Bandits pull away late to top BlackJacks 95–81, reclaim top spot in the West By: Jagraj Lalli The Vancouver Bandits used a dominant fourth quarter and standout performances from key contributors to secure a 95–81 win over the Ottawa BlackJacks at Langley Events Centre.
With the victory, Vancouver improved to 6–1 on the season and returned to the top of the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Western Conference.
Ottawa dropped to 2–3 and remains in the middle of a challenging Western road trip.
The Bandits outscored the BlackJacks 30–17 in the final frame, capitalizing on Target Score Time and a renewed defensive energy that proved too much for Ottawa to handle down the stretch.
Bandits captain Mitch Creek led all scorers with 21 points and added nine rebounds in a high-effort, high-impact performance. Postgame,
Creek highlighted the team’s preparation for close contests and execution during Target Score Time.
“We’re not messing around or taking it lightly — we’re out there working hard to make sure that when we get to target time, we stay composed, run our sets properly and maintain the right spacing,” Creek said. “Target time is all about getting stops on defence and then capitalizing on offence… Tonight, we had that opportunity and we got two great looks.”
Tyrese Samuel and Curtis Hollis were key closers, combining for nine points in Target Score Time, including the bucket that sealed the win.
Hollis has embraced his role coming off the bench and has now delivered back-to-back games with 17 or more points. “He’s a gamer, a hooper, a true baller — all of that,” said Bandits head coach Kyle Julius. “Curtis has high-level instincts and just knows how to make plays. Right now, he’s embraced his role coming off the bench, and he’s been producing in a big way.” The BlackJacks hung with the Bandits for much of the game.
After falling behind 21–12 early, Ottawa used strong bench production to stay competitive. The BlackJacks’ second unit contributed 42 points, including 12 from Justin Jackson, who was perfect from three-point range.
His hot shooting in the third quarter closed the gap to just one point, with the Bandits clinging to a 65–64 lead entering the final 10 minutes.
Christian Rohlehr, a key presence off the bench, added 11 points and nine rebounds in a gritty performance. “I’m just doing my job,” said Rohlehr. “They brought me here to protect the rim, rebound and finish around the basket so I’ve just got to keep working at it and see where it goes from here.”
Despite the loss, Ottawa head coach David DeAveiro said he was proud of his team’s effort on the road and praised the bench for playing its role well.
“We competed hard. They just executed better than we did down the stretch,” said DeAveiro. “We had some key defensive breakdowns — every time we cut the lead to three or four, they’d respond with a run. But overall, I’m proud of how our guys battled.”
Kyle Mangas didn’t light up the stat sheet for Vancouver, but his steady presence made an impact.
The veteran guard tallied seven rebounds, two steals and a block while helping to calm the pace. “His steadiness made a big difference,” said Julius. “We needed composure, and Kyle brought that.”
The Bandits now shift their focus to the Saskatchewan Rattlers (2–4), who they’ll face on Sunday.
Ottawa continues its road trip with a visit to the Calgary Surge (5–2), a key matchup in the standings.
With the CEBL regular season nearing its halfway point, both teams will look to fine-tune their rotations and stay in the playoff hunt.
