Bandits host Stingers in battle for 1st place

The teams with the two best records in the CEBL will go head-to-head Saturday night in Vancouver.

The West-leading Vancouver Bandits (8-2) host the second place Edmonton Stingers (7-3) at Langley Events Centre. Live coverage is available at 7:30 p.m. PT / 8:30 p.m. MT / 10:30 p.m. ET on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+ and on the CEBL mobile app available for iOS and Android devices. It will also be televised on Game+ in Canada.

It’s also a battle of the best home team and best road team in 2024.

The Bandits are riding a franchise-best six-game winning streak at home this season, sporting a perfect 6-0 record and outscoring opponents on average by more than 20 points per game.

On the other side, the Stingers are perfect on the road with a 5-0 record away from the friendly confines of Edmonton EXPO Centre.

Something has to give.

Vancouver is coming off a 104-67 drubbing of the Ottawa BlackJacks last Saturday, a game that was well in hand just minutes into the first quarter. The Bandits jumped out to a 10-0 lead and built a 29-12 lead after the first frame before cruising to another home win.

Koby McEwen led the way with a game-high 28 points, six rebounds and five assists – including a game-winning three pointer.

The Stingers dropped a 91-80 decision at home in their last game to the Calgary Surge as a result of being held scoreless in Target Time.

Davion Warren led the Stingers with 16 points and six rebounds in the loss, dropping Edmonton’s home record to 2-3 on the season.

Player to Watch

Bandits’ MVP candidate Taze Moore has been nothing short of spectacular this season.

Moore consistently finds himself all over the stat sheet, leading the league with 8.4 assists per game and posting a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game. He also sits second on Vancouver in points per game (18.1), steals per game (1.5), minutes per games (32.1) and field goal percentage (51.8), and is third in three pointers made (19) and three point percentage (36.5).

Milestone watch

• 
  Vancouver’s Koby McEwen needs nine assists for 200 total (regular season and playoffs) assists, and three steals for 50 totals steals
• Vancouver’s Nick Ward needs three blocked shots for 50 regular season blocked shots
• Edmonton’s Nick Hornsby needs seven rebounds for 250 regular season rebounds, and two steals for 50 totals steals
• Edmonton’s Brody Clarke needs six assists for 100 total assists

2024 Season Series

In the first meeting between the clubs on June 4, Vancouver grinded out a 93-90 win in Edmonton.

Nick Ward and James Karnik each had double-doubles as the Bandits erased a 12-point deficit and handed the Stingers their first loss of the season. The forward duo accounted for 40 per cent of the Bandits’ scoring production and over 50 per cent of their boards as Ward finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Karnik had 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The teams will meet for the third and final time in the 2024 regular season next Friday (July 5) in Edmonton.

- 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 73% of its 2023 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. 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. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.