VIDEO: Vancouver Bandits make it two in a row, downing Calgary
Published 10:45 am Monday, May 25, 2026
Vancouver Bandits occupy the top slot of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Western conference with a record of three wins in four games, following back-to-back victories on home court in Langley.
Following Friday’s 111-88 win over the visiting Edmonton Stingers, on Sunday afternoon, Bandits did it again on home court, a 111-101 win over the visiting Calgary Surge.
Bandits coach Kyle Julius called it a “messy” win.
“Adding a new player right before is not easy,” Julius explained.
The new player this time was Jarkel Joiner, who most recently played for the Toronto Raptors G League affiliate, Raptors 905, and signed with Vancouver on Saturday.
Joiner recorded 22 points and seven assists, one of three Bandits to score 20-plus points, alongside Jaelen House (27 points, nine assists) and Tyrese Samuel (21 points, 10 rebounds).
Samuel’s dunk ended the game in Target Score Time.
“Oh man, it was fun,” Joiner said. “Coach gave me confidence, the players gave me confidence, and it was fun. I can score and I can guard, that’s what they told me to do, and that’s what I did.”
Bandits led for all but five minutes of the game and never trailed by more than three points.
Julius said the Bandits played “a ton of one-on-one basketball,” and that is not what he wants to see.
“That’s not really who we are or what we’re about. So, the good news is we have guys that can really play one-on-one basketball at a high level [but] we’ve got to kind of find a way to just get organized.”
Julius especially wants to see improvement defensively.
“It’s not like we’re playing bad defense because we’re a bad defensive team. I think we’re playing bad defense because chemistry is not there yet. There’s no real continuity from last year.”
Next, Bandits hit the road, playing three games in five days with stops in Niagara (May 29), Brampton (May 30) and Ottawa (June 2).
June 6 in Kelowna, they play the Saskatoon Mamba at Prospera Place as part of Kelowna HOOPFEST.
They are back at Langley Events Centre on Saturday June 13 to play Ottawa at 6 p.m.