Karnik Plays Hero in Bandits 88-83 Win Over Shooting Stars

May 27, 2024
Zulfi Sheikh

After missing the entire 2023 CEBL season due to injury, James Karnik has returned with a vengeance.


The Surrey, B.C. native scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter as he willed the Vancouver Bandits (2-0) to a rallying 88-83 win over the Scarborough Shooting Stars (0-2) on Sunday night.


Karnik not only scored the Bandits first 10 points in the fourth quarter – giving the team its first lead since the 2:37 mark of the second – the forward also went on to hit the game-winner in Target Score Time. After the heroic outing, general manager and head coach Kyle Julius couldn’t help but commend the 25-year-old’s performance in front of his hometown crowd.


“His energy, effort and enthusiasm was just through the roof,” said Julius. “His ability to just will a play, use his mental toughness, to never give up and just outwork people is incredible.


Vancouver got multiple strong contributions on the night as they remained undefeated, with all five starters scoring in double figures. Tazé Moore led the way with a team-high 19 points to go with eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks. Meanwhile, Nick Ward and Koby McEwen chipped in with 18 and 17 points, respectively.


On the other side, the defending champs were spearheaded by Jackson Rowe for a second consecutive game as the 2023 CEBL All-Canadian notched a double-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Tevian Jones added 16 points while Jalen Adaway scored 13 points off the bench in his CEBL debut.


Entering the night, the game was billed as a matchup between two of the league’s top three-point shooting teams as Vancouver and Scarborough combined for 79 attempted triples through their respective first games. Yet the first quarter of Sunday’s matinee was anything but as both squads shot sub-30 per cent from distance and made just eight shots a piece.


The defensive clinic resulted in more turnovers from each team than made threes as the Bandits and Shooting Stars went into the second quarter tied 20-20.


Vancouver remained in that shooting slump throughout the second quarter while Scarborough proved their league-best three-point shooting percentage through game one was no fluke. The Shooting Stars hit nine threes in the frame on a 50 per cent clip, subsequently earning themselves a five-point lead at the break. Jones hit three of his five long-balls in the frame for all nine of his first half points.


Despite trailing, the Bandits were getting strong performances with McEwen, Moore and Ward all scoring over 10 points through two quarters. Why they were lagging behind was the fact they were matching the Shooting Stars threes with twos.


And once the third quarter got underway, it looked like the 2023 champs were going to pull away for win No. 1 on the season as they opened up a double-digit lead courtesy of a 10-2 run. 


Yet Vancouver – like they had done in their season-opening win against Montréal – found a way to respond when they needed it most. The Bandits punched back with a 10-2 run of their own followed by Kur Jongkuch hosting an unexpected block party. The South Sudanese forward swatted three shots in the span of two minutes to give the Bandits the necessary stops to get within striking distance. His defensive effort, along with a pair of threes from McEwen and Copeland, brought the game to 69-67 heading into the fourth.


“He changed the game,” Julius said on Jongkuch’s impact towards the end of the third. “We have a saying, ‘One possession can change a game’ and he really demonstrated that tonight. In the five minutes of playing time, he really sparked us.”


Once Target Score Time arrived, the score was knotted up at 79 points each (largely thanks to Karnik), and Scarborough was looking to hold on for their first win of the season while trying not to think about how they failed to execute in a similar situation just two days prior.


Against the Winnipeg Sea Bears, after leading for a majority of that contest, the Shooting Stars ultimately came up short in a crushing three-point loss. A couple of crucial misplays down the stretch – like missing two game-winning free throw attempts – cost them, and they were hoping to avoid that same fate on Sunday night.


Unfortunately for them, it ended up being more of the same. Scarborough committed three turnovers through the final handful of possessions and gave Vancouver just enough momentum to sneak away with the narrow victory. Kadre Gray’s fifth turnover on the night was scooped up by the Bandits and eventually made its way to Karnik for a layup to end the game.


“We’ve shown how we want to play,” Shooting Stars head coach Devan Blair said postgame reflecting on his team’s inability to close out games so far. “But we can’t just do it for four-minute spurts, we have to be able to sustain it for an entire game.”


Up Next

Vancouver hits the road to put their undefeated record on the line against fellow 2-0 Saskatchewan Rattlers on Thursday.


Meanwhile, Scarborough wraps up its three-game road trip by visiting the Calgary Surge (0-1) on Wednesday in a rematch of last year’s Championship Weekend Final.



- 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.

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The Vancouver Bandits and the City of Kelowna announced today that the club will host its first neutral-site home game in franchise history when it faces Saskatchewan Professional Basketball Club on Saturday, June 6, with tip-off set for 6:00 p.m. PT at Prospera Place in Kelowna. This Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) matchup will serve as the marquee event of Kelowna HOOPFEST, a new basketball festival presented in partnership with the City of Kelowna designed to celebrate basketball at every level. Kelowna HOOPFEST will feature the Vancouver Bandits vs. Saskatchewan Professional Basketball Club, a youth 5x5 tournament, a coaching clinic, and additional programming to be announced. “This is a historic moment for our club and for professional basketball in British Columbia,” said Vancouver Bandits team president Dylan Kular. “We are bringing the same incredible energy our Bandits fans get at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre. Fans can expect fast-paced, high-energy basketball paired with an electric game-day atmosphere, and a fan-first experience that will bring communities together inside and outside the arena. Bringing our first neutral-site home game to Kelowna as part of Kelowna HOOPFEST is about growing the game and connecting with new communities.” Kelowna HOOPFEST reflects the City of Kelowna’s continued investment in hosting major sporting events that strengthen connection, inspire youth participation, and drive economic impact. “Kelowna is excited to host the Vancouver Bandits and Saskatchewan Professional Basketball Club at Prospera Place,” said Mayor Tom Dyas. “Kelowna continues to build its reputation as a premier event-hosting city, and we are proud to welcome the Canadian Elite Basketball League to our community. The first-ever Kelowna HOOPFEST and surrounding events will bring people to our city, support local businesses, and provide a boost to our local economy.” The multi-day event represents an important step in expanding the reach of both professional basketball and the CEBL across Canada. “Bringing high-energy basketball from some of Canada’s most dynamic players into our communities across the country is what defines our league,” said CEBL President Tyler Mazereeuw. “The Vancouver Bandits will be turning Kelowna into a multi-day Canadian Elite Basketball League experience, giving residents of Kelowna a firsthand look at the energy and passion that is driving our rapidly growing fanbase from coast to coast.” Tickets for Vancouver Bandits vs. Saskatchewan Professional Basketball Club at Kelowna HOOPFEST are on sale now. Additional details surrounding Kelowna HOOPFEST programming will be announced in the coming weeks. More information and tickets are available at thebandits.ca. ### About the Vancouver Bandits: The Vancouver Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Envision Financial Court at Langley Events Centre (LEC), while also being committed to growing the game of basketball by fostering meaningful community connections through youth programming, events, and partnerships.