Vancouver Bandits Head Into Playoffs on High Note With Dramatic Win

Zulfi Sheikh • July 31, 2023

Playoff tickets to watch the Bandits in the Western Conference Finals on Friday, August 11th are now on sale.

SCARBOROUGH, ON, July 30, 2023 – Nick Ward’s double-double night led the Vancouver Bandits to an 82-79 victory over the Scarborough Shooting Stars in the club’s regular season finale on Sunday night.


The big man notched 24 points and 11 rebounds as he shot 77 per cent from the field, helping Vancouver to its second consecutive win and third in its past four games.


Ward was supported by Marlon Johnson Jr. who added 13 points and six boards as he knocked down three of his four attempts from beyond the arc. The forward led a second unit that finished the game with a +23 edge in points off the bench as each player from the Bandits’ reserves scored six or more points.


“Shoutout to Marlon,” said Giorgi Bezhanishvili post-game. “He came out super aggressive, doing all the little things on the court…and just everyone off the bench picked up the energy and we got the win because of it.”


Isiaha Mike nearly put up a double-double of his own as he was Scarborough’s top contributor by way of 23 points and nine rebounds. Cat Barber was the team’s next leading scorer as he tallied 19 points, five rebounds and six assists as his squad lost its second consecutive game.


Despite the loss, Barber still hit a personal milestone when he hit a transition triple at the 2:41 mark of the first quarter. Those three particular points gave him 1000 career points in the CEBL, reaching the record just two days after Ahmed Hill achieved the feat with the Montréal Alliance. 


The two guards are now the only players in league history to score over 1000 points and Hill made sure to be in attendance at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre to see his former teammate reach the same mark as him.


“He’s my brother,” said Barber on having Hill in attendance for the record. “I wish I was there for his game…it means a lot. Not a lot of guys get that done and to be the second player in the CEBL to do it, it’s a special moment.”


Coming into the night, the Bandits’ strength had been described as the play of its bigs. Throughout the first quarter of tonight’s contest, Vancouver showed why that was the case. Ward scored his team’s first seven points, before Johnson Jr. came in off the bench and dropped eight points of his own. 


Coming out of halftime, Vancouver finally got some production out of starters not named Ward, as the team went on a 15-5 run to begin the third frame. Bezhanishvili scored the team’s first five points in the quarter, before Alex Campbell and Duane Notice each chipped in a bucket which helped the Bandits go up seven, their biggest lead to that point.


Scarborough however responded immediately as they rattled off an 11-3 run in response, capped off by a Barber buzzer-beating jumper that gave his team back the lead, 57-56 headed into the fourth.


Vancouver entered this contest following a triumphant 90-89 win that saw Notice end the contest by way of a game-winning triple.


It was a bit of déjà vu for Bandits fans as Bezhanishvili splashed a shot from deep to seal the game 82-79.


With its second victory in a row, Vancouver heads into its opportunity to host CEBL Championship Weekend on a high note thanks to big wins versus two of the eastern conference’s top teams in the Ottawa BlackJacks and Scarborough Shooting Stars. 


As the host team, the Bandits have time to regroup and prepare for their date with destiny. BC’s professional basketball team awaits an eventual western conference finalist that it will face in a do-or-die playoff game as part of a Friday, Aug. 11 doubleheader. Winners of Friday’s doubleheader will advance to the CEBL championship game played on Sunday, August 13.


Single game playoff tickets for Championship Weekend are available for purchase at this link.



Individuals interested in learning more about playoff tickets for Vancouver Bandits Basketball are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email tickets@thebandits.ca. 


