WILL HISTORY REPEAT FOR NIAGARA AND FRASER VALLEY IN INTRIGUING CEBL SEMIFINAL
CEBL Staff • August 20, 2021
The second-seeded Niagara River Lions (10-4, 0-0) bring a loaded roster to Edmonton as the team looks to reach their first CEBL Championship game, while the Fraser Valley Bandits (7-7, 1-0), ranked fourth, hope to return to the final but change the outcome from 2020.
Watch live at 7:00 p.m. ET on CBC TV, CEBL+, CBC Gem.
Niagara finished the regular season on a tear, winning the final four games of the regular season, while holding opponents to just 74 points. Two of those wins came against Hamilton, which secured the River Lions seeding at number two, and a direct berth into the CEBL Championship Weekend.
It was those same Honey Badgers who broke the hearts of Niagara fans two years ago in the league’s semifinal contest.
After finishing first in the 2019 regular season with an impressive 15-5 mark, the River Lions were upset in the final four to Hamilton, 104-103. They were knocked out in last season’s quarterfinal again to the Honey Badgers, 85-83. Thanks to the Ottawa BlackJacks, who upset Hamilton last week, the River Lions have a different foe to worry about in Friday’s matchup.
With the late additions of Phil and Tommy Scrubb, and the return of Javin DeLaurier from the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Summer League, the River Lions arguably have the most talented lineup among the CEBL semifinal teams. The only thing that slowed down Niagara’s momentum was a Covid-19 protocol, which forced many players into self-isolation and the team was required to spend more time on video over the past week than on a basketball court. With the high I.Q. of the River Lions roster, they still come into the game as the favourites.
The Fraser Valley Bandits had a tale of two seasons packed into one. They started the 2021 CEBL campaign winning four straight, en route to a 5-2 record at the halfway mark. They lost their mojo, losing five consecutive games before salvaging the fourth-place finish with a pair of wins against the lowly Saskatchewan Rattlers to close out the regular season at 7-7.
In their 104-84 quarterfinal dominance over Guelph on Sunday, the Bandits looked revitalized. Fraser Valley set a CEBL playoff record with 29 assists, led by Sixth Man of the Year Award nominee Shaquille Keith, who recorded nine dimes to go along with a bench-high 14 points. Brandon Gilbeck, the dominant force in the middle, recorded game highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds. His team was on fire, shooting .560 (40-72) from the field and 12-for-22 (.540) from beyond the arc. They will need to continue that explosive offence against Niagara to stand a chance against the River Lions.
The Bandits are looking to return to the CEBL championship game for the second straight season. Only if they are firing on all cylinders can Fraser Valley get to Sunday and another shot at the CEBL trophy. They have played nearly flawless basketball at home but have managed just two wins on the road this season. With a little swagger from the big quarterfinal win on national television, confidence may be the difference maker on Friday night.
A win for Fraser Valley, and it’s like putting a song on repeat. A victory for Niagara and different stories are told for two franchises still searching for glory.
Season Series
It’s hard to use the season series between Niagara and Fraser Valley as a barometer for Friday’s semifinal tilt. Each team crushed their opponent at home, resulting in a 1-1 record against each other during the 2021 campaign. The Bandits defeated the River Lions, 104-81, on June 29 in Abbotsford, while Niagara returned the favour with a 103-82 victory in St. Catharines on July 8.
The second semifinal game takes place Friday (9:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. MT, live on CBC Gem and CEBL+, replayed on CBC TV on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. MT) when the defending champion and host Edmonton Stingers (13-1) tip off against the sixth-seeded Ottawa BlackJacks (4-10, 1-0), who upset the third-ranked Hamilton Honey Badgers on Saturday.
Championship Weekend Schedule
Semifinals: Friday, August 20, 2021
No. 2 Niagara River Lions vs. Fraser Valley Bandits (7 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. MT)
No. 1 Edmonton Stingers vs. Ottawa BlackJacks (9:30 p.m. ET, 7:30 p.m. MT)
Championship Game: Sunday, August 22, 2021
Semifinal Winner 1 vs. Semifinal Winner 2 (4 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. MT)
All CEBL Playoff games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service CEBL+, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.
