Vancouver Bandits to Broadcast First-Ever CEBL Game in Tagalog
Bandits Staff • June 25, 2025
The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club will deliver the first-ever Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) game broadcast in Tagalog as part of the Bandits’ second-annual Filipino Celebration Game on Saturday, June 28 at Langley Events Centre (LEC).
The historic broadcast can be viewed by fans worldwide for free on the league’s streaming platform,
CEBL+. Fans can use the promo code “TAGALOG” when registering on the platform to unlock free access to the premium annual package at
plus.cebl.ca. Tip-off for the Bandits’ Filipino Celebration Game is on Saturday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m. local time, Sunday, June 29 at 10:00 a.m. Philippine time.
Delivering the insights and commentary are Renz Cadang and Harold Abejo, organizers of the Surrey, B.C.-based
Batang Pinoy Basketball League, one of the largest Filipino men’s recreational basketball leagues in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland region. According to Statistics Canada, as of 2021, 2.7 per cent of the province’s population has knowledge of the Tagalog language. Tagalog also accounts for 6.7 per cent of all non-official language speakers throughout Canada.
“​​I am honoured to be part of this historic night for the Bandits and the CEBL! It’s more than just a game for me, it is a chance to represent and honour not only my culture, but also the ‘pamilya’ and community who have always lifted me up and inspired me every step of the way,” said Cadang, who will serve as the play-by-play commentator for Saturday’s game.
“I am truly excited to represent the Filipino community by commentating in Tagalog. This opportunity brings pride to our language and culture, and reflects our deep love for the sport of basketball. It is a significant achievement and I am grateful to be part of it,” added Abejo, who will provide analysis as the game’s colour commentator.
The CEBL’s seventh season started in May and has already seen record-breaking crowds in various venues across the league, which features 10 teams across six provinces ranging as far east as Montréal to Vancouver as the league’s westernmost team. Vancouver sits tied for first place atop the CEBL standings, boasting an 8-3 record.
“Basketball is a unifying force and today, we’re proud to speak the language of one of Canada’s most passionate communities. Launching the first-ever Tagalog broadcast in CEBL history is a celebration of culture, connection, and belonging,” said Dylan Kular, team president of the Vancouver Bandits. “The Filipino community has been part of our Bandits family since day one, and this milestone is our way of saying
salamat po for their unwavering support.”
The highly anticipated June 28th game will feature various in-game entertainment and production activations designed to showcase the music, fashion, culture and cuisine of the Philippines, including the debut of a
special jersey and logo created by fashion designer Edmond Santelices. A percentage of proceeds from each jersey and t-shirt sold will be donated to the United Way BC KAPWA STRONG Fund and Canadian Red Cross 2025 Vancouver Lapu Lapu Festival Appeal.
Adult and
youth sizes of the jersey and
logo t-shirt are available exclusively online or in-store at
ATO Basketball Merchants.
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With both teams having their playoff seeding locked in coming into the game, the Vancouver Bandits and Ottawa BlackJacks didn’t have much to play for other than giving the fans a show. That’s precisely what they did. The Bandits set a CEBL scoring record since the introduction of Target Time, and the teams combined for the second-highest scoring CEBL game ever when Vancouver downed Ottawa 130-112. Mitch Creek and Tyrese Samuel led the way for the road team, with Creek scoring a game-high 36 points while Samuel added 33 to go with 17 rebounds. Shamar Givance scored a CEBL career-high 22 points along with eight assists, while Kyle Mangas and Zach Copeland both had 12. “We have a group of guys that are super competitive,” Bandits head coach Kyle Julius said of his team. “We have a drill that we practice that nobody wants to do, but as soon as they start doing it, they start competing and talking trash and getting after it. So, we said that’s what today was: today was going to be that drill. As soon as that ball was tipped, they just competed. For me, I told them I’m proud to work with them. They’re a competitive group; they’re a great group of guys. To them, I don’t think there’s any game in the world that wouldn’t mean anything. They want to play and compete.” Both teams came out setting the pace immediately. Vancouver built up a 21-9 lead before Ottawa stormed back with a 13-5 run of their own to cut the deficit to four. The squads would continue trading baskets – each seemingly unable to stop the other – until the Bandits took a 73-62 lead into halftime. That score by the Bandits is the second highest halftime total in the CEBL’s history, trailing only the then-Guelph Nighthawks record of 75 in 2019. It seemed that no matter what the BlackJacks would do, the Bandits would find a way to get the ball into either Creek or Samuel’s hand and get a basket. While the home team never went away, often cutting the lead down to single digits throughout the entirety of the contest, those two players made sure the outcome was never in question. “Tyrese is an incredible kid. Probably one of the more coachable players I’ve ever had,” Julius said. “He wants to get better, his work ethic is incredible. I think he’ll play in the NBA