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

LATEST NEWS

Tyrese Samuel Repeats as Canadian Player of the Year at 2026 CEBL Awards

By Bandits Staff • August 20, 2026
Today, the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) announced the winners of the 2026 CEBL Awards and the All-CEBL Teams via the league's digital and social media channels. Bandits forward Tyrese Samuel captured Canadian Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. He was also named to the All-CEBL First Team and earned his second straight CEBL All-Canadian Team selection. Additionally, longtime international basketball official and Lower Mainland resident Mike Thomson was named a recipient of the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award in recognition of continued contributions to the CEBL officiating program. The full list of award winners is as follows: 2026 CEBL Award Winners Most Valuable Player: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Canadian Player of the Year: Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) Coach of the Year: Tyrell Vernon (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Sixth Man of the Year: Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars) CDIC Defensive Player of the Year: Kellen Tynes (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Developmental Player of the Year: Easton Thimm (Saskatchewan Mamba) Clutch Player of the Year: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award: Mike Thomson All-CEBL First Team: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Teddy Allen (Winnipeg Sea Bears), Javonte Smart (Ottawa BlackJacks), Sean East II (Brampton Honey Badgers), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) All-CEBL Second Team: Tavian Dunn-Martin (Saskatoon Mamba), Khalil Ahmad (Niagara River Lions), Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Nick Hornsby (Edmonton Stingers), Matthew Cleveland (Ottawa BlackJacks) CEBL All-Canadian Team: Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits), Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Quincy Guerrier (Montréal Alliance), Sean Miller-Moore (Calgary Surge), Jaden Bediako (Saskatoon Mamba) Samuel returns as the reigning Canadian Player of the Year, repeating as this year's winner after finishing third in the CEBL in rebounding at 8.7 per game. The Montreal, Que., native led Vancouver in rebounds (8.7), blocked shots (1.1) and field goal percentage (53.5 per cent), while finishing second on the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Samuel’s standout performances and accolades across his two seasons with the Bandits helped accelerate his career progression. Following the 2025 CEBL season, he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns joining the team on its training camp roster.  He is now preparing for his first overseas opportunity, signing with French club Cosea JL Bourg for the 2026-27 season who compete in the prestigious EuroCup league and the Ligue Nationale de Basket. A resident of New Westminster, Mike Thomson was honoured with the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award for his continued contributions to the CEBL officiating program. A FIBA-licensed Referee Instructor with nearly 50 years of basketball officiating involvement, Thomson’s resume includes officiating the 2000 Summer Olympic Games and serving as a Referee Instructor at the 2024 Summer Olympics and both the 2019 and 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cups. A longtime contributor to the CEBL, he served as both a Referee Coach and member of the Referee Advisory Committee this past season, drawing on his extensive experience in Canadian and international basketball to provide steady guidance and leadership throughout the season. Award winners and All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian Teams are determined by votes cast by the CEBL's team head coaches, general managers, assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and internal media personnel, based on regular season performance. Team representatives are prohibited from voting for a player or head coach from their own team. All CEBL award winners will receive a customized ring from Jostens, the Official Supplier of Award Rings of the CEBL, as well as a special gift from Foot Locker, the official sportswear retailer of the CEBL and its 10 teams. Details on tickets for the 2027 season can be found via CEBL.ca/tickets .

Tyrese Samuel Nominated for 2026 CEBL Canadian Player of the Year Award

By Bandits Staff • August 11, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits, in conjunction with the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), announced Tuesday that forward Tyrese Samuel is among the nominees for Canadian Player of the Year at the 2026 CEBL Awards. Most Valuable Player finalists Myles Powell of the Scarborough Shooting Stars and Teddy Allen of the Winnipeg Sea Bears headline the list of nominees revealed across five player award categories. 2026 CEBL Award Finalists Most Valuable Player: Myles Powell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Teddy Allen (Winnipeg Sea Bears) Canadian Player of the Year: Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Tyrese Samuel (Vancouver Bandits) Sixth Man of the Year: Frank Mitchell (Scarborough Shooting Stars), Stanley Davis Jr. (Edmonton Stingers) Defensive Player of the Year: Alex Fudge (Ottawa BlackJacks), Kellen Tynes (Scarborough Shooting Stars) Developmental Player of the Year: Easton Thimm (Saskatchewan Mamba), Mohamed Mahadhi (Saskatchewan Mamba) Additional 2026 CEBL Awards, including Coach of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year, the Fox 40 Officiating Recognition Award, and the All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian teams, will also be announced next week following the conclusion of the CEBL Finals. Samuel returns as the reigning Canadian Player of the Year, up for the award for a second consecutive season. The Montreal, Quebec native ranked third in the CEBL in rebounding at 8.7 per game and led Vancouver in rebounds (8.7), blocked shots (1.1) and field goal percentage (53.5%), while finishing second on the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game. Award nominees and winners are determined by votes cast by the league's head coaches, general managers, assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and media personnel. Team representatives are prohibited from voting for a player or head coach from their own team.

