinel Storage that expands on the companies’ long-standing relationship and reinforces a shared commitment to youth, sport, and community in British Columbia. This renewed partnership builds on a foundation that dates back to 2020 with the Bandits Athletic Centre in Abbotsford, where Sentinel Storage played a key role in supporting multiple sport organizations at the grassroots level during the pandemic. Sentinel Storage and the Bandits are deepening their impact through two major initiatives: co-presenting the Bandits' annual School Day Game, and serving as the founding and presenting partner of the First Buckets program by the Bandits Community Foundation. The School Day Game, set to be held at Langley Events Centre during the Bandits’ 2025 season on May 8th, is a high-energy morning basketball game that invites thousands of elementary and middle school students for an unforgettable field trip experience. The event is designed to inspire youth through sport, while providing educators and students with a unique opportunity to engage with professional basketball in a fun and educational setting. "At Sentinel Storage, we believe in the power of community and the importance of supporting youth development through sport,” said Jenn Johnson, Director of Operations, Western Canada, Sentinel Storage. “We’re excited to be expanding our partnership with the Bandits to help make basketball more accessible to youth across British Columbia, while also fostering important life skills like teamwork, resilience, and leadership. We’re proud to be a part of this journey and look forward to seeing how we can continue to make a difference in the lives of young athletes in B.C.” Sentinel Storage has also committed to leading the launch of First Buckets, a flagship initiative of the Bandits Community Foundation. This program delivers basketball starter kits to schools across British Columbia, helping introduce the game to new communities. Each kit includes basketballs, jerseys, and coaching materials, along with life skills curriculum and the potential for a visit from Berry the Bandit, the team’s beloved mascot. The program makes the sport accessible while championing important lessons in teamwork, resilience, and leadership. “We’re grateful to be partnered with a community-minded organization like Sentinel Storage who also took a chance on us in 2020 when we launched the Bandits Athletic Centre. Since day one with Sentinel Storage it has been evident that they passionately care about the power sport has on supporting youth in British Columbia,” said Dylan Kular, President of the Vancouver Bandits. “Together, through the Bandits Community Foundation, we are going to provide more basketball for more people across British Columbia with the First Buckets program and impact youth across all four corners of the province.”  The partnership between Sentinel Storage and the Vancouver Bandits is a testament to the impact that strong community-focused collaborations can have. With shared values at the core, this partnership is poised to make a lasting difference—on the court and beyond.

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By Bandits Staff • April 30, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed 6-foot-10 forward Grant Shephard for its upcoming Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season at Langley Events Centre (LEC). Hailing from Kelowna, B.C., Shephard recently played for Swedish club Jämtland Basket in the Basketligan, the country’s highest division of men’s pro basketball. During the 2024-25 season, he averaged 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 28.5 minutes in 32 games played while shooting 62 per cent from the field. Prior to Sweden, Shephard also played in Estonia (BC Kalev-Cramo, 2023-24) and Spain (Esguiera Basket, 2023-24). Shephard established himself as a dominant big man during his U SPORTS career, playing at the University of British Columbia (2017-20) before transferring to Carleton (2021-23). He captured a national championship with the Ravens in 2022-23 while also being named a U SPORTS Final 8 tournament all-star and Ontario University Athletics (OUA) second team all-star. “Grant has had two great seasons playing overseas since he was last with us. He is one of BC's best big men and I am really looking forward to getting back to work with him,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. This will be Shephard’s third stint with the Bandits and fourth overall in the CEBL. He made his league debut in 2019 with the Bandits as a Development Athlete, including playing in the club’s inaugural game on May 9, 2019, and made subsequent appearances with the Niagara River Lions in 2021 and with the Bandits a second time in 2023. Across three CEBL seasons, Shephard has appeared in a combined 22 games and averaged 8.1 minutes, 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. “I am grateful to be back with the Bandits this season and ready to grind. I can already tell that this summer will be special,” said Shephard. Prior to finishing his high school career at the prestigious Montverde Academy in Florida, Shephard attended Kelowna Secondary. Shephard helped guide the Owls to a B.C. AAAA provincial championship in 2016 while he took home MVP honours as a junior. On the international stage, Shephard has represented Canada at both the junior and senior levels. Most notably, he captured the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2017, alongside current Toronto Raptor RJ Barrett, and earned a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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By Bandits Staff • April 25, 2025
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Vancouver Bandits Re-Sign Guard Glen Yang

By Bandits Staff • April 24, 2025
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