Vancouver Bandits get back in the win column

JEN FIELD/ GATG

The Vancouver Bandits faced the Saskatchewan Rattlers on June 28 following their second consecutive loss for the team this season. Saskatchewan entered the match up with 3 wins and 9 losses. This game marked the halfway point in the 24 game season.

As it is the middle of the CEBL regular season, the roster continued to get shaken up. This time Kyle Mangas and Tyrese Samuel returned to the lineup, while James Karnik and Zach Copeland were both put on the suspended list for Summer League commitments.

Saturday night’s game also saw the return of fan-favourite Nick Ward, affectionately known as “The Warden”, fresh off of inking his contract for a third season with the club.

The game got off to an energetic start, though both teams relied more on three-point shots than anything else in the first 2 minutes alone.

Saskatchewan lacked discipline right out of the gate, which marked an uncharacteristic trend for the team for the rest of night.

The sold out crowd was engaged from the jump, as they gave Ward a warm welcome back before his name was even announced as he entered the court at the 4 minute mark.

The home team initially dominated with a scoring run of 8, contributing to an early lead, but Saskatchewan made up for the deficit with equally as many points from the paint. 

By the end of the first quarter, Saskatchewan had started to tilt the court back in their favour to take the lead 29-28.

Quarter 2 saw some big efforts from Saskatchewan, particularly Deon Ejim, who made all 4 of his three-point shots during that frame.

After the game, Ejim said that his off-court habits contributed to his second quarter performance.

“Honestly just letting the ball fly. We practise every single day. The game is the time where you show what you did in practice, so I was happy I was able to show what I was able to do from practice and translate it to the game.”

Though he had a quiet night otherwise, Ward netted his first points of the season with a layup towards the end of the second quarter. 

The celebration was short lived, as not long after he gained possession of the ball again, he shouldered one of the Rattlers to ground. The whistle blew and Saskatchewan called a timeout while a chorus of boos rained down in the area over the call.

After play resumed, back-to-back Bandits plays resulted in a layup for Mitch Creek and a dunk for Kyle Mangas. Both plays caused the crowd to erupt and leap to their feet. Despite this, the home team still lagged behind by 10 points at the end of the first half.

The Captain himself had mentioned earlier in the season that the third quarter had historically been the team’s best, and boy did the Bandits live up to that reputation.

The first couple of minutes alone saw Corey Davis Jr and Kyle Mangas make big plays, demonstrating why Vancouver signed both this season.

By the midway point of the third quarter, the home team was now only down by 3 points, and they were just getting started. Davis Jr and Creek continued to dominate the court, with Creek sinking a layup that pulled the Bandits 1 point ahead again, leading 69-68.

Kyle Mangas closed quarter 3 with an icy three-point buzzer beater that the whole arena roared over while he fell to the ground. Mangas made the exact same play 2 more times as quarter 4 progressed.

By the time Target Score rolled around, the Bandits had tilted the court so much that it felt like a completely different game. The home team was now ahead by 10 points and looked unstoppable, while the visitors were starting to show self doubt despite their prowess earlier in the night.

The final nail in the Rattlers coffin came when Tyrese Samuel drew a foul while the Bandits were only 2 points away from the win. He sank both of the free throws he was awarded, along with Saskatchewan’s comeback hopes.

The win brings Vancouver back into the win column and brings their record to 9-3, with 12 games left to go in the regular season. They face another roster shake up due to NBA Summer League commitments ahead of Tuesday’s Canada Day game, though their record so far displays an adaptability in addition to a next-man-up mentality, which will surely help them continue to dominate no matter who’s in the lineup each night.

The Vancouver Bandits host the Scarborough Shooting Stars next at 5pm on Tuesday, July 1.