The Fraser Valley Bandits may have seen its three-game win streak snapped last week against Niagara, but it took a historic fourth quarter by the league’s best team to knock off a significantly improved Fraser Valley squad. Hamilton visits Abbotsford on Thursday night as part of a CEBL double-header in which the Honey Badgers are trying to inch closer to a Championship Weekend playoff berth.

(Tickets available at TicketMaster. Watch via CEBL TV or the CBC Gem App ).

After dropping its first nine games of the inaugural CEBL campaign, the Bandits reeled off three impressive wins against three different teams, including Hamilton. While they lost 104-94 to, Niagara, the River Lions were forced to comeback with an incredible 40 points in the final frame of the contest to secure the victory. The Fraser Valley team has found the right formula to win on any given night.

Over its past four games in which the Bandits went 3-1, the team has been shooting an impressive .512 (146-285) from the field and a blistering .393 (33-84) from beyond the arc. Fraser Valley has learned to share the ball, averaging 19.8 assists during this recent play, while scoring an average of 47.5 points in the paint. The 100-82 win at Hamilton on July 6 tied the largest margin of defeat (18) for the Honey Badgers this season (May 16 at Saskatchewan). The 82-points by Hamilton was also its lowest offensive output of the entire season.

The Honey Badgers halted its three-game slide with an impressive 102-96 win at Saskatchewan on July 12. Missing regular starters, Justin Edwards and Mike Fraser, Hamilton Head Coach Chantal Vallée and her team watched Joe Rocca explode for 28 points, including 11-18 from the field. The Honey Badgers finally started a game and second half with the right amount of intensity. It was the first time since the opening two games of the season that Hamilton won the first and third quarters in the same game.

Travelling across the country to Abbotsford, the Honey Badgers will need to begin the game with a similar pace to erase the memory of its last meeting against Fraser Valley just 12 days earlier. It all starts with point guard Ricky Tarrant Jr., who dictates the play for Hamilton. If he can drive the paint and collapse the Bandits defence, it leaves sharpshooters like Demetrius Denzel-Dyson open from beyond the arc.

Another key factor for Hamilton success is the ability to limit the effectiveness of Marek Klassen. The hometown guard has been explosive during the past four games for Fraser Valley, averaging 18.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 8.8 assists.

The Bandits embarrassed the Honey Badgers at FirstOntario Centre last week. Will the favour be returned, giving Hamilton the 3-1 season series or will Fraser Valley send a message to the league, suggesting its 2019 campaign is far from over?

May 22, 2019 at Fraser Valley: Hamilton 102, Fraser Valley 88
Leading scorers: Fraser Valley (R. Pryor, 22), Hamilton (J. Edwards, 24)
Leading rebounders: Fraser Valley (J. Bland, 5), Hamilton (R. Ejim, 16)

May 29, 2019 at Hamilton: Hamilton 106, Fraser Valley 99 (OT)
Leading scorers: Fraser Valley (T. Tate, 23), Hamilton (D. Denzel-Dyson, 32)
Leading rebounders: Fraser Valley (D. Bachynski, 9), Hamilton (J. Rocca, 9)

July 6, 2019 at Hamilton: Fraser Valley 100, Hamilton 82
Leading scorers: Fraser Valley (J. Friesen, 21), Hamilton (S. Carter, 20)
Leading rebounders: Fraser Valley (J. Kendrick, 12), Hamilton (S. Carter, 14)