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League-Leading Vancouver Bandits Host Winnipeg Sea Bears

Josh Kozelj • June 13, 2024

A pair of western conference rivals are set to clash on national television tonight. 

 

The Vancouver Bandits (5-1) are hosting the Winnipeg Sea Bears (3-3) at 7:30 p.m. PT / 10:30 p.m. ET at the Langley Events Centre on TSN. The game will also be available for streaming on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN+, and the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices, and televised on NLSE in the United States. 

 

The game will mark Justin Wright-Foreman’s debut for the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The Brooklyn, N.Y native, who signed with the Sea Bears on Monday, led the league with 29.2 points per game as a Saskatchewan Rattler last season. He is set to team up in the backcourt with reigning CEBL MVP Teddy Allen. 

 

Both players averaged more than 25 points per game last season en route to headlining the ALL CEBL First Team roster. 

 

“Last year was my first year in the CEBL. I didn’t know what to expect and had the greatest experience of my life,” Wright-Foreman said in a statement earlier this week. 

 

The duo are going to matchup against a Bandits squad that have proved to be the class of the western conference this year. 

 

One year after falling just short of the CEBL Championship Game, Vancouver has gotten off to a blistering start in hopes of returning to Championship Weekend — riding a three-game win streak heading into tonight’s contest. Vancouver is also 3-0 at home to start the year. 

 

The Bandits knocked off the Calgary Surge 70-65 in their last outing, holding 2023 CEBL All-Canadian Sean Miller-Moore to nine points on 3-14 shooting. Returnee Nick Ward has led the way for the Bandits this season, averaging a hair over 18 points per game and shooting more than 60 per cent from the field. 

 

Guard Curtis Hollis also bolstered Vancouver’s perimeter in his season debut last Friday, scoring 21 points and grabbing six boards in a five-point win over the Surge. The 6-foot-6 guard from Arlington, Texas also knocked down three of his four triples. 

 

He’ll be joined in the backcourt by Zach Copeland, Koby McEwen and ex-Sea Bear Glen Yang. 

 

The addition of Wright-Foreman comes at a crucial time for Winnipeg, as the team has lost two consecutive games after winning three of their first four to start the season. 

 

Allen is leading the CEBL in points per game (27) through his first six contests. But backcourt mate Jarred Ogungbemi-Jackson has also picked up a lot of the slack offensively. Ogungbemi-Jackson, who is averaging 18 points and 6 assists per game in his first season with the Sea Bears, has scored a total of 42 points combined in his last two games. 

 

Alex Campbell, the all-time leading scorer in Bandits history, will also play his first game against his former team tonight. 

 

Since entering the CEBL last season, the Sea Bears are 4-0 against the Bandits. This is the first matchup between these two teams this season. They will square off again next week, June 19, in Winnipeg. 

 

Following this game, Vancouver will host Saskatchewan on Saturday night. Winnipeg will travel home for a date with the Edmonton Stingers on Sunday. 

 

Key matchup: 

 

Two of Vancouver’s guards, Tazé Moore and Copeland, are averaging the most minutes in the CEBL this season, with 34.8 and 33.9 minutes played respectively through their first six games.  It will be worth monitoring their minutes and deployment against the combination of Wright-Foreman and Allen in the backcourt. 

 

As a team, prior to the Wright-Foreman addition, the Sea Bears are averaging the second most points per game (92) in the league. 

 

But Winnipeg has had trouble keeping the ball out of their own hoop, giving up a CEBL-high 96.8 points per game. Vancouver’s team defence, meanwhile, is surrendering only 80.8 points per game — second best in the league. 

 

- 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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Karnik played high school basketball at Earl Marriott Secondary in Surrey and BC Christian Academy in Port Coquitlam before wrapping up his high school career at Orangeville Prep in Mono, Ont., the alma mater of several current NBAers including Jamal Murray, Oshae Brissett, Luguentz Dort and other recent NBA draft selections. Season Tickets and Jam Packs are currently on sale for the Bandits’ seventh CEBL season and are available for purchase at this link . Single game tickets are expected to go on sale later this spring. The Bandits tip-off the 2025 CEBL campaign on Thursday, May 15 when the club hits the road to take on the Saskatchewan Rattlers. Fans will have their first chance to watch the club at home on Thursday, May 22 at 7 p.m. PT when Vancouver hosts the Niagara River Lions in a rematch of the 2024 CEBL Final. Vancouver will play a total of 12 regular season home games in 2025 between Thursday, May 22 and Sunday, August 3. The Bandits wrap up regular season action on the road in Ottawa on Sunday, August 10 at 12 p.m. PT. All CEBL regular season games including playoffs will be live-streamed on TSN+, as well as the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ , and on CEBL Mobile, the official app of the CEBL (available on Android and iOS devices). Individuals interested in learning more about tickets for the Vancouver Bandits’ upcoming 2025 season are kindly asked to call (604) 455-8881 or email [email protected] . A complete regular season schedule can be found by clicking here . More information is available at thebandits.ca and @vancouverbandits on Instagram and TikTok , as well as @vancitybandits on Facebook and Twitter . ### 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 Langley Events Centre (LEC). 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 12 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. More than 20 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+ , TSN, TSN+, RDS , Game+ and Next Level Sports & Entertainment . More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram , Twitter , TikTok , LinkedIn , Facebook & YouTube .
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