Bandits Come up Short against Edmonton Stingers
Published on May 16, 2026 under Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
Vancouver Bandits News Release
Vancouver Bandits' Tyrese Samuel in action
(Vancouver Bandits)
EDMONTON, AB - The Vancouver Bandits were unable to find consistent offense against the Edmonton Stingers, suffering a 91-78 defeat Saturday night at the Edmonton Expo Centre.
The game started with both teams going blow for blow in scoring, until the Stingers began to pull away with three-pointers from Samage Teel and Michael Nuga. The Stingers applied overwhelming defensive pressure, slowing down the Bandits up-tempo offence.
The Bandits got into a rhythm in the second quarter, chipping away at the deficit and outpacing the Stingers defense. The Stingers went cold offensively as they approached half time, going a full three minutes without scoring.
That dry spell for the Stingers took place during a 19-6 run for the Bandits in that quarter, as they defended aggressively and found more space on the attack. Jalen House shot 8 for 9 in the first half at the free throw line, while Tevian Jones used his explosive athleticism to score 16 points.
The Bandits took the lead on free throws from reigning Canadian Player of the Year, Tyrese Samuel, who finished with a team-leading 13 rebounds. The second quarter ended with the Bandits on top, 42-38.
The Stingers responded in the third quarter with gritty, physical defense, while using the full shot clock on offense. The Bandits couldn't build momentum, allowing 33 points and surrendering the lead.
The Bandits flirted with a comeback in the fourth, shrinking the Stingers' lead to seven points, but were unable to capitalise.
House led the game in scoring with 27 points, but he was disappointed with the defensive effort from the Bandits. "We were letting them get [points] too easily in the paint, easy threes."
Vancouver head coach Kyle Julius said "our defensive effort was poor everywhere," calling tonight's game "one of our worst performances in two to three years."
The success in the second quarter came from the Bandits "playing good defense, playing hard," said House. "That's obviously why we shot up and got that three-point lead going into half time, but we got away from it."
The Stingers big man Dain Dainja put up 25 points and 14 rebounds in over 29 minutes, all of which led his team.
Vancouver falls to 1-1 and goes down 0-1 in the home-and-home series.
Vancouver will play Edmonton again on Friday, May 22 for their Home Opener at Envision Financial Court at the Langley Events Centre.
Recap for release by Ayden Singh
Images from this story
 Vancouver Bandits' Tyrese Samuel in action |
Canadian Elite Basketball League Stories from May 16, 2026
- Bandits Come up Short against Edmonton Stingers - Vancouver Bandits
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