It was June 22, the hometown Fraser Valley Bandits were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the longest in the CEBL. They were playing an Edmonton Stingers team that showed signs of greatness but also signs of mediocrity with a 4-4 record. There were four seconds remaining in the game when Stingers guard Deondre Parks was fouled attempting a three-point shot. Edmonton was facing defeat, 86-83, as Parks stepped to the free-throw line. Nobody would have predicted how his three successful attempts from the charity stripe would help change the fortunes of both teams.
The Stingers went on to win the game, 104-95 in overtime. The victory was the start of Edmonton’s current league-best eight-game win streak. Fans have witnessed the Stingers buzz from the middle of the pack, to knocking off Niagara for top spot in the standings. Edmonton currently sits a half-game behind the River Lions with a game at-hand and the season series win over Niagara. They are in the driver’s seat heading into CEBL Championship Weekend.
So much has changed since the last meeting between Edmonton (12-4) and Fraser Valley (4-12).
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While Fraser Valley may have lost that late-June game in an extra frame, it gave the team the confidence it needed to turn the tide on a lost season. Five days later in Saskatoon, the Bandits captured its first victory of the CEBL campaign and have been 4-3, since starting 0-9, displaying a level of defence that stopped some of the best teams in its tracks.
However, there is much to give Stingers fans confidence heading into Thursday night’s third meeting with Fraser Valley. In addition to the perfect record over its past eight games, Edmonton owns a 7-1 mark at Expo Centre. Additionally, the league’s leading scorer, Stingers guard Xavier Moon (21.4 ppg), did not play in either of the two previous meetings against the Bandits.
Fraser Valley has come a long way since those now-famous three free throws by Parks, but not far enough to take out the hottest team in the CEBL.
June 7, 2019 at Edmonton: Edmonton 93, Fraser Valley 88
Leading scorers: Edmonton (M. Gueye, 22), Fraser Valley (D. Kapelan, 24)
Leading rebounders: Edmonton (D. Parks, 8), Fraser Valley (C. Robinson, 12)
June 22, 2019 at Abbotsford: Edmonton 104, Fraser Valley 95 (OT)
Leading scorers: Edmonton (D. Parks, 30), Fraser Valley (T. Tate, 21)
Leading rebounders: Edmonton (G. Glaze, 7), Fraser Valley (K. Bercy, 7)