Saskatchewan Rattlers make it back-to-back wins in 103-82 victory over Vancouver Bandits

Justin Wright-Foreman once again led the Saskatchewan Rattlers with his 22 points as the squad picked up their second consecutive win in a 103-82 victory over the Vancouver Bandits on Wednesday night.

The league’s points per game leader, averaging nearly 30 points, finished with a stat line of 22 points and four rebounds, on over 50 per cent shooting from the field and distance. He also drew nine fouls and went a perfect 9-9 from the line, including the game-winning free throw.

Wright-Foreman was helped by his supporting cast, as four other players also scored in double figures, led by Trey Niemi who put up a season-high 20 points, shooting over 70 per cent from the field and three in just 18 minutes of action.

“I can’t say enough about him [Trey Niemi],” said Saskatchewan head coach Tanner Massey post-game. “I think this is a springboard game for him to finish the season with us. We needed that scoring and playmaking.”

Meanwhile Quenton DeCosey and Michael Nuga put up 16 points each, with Malik Benlevi’s 12 points rounding things out as the Rattlers put up 103 points, their second most this season, nearly matching the 109 they also put up against the Bandits.

On the other side, Nick Ward in his return, led the way for Vancouver with his team-high 19 points on 8-10 shooting as the team lost their fifth game in a row. Alex Campbell also added in 11 points and Shaquille Keith had one of his better performances of the season with a near double-double via 10 points and eight rebounds.

Fans at the SaskTel Centre were treated to a back-and-forth affair in the first couple minutes of the contest, as the two squads kept trading baskets. It wasn’t until halfway through the first frame, with the teams tied 9-9, that Saskatchewan began separating themselves. 

The Rattlers went on an 18-2 run from that point on, and it was thanks to some careless play by the Bandits. Vancouver committed five turnovers in the frame – part of their 15 on the night – none more impactful than the back-to-back giveaways by Diego Maffia that started said run by Saskatchewan.

As both teams headed to the second quarter, a 27-11 lead is what the Rattlers had earned themselves through that scoring outburst. A team shooting 43 per cent from the field coming into the game, Saskatchewan went unconscious as they shot over 60 per cent throughout the first.

Things didn’t fare much better for the Bandits in the second as they couldn’t seem to contain the Rattlers’ scoring threats. Wright-Foreman put up 10 points in the first half but was largely limited as Vancouver went into a box-and-one defense in an effort to limit the lead guard. 

“We felt like we would see it,” said Saskatchewan Massey on the Bandits’ defensive strategy. “They ran it against us last time, so we had a couple things ready.”

Massey’s preparation seemed to pay off as the Rattlers held onto their big lead thanks to some of the other guys. It was DeCosey and Niemi who stepped up off the pine, doing most of the Rattlers’ damage throughout that stretch. The pairing put up 11 and 10 points respectively, helping their second unit to a +18 edge on bench scoring as Saskatchewan held a 49-37 lead at the break.

The Rattler’s lead quickly extended further as Nuga joined the double-digit scoring group with a triple at the 6:38 mark of the third quarter that put his team up 17 points, forcing Bandits head coach Kyle Julius into a timeout.

Ward tried to spark Vancouver back into the game coming out of the huddle, scoring seven straight points for the Bandits at one point, but the squad couldn’t put a run together. Despite scoring a game-high 19 points through three quarters, on 88 per cent shooting individually, his team shot a lowly 37 per cent from the field as they faced an 80-62 deficit heading into the fourth.

17 points is what separated the two squads once again as Target Score Time got underway, where, who else, but Wright-Foreman closed things out for the Rattlers. The guard scored six of Saskatchewan’s final nine points, ending the contest by knocking down a triple and getting fouled. He promptly went to the line and knocked down a game-winning free throw before dancing off the court and celebrating with his teammates, 103-82 the final.

His squad keeps their playoff hopes alive as they head into their final two games of the season. The Rattlers have the opportunity to gain even more ground in the West as they return to action on Saturday to take on the second-seeded Calgary Surge, who sit just one game ahead of them in the standings.

“This week has been great for us,” said Niemi post-game. “We showed everybody that we can do anything with our back against the wall…if we get to the playoffs, I think we have a good chance of winning the whole thing.” 

Meanwhile the Bandits head back to Langley Events Centre where they’ll hope to snap their losing skid as they play host to the Western Conference leading Winnipeg Sea Bears on Sunday.

“We’re going into every game like it’s a playoff game,” said Ward on his team’s mindset heading into the final couple games of their regular season. “That’s our culture.”

All games are available on TSN+ and CEBL + powered by BetVictor. Recap written by Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh).

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