Vancouver Bandits Outlast Edmonton Stingers on Home Court at LEC

LANGLEY, B.C., July 1, 2023 – One game after their head coach called their preparation and execution unacceptable, it was a much better-looking Vancouver Bandits team that took to the court on Saturday night, resulting in a 90-80 Bandits victory over the visiting Edmonton Stingers in Canadian Elite Basketball League action at Langley Events Centre.

“I have had a lot of ups and downs during seasons; a lot of low points, dark days…this team just keeps coming and fighting. They know when they haven’t played well. We know. Some teams, the energy will reflect that. The guys were here every single morning at 9 a.m. with good energy; I was really impressed with their approach this week, but to be honest, when we were 0-2 at the start, it was the same,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius.



“I knew today was going to be better. I didn’t know if we were going to win or not, but I knew today was going to be better.”

The Bandits improved to 5-6 with the win while the Stingers fell to 5-7 as the two teams jockey for position in the middle of the CEBL’s Western Conference standings. 

“We came out really soft (last week). I can’t say too much, but we didn’t look like we belonged on the same floor as the other team. This week, we wanted to come out in the first half and make a statement,” said Jahenns Manigat, who led Vancouver with 21 points, including hitting five of his nine 3-point attempts.

Saturday’s game featured 18 lead changes – 11 in the first half alone – with Vancouver overcoming a three-point half-time deficit as they outscored Edmonton 51-38 in the second half.

Much of the offensive success can be attributed to the fact Vancouver opted to have a true point guard on the floor at all times – Diego Maffia and Doug Herring Jr. – allowing players such as Manigat to play their natural position.

With Manigat leading the outside game, the Bandits big man duo of Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15 points) and Nick Ward (17 points) combined for 32 points with each also dishing out three assists. Ward added six rebounds and three blocked shots while Bezhanishvili hauled in four rebounds. Ward in particular was back to his dominant self in the second half, scoring 15 of his 17 points after halftime.

As a team, the Bandits hit 13 of their 32 three-point attempts (40.6 per cent) while also scoring 32 points in the paint. They finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field. 

“Just a product of ball movement; everybody touching the ball, feeling comfortable. We did a good job of sharing the ball. Our primary looks weren’t always there, but we stuck with it, and I was just the beneficiary of good ball movement and unselfish play by my guys, so kudos to them. I was happy to repay them by making some shots,” Manigat said.

The Stingers struggled, connecting on 27-for-71 from the field (38 per cent) and 11-for-37 (29.7 per cent) from downtown. Elijah Miller led Edmonton with 21 points and Isiah Osborne chipped in with 14.

Edmonton coach Jordan Baker saw some positives – such as the fact they held the Bandits to a pair of offensive rebounds the entire game – but said it came down to the opposition shooting a better percentage while also getting their playmakers the touches they needed to win the game.

The teams now head to Edmonton to complete the home-and-home series on Monday, July 3. The Bandits’ next home game at Langley Events Centre is set for Sunday, July 9 at 7 p.m. PT against the Ottawa BlackJacks.

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 berth in the conference finals doubleheader on Friday, August 11.

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.