Bandits season comes to an end in Western Conference Final defeat

By Gary Ahuja • August 9, 2026
The Vancouver Bandits’ championship aspirations ended in the Western Final.  The visiting Winnipeg Sea Bears never trailed after the first quarter, defeating the Bandits 107-96 on Saturday afternoon on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre in the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Western Conference Final. Winnipeg advances to face the Brampton Honey Badgers in the best-of-three CEBL Finals. “We had a couple of defensive assignment game plan pieces that I thought we just did not ever execute,” said Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius. “They jumped on us right from the start and had more energy.” Vancouver had won the season series 3-1, including a crucial 114-90 victory less than a week ago that clinched home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. “This group (today) is way better than the Winnipeg we played the other day because of him,” Julius said of Sea Bears guard Trey McGowens, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists. “I thought he was the X factor — the way he plays, the toughness he has, the athleticism,” Julius added. “He gave them a lot of life. The way he played, created a lot of opportunities.” Winnipeg’s Simon Hildebrandt also proved too much for the Bandits, finishing with 24 points to tie Xavier Moon for the team lead. “You have to give him a lot of credit … he absolutely killed us. He dominated his matchup all night,” Julius said. Shamar Givance led the Bandits with 21 points and 11 assists, while Mitch Creek and Tevin Brown finished with 19 points apiece.

Bandits Advance to CEBL Final after Dramatic Win over Edmonton

By Gary Ahuja • August 7, 2026
At this stage of the season, style points don’t matter. “Just win the day. I said after the game, it wasn’t pretty, but this time of year, it’s survive and advance,” said Vancouver Bandits General Manager Kyle Julius, who returned to coaching duties on Thursday night. Julius had stepped away from coaching duties earlier in the season after accepting a coaching position in China but retained his role as the Bandits’ general manager. With Vancouver entering the Canadian Elite Basketball League playoffs, Julius returned to the sidelines Thursday night after consulting with interim head coach Rans Brempong, who had previously served as his lead assistant. The result was a 92-83 victory over the visiting Edmonton Stingers in the Western Conference semi-final on Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. Edmonton raced out to a 9-0 lead before Vancouver settled into its game and took a 52-42 lead into halftime. The Stingers responded with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Bandits 25-13, and led by five points in the fourth quarter before Vancouver battled back with an 11-1 run heading into Target Score Time. The game ended on a Mychal Mulder three-pointer from the corner. “I was spaced properly … and Shamar (Givance) made the right read and kicked it out to me, and I was able to knock it down,” Mulder said. “Our entire fourth quarter is a testament to how we fight and how you pull a win out.” Mulder scored 15 points off the bench and was one of five Vancouver players in double figures, with Givance leading the way with 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds. Mitch Creek (16 points, 10 rebounds) and Tyrese Samuel (13 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles, while Tevin Brown added 19 points and connected on five three-pointers. Nick Hornsby led the Stingers with 22 points, but he was the only Edmonton player to score more than 11. A big factor in the late-game turnaround was the sold-out crowd cheering on the home side. “The crowd really got into it in the fourth quarter and they really boosted us,” Julius said. “I cannot say enough about our fans, they have been tremendous.” It was a sentiment echoed by Mulder. “They are incredible. They pack it out every game. (Coach) was saying in the locker room, it’s like all of a sudden, it turns into six-on-five,” Mulder said. “They are great for our energy and that’s what we fought for, to have home-court advantage.” Vancouver will look to capitalize on that home-court advantage once again when the Bandits host the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Saturday (August 8) at 12:30 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre in the Western Conference Final, with a spot in the CEBL Championship Finals on the line.

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