LATEST NEWS
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The Vancouver Bandits announced Friday that the club has signed Houston Rockets’ NBA G League guard John Knight III to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. Knight, a 6-foot-3 guard from Jackson, Miss., has spent the past three seasons in the NBA G League with the Houston Rockets’ minor league affiliate, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he became known for his dunking ability and shutdown defensive skills. During the 2025-26 season, Knight averaged 7.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while playing 31.1 minutes per night across 34 games with 29 starts. “We are really excited to add John to our roster this summer. He is an explosive, high-level athlete who can impact the game on both ends and defend multiple positions,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “He has had real success in the NBA G League, and we expect him to bring that same production, toughness, and versatility to our group right away.” Prior to the NBA G league, Knight made his professional debut during the 2022-23 season with Norwegian club Frøya Basket where he averaged 22.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.3 rebounds per game. Knight led the team in all categories, as well as steals (104), blocks (39), and minutes played (1363). Before turning pro, Knight attended Utah State University during the 2018-19 season before transferring to Southern Utah University from 2019 to 2022. During his time with the Thunderbirds, Knight earned First Team All-Big Sky Conference honours in 2022 during his senior year. Knight will reunite with fellow Thunderbird alumnus and recent Bandits free agent signing Tevian Jones, who both shared the court during the 2021-22 season. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has signed Trinity Western University (TWU) product Jack Vandenberg to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A six-foot tall guard from Vancouver, Vandenberg earned an invitation to the inaugural Bandits University Combine. 40 local student-athletes competed against each other, developing their game against B.C.’s top young talent and with the help of Bandits coaching staff. The club hosted the combine to identify players who can make an impact in training camp and potentially sign to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. “Jack Vandenberg is one of the premier shooters in Canada. He proved it again at our combine, where he stood out for his elite space and shot-making,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “Having coached him in the gym, I know he’s tough, a leader on his university team, and a player who is going to help push our culture forward.” Julius stressed the importance of Vandenberg’s ability to space the floor in training camp, which begins on Tuesday, May 5. “We are excited to add his toughness and sharpshooting as we gear up for camp,” he continued. In his junior year at TWU during the 2025-26 season, Vandenberg led his team with 15.8 points-per-game while also averaging 3.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 20 games with 19 starts. He led the Canada West conference in three-pointers made, finishing with 75 makes on 175 attempts. Vandenberg shot .429 per cent from beyond the arc, ranking 4th in the conference. Prior to his time with the Spartans, Vandenberg attended Montreal’s Concordia University in the 2022-23 season. An alumnus of St. George’s School in Vancouver, he earned Second Team All-Star honours at the 2022 BC 4A Boys Basketball Provincial Championship where he helped lead his school to a top 10 finish in his senior year. Fans will get their first chance to watch the Bandits’ new-look roster in a charitable preseason game on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre when the club faces the Sikh Warriors from ESPN’s The Basketball Tournament. Preseason tickets are on sale at this link , with proceeds benefitting the Bandits Community Foundation. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV. More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok, as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter.
The Vancouver Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed the University of British Columbia Okanagan’s (UBCO) all-time leading scorer and assist leader Jalen Shirley to its roster for the 2026 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season. A six-foot guard from Brampton, Ont., Shirley was invited to participate in the inaugural Bandits University Combine, hosted by the club to identify players to invite to training camp and add to its roster for the upcoming 2026 season. Shirley was one of 40 student-athletes from local universities, earning a spot on the Bandits 2026 training camp roster, beginning on May 5. “At our combine, Jalen stood out for not getting sped up and playing with control,” said head coach and general manager Kyle Julius. “We are thrilled to bring him in and give him the platform to develop into a top-tier professional as he transitions from university to the next level.” He averaged 20.8 points per game in his final season (2025-26), which ranked second in the Canada West conference, as well as 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 34.4 minutes played per game across 23 games and starts. His play earned him Canada West Third Team All-Star honours. Shirley finished his six-year university career as the UBCO Heat’s all-time leader in points and assists, while ranking second all-time in steals, and received the school’s men’s Graduating Athlete of the Year award. “Jalen is an elite U SPORTS point guard who plays the game with solid poise and pace. In pick-and-roll situations, he plays with flow and gets to his spots,” added Julius. Fans will get their first chance to watch the Bandits’ new-look roster in a charitable preseason game on Saturday, May 9 at 5:00 p.m. at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre when the club faces the Sikh Warriors from ESPN’s The Basketball Tournament. Preseason tickets are on sale at this link , with proceeds benefitting the Bandits Community Foundation. The Bandits open the 2026 CEBL season on Thursday, May 14 on the road in Saskatoon before coming home for its Home Opener against the Edmonton Stingers on Friday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m. PT at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. A full game schedule can be viewed here . Bandits Single Game Tickets and additional 2026 ticket options can be purchased here . All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, the CEBL Mobile app, the CBC Gem app and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Marquee games will air nationally on CBC TV.
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