and I think it will be sooner rather than later. I’m proud that he chose to come play with us and work with us. He leads by example. The guys love him. When he’s out there playing like he did tonight, we’ll be tough to beat. “Mitch is by far and away the best player and leader that I’ve ever had,” he added. “He’s amazing. His game, the way he treats his teammates, the way he respects the process, the way he takes care of himself … he cares about his teammates. I don’t know what’s better, his personality or his game. He’s an exceptional player, teammate and person.” “It would be really easy for me to sit here and talk about how we didn’t play defense, but understanding the game and the season that we’ve had … Today was more about getting through the game and staying healthy, giving some other people more opportunities,” BlackJacks head coach Dave DeAveiro said. “Would I had liked to see us play better defense? Of course. I thought we did a really good job of offensive shooting. But there’s different things you can take away from this game; Justin (Ndjock-Tadjore)’s growth, Alvin (Icyogere) getting an opportunity, giving some guys a little bit more of a run than we normally would.” Ndjock-Tadjore had a coming out game in the regular season finale, tying for the team lead in points with 19. Javonte Smart was the other player to reach the mark. Deng Adel had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Keevan Veinot had 15 points, and team captain Tyrell Tate had 13. “It’s been a roller coaster of a season,” said Adel, whose driving layup early in the third quarter saw him become the tenth player in CEBL history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. “Obviously starting 2-6 is tough, but we kind of have this thing in Ottawa where we get to the midway point of the season, guys just start ramping up, start playing better ball as a team. The support has been amazing all year, so that’s helped us lock in. There’s something about the halfway point that we just collectively come together.” Both teams now head into the postseason unsure of who their first matchup will be. The Bandits will host the winner of the Calgary Surge and Edmonton Stinger matchup in Langley, while the BlackJacks will play the winner of the Montreal Alliance and Scarborough Shooting Stars game in Gatineau. “We won’t know who we’re playing until Thursday night. So, making sure that over the next level while we get beter, we get healthy,” DeAveiro said. “That’s the first thing. Then we get into practices and work on things that we can do better as a group, focusing on us. The good thing is we’ve seen each other those teams two, three, four times. It’s not about the surprises. It’s just a few minor adjustments here and there.” Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600680
The Scarborough Shooting Stars had a hard time keeping up with the Vancouver Bandits. Even the mops at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre had a difficult time soaking up all the sweat flying off the players as Vancouver set the pace. They set the tone early – scoring 32 points in the first quarter – and never gave up a lead en route to a 102-95 victory. Vancouver head coach and general manager Kyle Julius methodically took timeouts to kill Scarborough’s momentum, and had an answer every time his squad took time to regroup. Player of the Game, Tyrese Samuel, hit two free throws to not only win the game, but clinch first in the West for the Bandits, which means Vancouver will host the Western Conference Semifinal. Scarborough will finish the season as the third seed in the East, and will host the Montreal Alliance in the Eastern Conference Play-In. Samuel had a monstrous 32-point and franchise-record tying 18-rebound double-double performance. Vancouver went inside every time they needed him. Mitch Creek also played a huge role throughout the game with a 23-point game performance. However, it was the depth of Vancouver’s roster that made them the league’s very best. “We love each other,” Samuel said after the game. “We hold each other accountable.” All five starters scored in double-digits. Shamar Givance (20 points) nailed a triple to give Vancouver a 7-0 start, and his triple in the third gave them a 12-point lead. Zach Copeland’s threes in the second quarter killed any momentum Scarborough thought they had. Duane Notice came off the bench, but hit an important triple in the fourth to make it a 11-point lead. Though there are no moral victories in the CEBL, it was a confidence booster for Scarborough as they gave the league’s best a run for their money again. Today, they punched back, getting within four points in the fourth quarter. The last time the two played, Scarborough had the lead in the third, but Vancouver surged back and won in a nailbiter, 100-97. From Coach Julius’ perspective, this game would have been an improvement. Scarborough showed tremendous fight this game. Cat Barber remained sidelined, but Donovan Williams (20 points) and Terquavion Smith (18 points) punched back. Williams’ two-handed slam in the final frame forced Julius to take a timeout. Williams had another one earlier in the second quarter. Smith recovered from an injury in the third quarter after he had nailed a bucket at the buzzer. Michael Foster Jr. (20 points) hit threes for the first time in his CEBL career, making three of them. “He’s made us a lot more versatile. His ability to play both inside and out, handle the glass for us, and just being an athletic presence inside for us has really helped us out,” Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio said. Like Vancouver, Scarborough relied on its depth today, too. Jaden Campbell had 19 points off the bench and made a game-high five three-pointers, hitting them in pivotal periods of the game. Khalil Miller is becoming increasingly comfortable with his three-point range, hitting two of them. Box score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600674
