Moore’s big night exacts revenge for Bandits with 98-85 win over Rattlers
Taze Moore’s near triple-double led the Vancouver Bandits (7-1) to a fifth consecutive victory as they beat the Saskatchewan Rattlers (5-3), 98-85, on Saturday night.
Entering the night, the Bandits lone loss of the season came against the Rattlers and without the services of their top scorer in the game. In the rematch, Moore proved why his play would’ve been a game-changer as he flirted with a second consecutive triple-double, putting up 23 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
The import was backed up by Nick Ward who put up 21 points, including the game-winner, to go with his seven rebounds, and Koby McEwen and Zach Copeland who chipped in 16 apiece.
“They were our target,” Vancouver captain Duane Notice said after the win when asked how much his team was looking to avenge their previous, and only, loss to Saskatchewan. “That was our main focus, knowing they gave us our only loss. We wanted to make a statement to the league, so we were definitely motivated”
On the other side, it was a three-headed monster that led the Rattlers and ultimately came up short. Elijah Harkless finished with a game-high 25 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists, while Jalen Harris and Bryson Williams scored 24 and 23 points, respectively.
The trio accounted for 85 per cent of Saskatchewan’s point production in the defeat that saw their two-game win streak come to an end.
“Hats off to them, they played a great game,” Rattlers head coach Larry Abney said after the game. “We weathered the storm from the first half, missed some opportunities to finish it … can’t wait to play them again.”
Entering the night, fans were promised a marquee matchup between two of the Western Conference’s top teams and two of the league’s premier guards. And it didn’t take long for Saturday night’s affair to live up, but it wasn’t exactly as promised.
Unsurprisingly, Moore did his part in the first half as he put up a game-high 21 points, 12 of which came in the second quarter alone. Proving yet again why the Bandits were and remain undefeated with him in the lineup.
But it was Harkless, not Harris, who initially responded for the Rattlers. The guard exploded for 17 of his 25 points in the second quarter as he cut what was once a 13-point lead down to 58-50 going into the break.
Coming into the game Julius spoke about the task of guarding Harris, especially after he exploded for a CEBL record 45 points the game prior. For at least the first half his philosophy of throwing multiple bodies at the former Toronto Raptor to wear him out, worked. The league’s leading scorer was held to seven points through the first 20 minutes of play, scoring just one basket in the second quarter.
Yet once the third got underway, and Harris re-joined the action, he did so in a big way. The import scored 12 points in the frame and eight straight for Saskatchewan in the final two minutes before Cody John hit a buzzer-beating floater to knot things up at 76.
That’s where the comeback fizzled out however, as the Bandits built their lead back up to seven prior to Target Score Time.
It was thanks to their dominance on the glass bearing fruit. Vancouver grabbed four of their 16 (+6) offensive rebounds through the first six minutes of the frame, getting up quality looks at the rim as a result. They finished the game plus-10 on total rebounds along with 13 second chance points.
Things didn’t get much easier in that regard for the Rattlers as their leading rebounder on the night, Williams with nine, fouled out almost immediately once Target Score Time got underway.
From there the Bandits took care of business and Moore put a bow on his stellar night by throwing a full-court outlet pass to Ward under the basket for the game-winning layup.
It was a fantastic follow-up performance after the 25-year-old recorded just the fifth triple-double in CEBL history one game prior. Moore’s big night added to what’s looking like an MVP resume, leading the top-seeded Bandits
He’s led the No. 1 team in the CEBL to a league-best win streak and is the only player to be top 10 in average scoring (21), rebounds (8.8) and assists (8).
“I know I’m the kind of guy that can bring energy, get buckets, make sure my teammates attack whatever we need, Moore said post-game. “I trust myself … I work my tail off.”
Up Next
The Bandits will leave Langley Events Centre, where they remain undefeated this season, to visit the Winnipeg Sea Bears on Thursday in a rematch of their contest from less than a week ago.
For the Rattlers, they head home to host the Calgary Surge on Sunday for their second of three games against Western Conference opponents.
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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.
