Edmonton Cruises Past Vancouver to Stay Undefeated on the Road
The Edmonton Stingers asserted their dominance early and never looked back, securing a convincing 107-88 victory over the Vancouver Bandits in a highly anticipated Western Conference clash at Langley Events Centre on Saturday night.
With the win, Edmonton remains the only team unbeaten on the road this season at 6-0 and breaks Vancouver’s previously perfect 6-0 home record.
Led by Brody Clarke's 27 points and seven rebounds, Edmonton took control from the outset in front of a sold-out crowd on Filipino Heritage Night. The Stingers capitalized on efficient shooting, boasting a 46 per cent field goal percentage and shooting 58 per cent from inside the arc.
Michael Nuga contributed 17 points off the bench, underscoring Edmonton's depth and offensive versatility. Notably, Edmonton outscored Vancouver by 31 points from their bench.
"I think having some days off to be able to practice and get ourselves a little organized was great for us,” said Stingers Head Coach Jordan Baker on tonight’s victory. “You know, we know they want to pressure the ball, they want to disrupt our actions, we worked on being a little more composed. We didn't do a perfect job but we saw some improvement from the last time we saw them."
Despite a strong first-half performance from Nick Ward, who scored 20 points, Vancouver struggled with shooting efficiency, finishing at 44 per cent from the field and 38 per cent from three-point range.
The Bandits were also plagued by turnovers and faced a relentless defensive effort from Edmonton, which recorded 11 steals in the game.
"Our lack of emotional resilience, I think, is definitely something we have to deal with, so you can take that away,” said Bandits Head Coach Kyle Julius to sum up his team’s performance. “I think that's a good thing for us. The only team that can beat the Bandits is the Bandits and I think we proved that tonight."
The game was marked by physical play throughout, culminating in Vancouver's Taze Moore receiving his second technical foul and subsequent ejection late in the third quarter. Moore's absence further compounded Vancouver's offensive woes, and the Bandits were unable to recover in the second half.
Ward also fouled out before Target Score Time after scoring a team-high 29 points, making it easier for Edmonton to reach 107 points and improve to 8-3 for the season. They now sit atop the Western Conference table.
“Coach has been preaching all week that this is effectively a mid-season playoff game for us, like, we wanted first place,” said Clarke on Edmonton’s aggressive brand of basketball. “We felt like we deserved it. We had to come out here and show it on their court. We've been a good road team all year so we just had to lean on our depth.”
Up Next:
Looking ahead, both teams will have little time to rest as they return to action on Monday as part of a TSN national broadcast doubleheader on Canada Day.
The Edmonton Stingers will host the Saskatchewan Rattlers at the Edmonton EXPO Centre, aiming to extend their winning streak. Meanwhile, the Vancouver Bandits will face the Niagara River Lions, the top team in the Eastern Conference, in what promises to be another exciting matchup.
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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.
