Bandits Fall Short to BlackJacks to Close out Road Trip
CEBL Vancouver Bandits

Bandits Fall Short to BlackJacks to Close out Road Trip

Published on June 2, 2026 under Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL)
Vancouver Bandits News Release


Vancouver Bandits guard Jarkel Joiner
Vancouver Bandits guard Jarkel Joiner
(Vancouver Bandits)

OTTAWA, ON - As the road trip ends, so does the winning streak for the Vancouver Bandits as they suffered a 114-105 loss to the Ottawa BlackJacks on Tuesday night.

A late comeback by the Bandits fell short in the final game of a three-game road trip, outscoring the BlackJacks 58-54 in the second half. They trailed by as many as 18 points.

"We were tired. It's been a long road trip and I thought we played tired," said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius.

"A little bit of everything wasn't clicking."

Heading into tonight's contest, the Bandits were winners of four straight games but scored their third-lowest point total of the season in Ottawa.

Ottawa's energy could be felt from the opening tip as they went in front in the first quarter and never lost the lead. They jumped out to a 60-47 lead at half-time, outscoring the Bandits 28-18 in the second quarter.

The story of the game was the play of Ottawa's Matthew Cleveland and Justin Harmon, who combined for 71 points. Cleveland finished with 35 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Harmon finished with 36 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Bandits entered action with a 5-1 record, tied for the league's best, which Cleveland said his team didn't take lightly.

"That's a great team right there so I knew coming in we had to play our A game," said Cleveland.

Jarkel Joiner pitched in with a team-high 25 points, the most he's scored as a Bandit, while Tyrese Samuel recorded 13 points and five rebounds.

Julius credited the BlackJacks for making it difficult for his team, noting the improvement of the league's Eastern Conference.

"In years past (the conference) was quite weak, but at the moment it seems strong," said Julius.

Defensive stops were hard to come by for the Bandits as the BlackJacks shot 12-24 from three-point range and shot 45-74 from the field overall. Vancouver's ball security was some of the best of the season, committing just 10 turnovers compared to Ottawa's 21 turnovers. They also shot 37 free throws while Ottawa had only 16 attempts.

However, the Bandits were beat out in rebounds (46-27) and threes made (12-10).

Julius said his team will use the next few days to watch film and regroup to put the loss behind them.

"We've got to go back and take care of our bodies and work on the things that we see need correcting," said Julius.

Jaelen House recorded his third straight double-double with 24 points, 12 assists and a season-high five steals. In the latter minutes of the fourth quarter, House was ejected after receiving his second technical foul of the game.

The Bandits will head back to the West Coast for a three-game home stand, beginning on Saturday against the Saskatoon Mamba at Prospera Place in Kelowna. Afterwards, they'll get a rematch with the BlackJacks on June 13.

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Vancouver Bandits guard Jarkel Joiner
Vancouver Bandits guard Jarkel Joiner
   



Canadian Elite Basketball League Stories from June 2, 2026


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