Long-Range Shooting Lifts Bandits Past Rattlers

Red-hot three-point shooting propelled the Vancouver Bandits to their third straight win on Friday (July 18).

The Bandits connected on 17 trifectas on their way to a 100-79 win at Langley Events Centre that eliminated the Saskatchewan Rattlers from playoff contention.

Edmonton fans can also celebrate Vancouver’s win as it clinches a playoff berth for the Stingers.

The backcourt duo of Zach Copeland and Corey Davis Jr. carried the offensive load for the Bandits on Friday with Mitch Creek out of the lineup.

Copeland netted a game-high 26 points, while Davis Jr. notched a double-double with 25 points, 12 assists and seven threes. Clutch contributions also came from Duane Notice with 13 points, including the game winner.

Davis Jr.'s 12 assists pushed him past the 200 mark for his CEBL regular season career. On Tuesday, his single season assist record was broken by Saskatchewan guard Nate Pierre-Louis.

“[Pierre-Louis] is a great basketball player and he does it the right way. So it's kudos to him. I'm pretty sure if I was here the whole season, I'd probably still be holding on to that. I feel a way about it but nonetheless,” Davis Jr. said.

Unselfish basketball pushed the Bandits to the convincing win. Of Vancouver’s 35 field goals, 29 were assisted.

The Bandits bounced back from 11 first-half turnovers and seven offensive rebounds allowed to take control in the second.

“We've just been moving the ball really well. Our assists have been high, our three-point makes and percentage has been high and it's actually been fun to watch to be honest,” Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said.

For Saskatchewan, head coach Eric Magdanz said the team will continue to battle despite its elimination from the playoffs.

“Our team has been nothing but competitive this whole year,” he said. “They're a great group of pros and a big thing we've talked about right from the start is saying this isn't the end of the road for any of us. We're all trying to see what's next and advance [our] career.”

Recent additions Alex Garcia and Tevian Jones were bright spots for the Rattlers in the loss. With Pierre-Louis out, Garcia stepped up with 25 points in just his third professional game and Jones tallied 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

“I've had some of the best [coaching] I feel like in the world, and that's really prepared me to play at this level,” Garcia said. “I put in the skill work but more than anything if … you're under skilled, you can play with better competition if you have the mind for it.”

The Bandits opened the game strong, but the Rattlers responded quickly. A balanced attack, highlighted by a pair of and-ones from Garcia and Isaac Simon, helped Saskatchewan gain the lead and maintain it throughout the first quarter.

Down just five to begin the second, Nick Ward settled in for Vancouver with back-to-back contact finishes inside. But the Bandits couldn’t gain ground, as Devonté Bandoo’s hot shooting pushed the Rattlers’ lead even further, forcing a Julius timeout.

An 11-3 run for Saskatchewan capped by a transition jam from Elijah Ifejeh prompted another timeout from Julius. Vancouver narrowed the gap to close the half, culminating in a buzzer-beating corner three from Notice to make it a two-point game heading into the locker room.

Copeland drove to the rack and finished through contact to knot the game at 45 to open the third. Kur Jongkuch added another layup on the following Bandits’ possession to seize the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter.

The trio of Copeland, James Karnik and Davis Jr. made major contributions in the third to give the Bandits a 73-65 lead.

Notice delivered another pair of clutch buckets in the fourth and the Bandits locked in defensively. Jongkuch rocked the rim with an alley-oop to cap a 17-10 run and carry a 15-point lead into the final stretch.

Vancouver made quick work of Target Score Time, with another alley-oop to Jongkuch, a triple from Davis Jr. and two buckets from Notice — including a contact layup to win it.

The Bandits handed the Rattlers a sweep in the season series, while winning their fourth straight at home as well.

Box Score

https://www.cebl.ca/game?id=2600651

Up next for both teams

Vancouver hosts Western Conference rival Edmonton on Sunday (July 20). Saskatchewan gets a longer break, returning to action next Saturday (July 26) in Ottawa — the second stop on a four-game road trip.

Next CEBL action

A battle between the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference unfolds on Sunday with Niagara (11-5) hosting Scarborough (8-8) in the first game of a CEBL tripleheader. For the full 2025 CEBL schedule and up-to-date results, please visit cebl.ca/games.

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