Bandits and Alliance meet in potential championship preview

The Vancouver Bandits will wrap up a three-game road trip against the Montréal Alliance on Sunday in a potential championship preview. 

The game is set for 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Game+, streaming live on CEBL+, TSN+, Courtside 1891, RDS.ca, and the RDS App.

The two sides will meet in the regular season finale at Verdun Auditorium – the destination for CEBL Championship Weekend from August 9-11.

Each team has a spot clinched in the Conference Final on August 9, though they took different routes to get there.

The Alliance had a spot in the Eastern Conference Final secured at the beginning of the season due to hosting and the team struggled in stretches of the season. Montréal enters the final contest of the campaign at 5-14 – sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference. 

However, the hosts come into Sunday’s matchup with positive momentum. A sharp fourth quarter on both ends pushed the Alliance to an 89-72 victory over the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Friday night. A two-way clinic from Guillaume Payen-Boucard aided Montréal in snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Alliance will look to replicate the performance in the final game of the regular season as a nearly two-week break awaits. 

It’s a situation the Vancouver Bandits are all too familiar with. CEBL Championship Weekend was hosted by Vancouver at Langley Events Centre last year and the Bandits also near the bottom of the Conference ahead of a long break.

While the team will still need to stay in form over 11 days without games, this iteration of the Bandits has proven itself to be a dominant force in the league.  Vancouver clinched first place in the Western Conference and a bye to Championship Weekend with a 104-90 win in Scarborough on Friday.

Twenty-two points from guard Marcus Carr drove the Bandits to their fourth straight win. If Vancouver emerges victorious again, the team would tie its longest win streak of the season ahead of Championship Weekend.

Vancouver’s last meeting with Montréal came in the season opener at Langley Events Centre. The Bandits downed the Alliance 95-75 in that outing, though injuries and acquisitions have slightly changed the look of both teams in the interim.

Montréal head coach Derrick Alston Sr. and Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius will each have interesting lineup choices ahead of them in regards to resting players or favouring sharpness with Conference Final berths clinched.

Player spotlight

Marcus Carr’s 22 points in 25 minutes off the bench was a team-high for the Bandits on Friday. It was his largest output in a Bandits uniform since recently joining the squad.

He suited up for the first time against the Sea Bears at the Langley Events Centre on June 18 in a limited role and played four minutes in the Bandits’ trip to Brampton earlier in the week.

The former Texas Longhorns playmaker seems ripe for another opportunity to get acquainted with his new teammates on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Vancouver will have to deal with Payen-Boucard for the first time this season. The Montréal guard finished with 21 points, five rebounds, four steals and two blocks in an outstanding performance on both ends against Saskatchewan.

After the win, Alston Sr. said he’s one of the Alliance’s best defensive players, if not one of the best in the league.

Milestone Watch

• Montréal’s Ahmed Hill is 25 points away from 1,300 for his career, regular season only
• Montréal’s Elijah Ifejeh is 10 rebounds away the all-time franchise record for rebounds, including playoffs
• Montréal’s Chrs Smith is two steals away from 30 for the season
• Vancouver’s Nick Ward leads the CEBL in free throws made and is one away from 100 for the season
• Vancouver’s Ward is six rebounds away from the all-time franchise record held by Alex Campbell, including playoffs
• Vancouver’s Tazé Moore has 121 assists on the season, battling Calgary’s Corey Davis Jr. (119) for most in the league and the CEBL regular season record

- CEBL -

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.