Vancouver Bandits forward Mitch Creek was named the CEBL's Player of the Week, the league announced today. This marks the first weekly honour of Creek's CEBL career, and the second received by a Bandits player this season ( Zach Copeland: July 14, 2025 ). Creek averaged 31.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 blocks while shooting 67.7% from the field and 87.5% from the free throw line across two games in the opening week of August.The Bandits went 2-0 during that stretch. On August 1, Creek scored a game-high 35 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 13-for-17 shooting from the field in a 121-105 win at home over Edmonton. On August 3, Creek recorded another game-high total scoring 27 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Vancouver cruised to a 106-74 victory over Winnipeg in a potential Championship Weekend preview on Sunday (Aug. 3). On Fan Appreciation Night, the sellout crowd of 5,504 at Langley Events Centre had a lot to appreciate. After setting a franchise record with 121 points on Friday, the Bandits followed that up with another offensive outburst. The duo of Mitch Creek and Tyrese Samuel paced the Vancouver attack with a combined 51 points. Creek netted a game-high 27 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists. Meanwhile, Samuel flirted with a double-double, scoring 24 points to go along with nine rebounds. Zach Copeland complemented the frontcourt with consistent outside shooting, contributing 19 points as well. Vancouver improves its record to 17-5 on the season and maintains its spot atop the Western Conference with the Calgary Surge in pursuit. “The west is not the east … we've got [17] wins and we're biting and clawing to finish this thing out on top. So the West is a beast over here, and it's serious, and I'm proud that we're at the top of it for sure,” said Kyle Julius, head coach of the Bandits. Vancouver forced 19 Winnipeg turnovers, leading to 24 points. The Bandits’ defence also sparked the transition offence, outscoring the Sea Bears 27-4 on the fastbreak. Winnipeg head coach Mike Taylor said the Bandits came ready to play and “jumped all over” the Sea Bears. “People will look at the transition defence from our team or the fastbreak points from them, but I'm more concerned about our half-court offensive execution. I thought they were physical with good ball pressure. We didn't get the type of shots that we wanted,” Taylor said. Simi Shittu led the charge for Winnipeg with another double-double. The big man battled his way to 20 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. He said Winnipeg needs to tighten its transition defence moving forward. “We didn't come out the way we did in the last couple of games,” Shittu said. “[We were] fighting back most of the game.” Jalen Harris added 11 points and 7 assists while reaching a significant milestone. Harris became the ninth player in CEBL history to score 1,000 points all-time in regular-season and playoff games. “For the last several years, Jalen has been one of the top players in the league. For him as an import player to come in and have some of these accomplishments – it's a great thing,” Taylor said. Winnipeg veteran and former Bandit Alex Campbell became the fifth player in CEBL history to join the 500-rebound club on Sunday, collecting three boards just an hour after Edmonton’s Nick Hornsby hit the milestone in a separate game. Vancouver’s offence was dominant to start the game. After an early exchange of buckets, the Bandits seized control with a 16-0 run that featured triples from Creek and Copeland, along with inside finishes from Samuel. Trevon Scott and Shittu kept the Winnipeg attack afloat, but Vancouver entered the second quarter with a 33-24 lead. Efficient offence continued for Vancouver in the second, carried by Creek and Samuel. The pair combined for 18 points in the frame, including highlight reel jams from Samuel. Vancouver’s defence also stepped up, holding Winnipeg to 10 points in the second quarter to head into the locker room with a 60-34 advantage. Copeland caught fire from long-range in the third with a pair of trifectas in a back-and-forth quarter. However, the Bandits maintained a sizable 83-55 lead heading into the final frame. Vancouver built on its lead with a 10-0 run early in the fourth that featured a pair of triples from Creek. Copeland and Maurice Calloo traded buckets before Target Score Time, with Vancouver entering the final stretch ahead 31. Five points from Creek, a triple from Shamar Givance and a game-winning putback from Samuel propelled the Bandits to the win. Vancouver claims the regular season series against Winnipeg after splitting the first two games. Box Score https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600665 Up next for both teams Winnipeg returns to Canada Life Centre for a meeting with the Niagara River Lions on Wednesday (Aug. 6) in another possible Championship Weekend preview. The Bandits hit the road for the final two games of the regular season with a matchup against Scarborough next Friday (Aug. 8) first on the agenda. Next CEBL action Vancouver will be keenly watching Calgary’s visit to Montréal on Monday (Aug. 4) with implications for the top spot in the Western Conference. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games .
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