Vancouver Bandits Fall Short Against Ottawa Blackjacks

Gary Ahuja • July 10, 2023

LANGLEY, B.C., July 9, 2023 – Second-half struggles on the defensive glass and poor free throw shooting proved costly for the Vancouver Bandits.


The Bandits started the game 10-for-10 from the charity stripe, but made just two of their next 10 at one end of the floor, while at the other, the team surrendered 14 offensive rebounds.


Combined together and it was a 97-93 victory for the visiting Ottawa BlackJacks on Sunday night at Langley Events Centre in Canadian Elite Basketball League action. The win was a sixth-straight for the eastern conference leaders who improved to 10-5 on the season. The loss was a second straight for the Bandits who saw their record slip to 5-8.


“We had a lot of guys just watching them cut, a lot of guys just standing there watching, thinking someone else was going to do it. A lot of those were in the second half and crunch time. Definitely frustrating,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. 


A perfect example of this was during Target Score time when the BlackJacks twice secured huge offensive rebounds which led to baskets, including the winning points when Vancouver forced an air ball but JaKeenan Gant was able to snatch the ball midair in traffic at the basket and make the layup.


Through the first 30 minutes, Vancouver led for all but 2:10, including being ahead by 10 points in the third quarter. But following some substitutions by the Bandits, the BlackJacks were able to take advantage, tying the game at 73 after three quarters and then leading the entire fourth quarter and Target Score time.


“We had a good start to that third quarter, we had a 10-point lead, but as soon as we made some subs and some changes, I felt like the game really got away from us. Our body language, our energy changed. A really frustrating second half,” Julius said.


Ottawa entered the game already missing Kadre Gray and his 16.8 points per game and CEBL-best 6.7 assists and lost captain Deng Adel (17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists) in the second quarter.


BlackJacks coach James Derouin said the key for his team was keeping an eye on the score and using their timeouts to keep the game close. And from there, they received contributions from across the lineup with Jackson Rowe scoring 26 – including four-for-four from beyond the arc – while Michael Flowers (16 points), Gant (13 points), Matthew Coleman III (12 points) and Abu Kigab (12 points) also hit double figures.


“Everyone just pitched in, everyone contributed,” Derouin said. “(And) with Elam, it is not always pretty at the end of the game.”


Malcolm Duvivier led the Bandits with 18 points, but all of those came in the first three quarters. Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Nick Ward each scored 15 points while Duane Notice added 14, a dozen of which came from the three-point line. Ward also had 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

Derouin said his team made a concentrated effort at trying to tire Ward out.


“You are just hanging on for dear life with Nick down there. He is such a great player. The only thing we were trying to do was tire him out throughout the game with some pace and some running and multiple bodies,” he said. “That is really your only hope with Nick is that you can tire him out because there is not really anyone in the league who can guard him.”

Marlon Johnson Jr. also made his Vancouver debut with 13 points.


Julius said Johnson’s presence played a large factor in the Bandits’ offensive success as Vancouver became the first team in eight games to surpass 90 points against Ottawa. The Bandits finished with 27 assists on their 34 field goals, by far their highest assist numbers of the season.


Of those 27 assists, point guard Doug Herring Jr. finished with eight.

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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
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By Bandits Staff • April 24, 2025
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