Vancouver Bandits Outlasted by Winnipeg Sea Bears on Fan Appreciation Night

Gary Ahuja • July 24, 2023

Bandits will play Western Conference Finals at LEC against an opponent to be determined in the CEBL playoffs.

LANGLEY, BC, July 23, 2023 – A one-point game in the third quarter spiraled out of control as the Vancouver Bandits fell to the Winnipeg Sea Bears.


It was the fourth time in as many tries the Sea Bears defeated Vancouver, this time winning 90-79 on Sunday night at Langley Events Centre in Canadian Elite Basketball League action.



The Bandits had been hoping to build some consistency to their game and momentum heading into the event. Unfortunately, that has been hard to come by as the loss was their eighth defeat in the past 10 games leaving them with a 6-12 record. Winnipeg improves to 12-7 as they take another step closer to clinching top spot in the Western Conference and the accompanying bye into the division semifinal game.


“There is no sugarcoating it,” Vancouver head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said. 


“We have been bad. I have been bad, but we are still in the fight. We have 18 days left before that conference final game, so we have to be ready for that.”


He was referencing the fact that as the host team, Vancouver is one of the final four teams playing in Championship Weekend at Langley Events Centre.


As has been the case for much of this season, Winnipeg’s Teddy Allen did the bulk of the offensive damage. He entered the game averaging 26.6 points per game (second in the league) and surpassed that mark in the third quarter. He finished with a well-balanced stat line of 32 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals.


“He is an amazing scorer, he is talented and he takes the pressure off a lot of our other guys,” said Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor. “Whenever we need a bucket, whenever we need a play, he is always there to be a threat. He attracts too much attention – it gives other players so much more space.”


While Allen scored the most points, he had plenty of help with AJ Hess chipping in 16, Glen Yang scoring 15 and EJ Anosike adding 12.


At the other end of the floor, Nick Ward had 22 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Bandits in both categories, while Duane Notice scored 19, but they were the only two to reach double figures.

Vancouver trailed 26-17 after a period before battling back to within four at the half, 42-38. The Bandits did manage twice to pull ahead in the third quarter before the Sea Bears closed the period on a 14-2 run. They led by double digits nearly the rest of the way. The closest the Bandits got was to within seven points during Target Score time.


But Vancouver shot just 4-for-12 during that stretch, also committing three turnovers and surrendering seven offensive rebounds. For the game, the Sea Bears pulled down a whopping 18 rebounds off the offensive glass.


The Bandits now embark on a two-game road trip to Ontario to close out the regular season with dates against the Ottawa BlackJacks on Thursday, July 27 and then a visit to Scarborough to face the Shooting Stars on Sunday, July 30.


Julius said the focus is not so much on the results, but on getting better as a team, especially as Sunday’s game marked the ninth time this season they have integrated a player on short notice, this time the return of point guard Marek Klassen.


Regardless of the results of those two games, the Bandits will be back at Langley Events Centre on Friday, August 11, having qualified for Championship Weekend as the host team. Vancouver will be facing one of their divisional foes in the Western Conference Final, to see which team advances to the Championship game that will be played on Sunday, August 13.

Single game playoff tickets 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

Vancouver Bandits and Sentinel Storage Extend Partnership Into 8th Season

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.

Vancouver Bandits Sign Grant Shephard for 2025 CEBL Season

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.

Vancouver Bandits, Bandits Community Foundation and Headlands Environmental Extend Partnership Through 2028 CEBL Season

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

By Bandits Staff • April 24, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has re-signed 6-foot-4 Canadian guard and Hong Kong national team member Glen Yang for its 2025 season in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). Born in Burnaby, B.C. and splitting time between Hong Kong and Calgary, Alta. in his youth, Yang played five seasons of U SPORTS basketball starring at Mount Royal University from 2014-2019. “I’m extremely excited to re-join the Bandits and go after a championship after so much success as a team last season,” said Yang. “The fans, support and resources that both the city and team provide are unmatched. In terms of basketball clubs, the Bandits are as professional as it gets.“ The 2025 season will be Yang’s third in the CEBL. Making his league debut in 2023, he started in all 20 games with the Winnipeg Sea Bears during their inaugural season before signing with the Bandits last year where he appeared in 19 regular season games. “Glen is a tremendous Canadian player in our league. He is the consummate professional and makes everyone around him better,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “I’m really excited about getting back to work with Glen this summer.” Yang is currently in his fifth season of professional basketball, playing the 2024-25 season with Hong Kong-based club, Eastern, who competed in the East Asia Super League and Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner's Cup competitions. During his time in the PBA, he shot a career high 45 per cent from the three-point line while helping his squad reach the Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals. At the international level, Yang represents Hong Kong. He received his first call up to the national squad during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers this past February, suiting up in games against New Zealand and Chinese Taipei. Tickets for the 2025 season, including Season Tickets, Jam Packs and Single Game Tickets, are currently on sale for the Bandits’ seventh CEBL season and are available for purchase at this link . The Bandits tip-off the 2025 CEBL campaign on Thursday, May 15 when the club hits the road to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Fans will have their first chance to watch the club at home on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Niagara River Lions in a rematch of the 2024 CEBL Final. Vancouver will play a total of 12 regular season home games in 2025 between Thursday, May 22 and Sunday, August 3. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road in Ottawa on Sunday, August 10 at 12 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ upcoming 2025 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 VIDEO

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Vancouver Bandits take over high school basketball courts

By Bandits Staff • February 18, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits have been busy this offseason visiting local high schools and lending his expertise to players and coaches. Head coach and general manager Kyle Julius and team president Dylan Kular speak with Global BC's Jay Janower. The Bandits Community Foundation School Tour is presented by Preston Chevrolet and University Canada West. Learn more at https://www.banditsfoundation.ca/secondary-buckets

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