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![\"BROOK](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4324326_web1_BJ-20260618WPGSeaBearsVsVancouverBandits04.jpg\")
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BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Mason Kraus (right) takes the ball to the net with Vancouver Bandits guard David Mutabazi trying to contain him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if we sent a message; we just took care of business,\u201d said Allen. \u201cThey were missing some guys, but you can only play who\u2019s in front of you, and I feel like we definitely dominated today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sea Bears, who improved to 7-4 and are now riding a three-game winning streak, hold the early tiebreaker over the Bandits and sit atop the Western Conference as the 24-game regular season nears the halfway point.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t say we sent a message to the league; it was more so a message to ourselves,\u201d said Trevon Scott, who scored the game-winning basket and 24 points off the bench.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you really lock in, do what the coaches tell us, and really trust each other, we could be a real dangerous team and make a big run this summer. So I think that message has got across, especially after how we felt after the game in that locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Isiah Osborne scored 23 points, while Trey McGowens and Simon Hildebrant chipped in with 11 apiece.<\/p>\n
If there was one concern about the Bandits heading into Thursday\u2019s contest, it was their defence. Vancouver has conceded the third-most points per game (96.4). The Sea Bears exposed their shortcomings over and over again, connecting on 56 per cent of their shots, including half of their attempts from deep range.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t help the Bandits that they were playing without two of their top players. Standout Canadian forward Tyrese Samuel has been worked out by NBA teams in recent days, while the league\u2019s reigning MVP Mitch Creek, who debuted with the team on Monday, left to fulfill his international duties with the Australian national team.<\/p>\n
Vancouver missed their services on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n
While rising star guard Jaelen House had his way offensively, finishing with a game-high 42 points, the CEBL\u2019s assists leader was held to five as the visitors struggled to get through a stingy Winnipeg defence. Jarkel Joiner (18 points) was the only other Bandit to get into double-digits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just talked about trying not to take any possessions off, and we felt like if we could defend, we would get rewarded going the other direction,\u201d said head coach Mike Raimbault.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, you can\u2019t say enough about the guys that they\u2019re missing, so obviously, that plays a big factor, but in terms of our commitment to trying to guard, I mean, House still had a massive night and caused a lot of problems for us, and I thought we did a pretty good job of moving on when he made tough shots and trying to move to the next possession and playing as a five-man group.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t BROOK JONES \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Winnipeg Sea Bears guard Isiah Osborne (right) controls the ball with Vancouver Bandits guard Jaelen House defending.<\/p>\n It was a dream first half for Winnipeg.<\/p>\n After a lightning-paced first quarter ended with the Sea Bears owning an eight-point lead, the hosts caught fire in the second quarter to the tune of 34 points while hitting 57 per cent of their shots, including six three-pointers. Their 62-40 advantage at the intermission was the club\u2019s largest halftime lead of the season.<\/p>\n Not even the break could slow the offensive juggernaut on this night. The Sea Bears continued to build on their lead, this time on the strength of suffocating defence, which held the visitors to 16 points in the frame to take a 31-point advantage into the fourth quarter, and later a 28-point lead into Target Score Time.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cI think we all just were very present and understood, even with it being early season, these games matter,\u201d said Allen. \u201cEvery season, teams are always at the end of the season, \u2018If we won this game, if we won that game,\u2019 and we feel like, as a group, we already lost a few of those, so we want to try to not have any more. We just were all locked in on taking care of business today.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sea Bears improved to 4-0 at home. They are defending home court this season by an average margin of victory of 22.75 points.<\/p>\n The Sea Bears could now be the team to fear with Xavier Moon set to jump into the lineup soon.<\/p>\n Moon needs to be cleared by FIBA, the CEBL\u2019s governing body, before jumping into action. The Sea Bears host Moon\u2019s former team, the Edmonton Stingers (3-6), on Saturday (3 p.m.).<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/joshuafreysam<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Joshua Frey-Sam Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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