Stingers Take Top Spot in the CEBL, Top Bandits in High Scoring 107-88 Blowout

The Edmonton Stingers asserted their dominance early and never looked back, securing a

convincing 107-88 victory over the Vancouver Bandits in a highly anticipated Western

Conference clash at Langley Events Centre on Saturday night.

With the win, Edmonton remains the only team unbeaten on the road this season at 6-0 and

breaks Vancouver’s previously perfect 6-0 home record.

Led by Brody Clarke's 27 points and seven rebounds, Edmonton took control from the outset in

front of a sold-out crowd on Filipino Heritage Night. The Stingers capitalized on efficient shooting,

boasting a 46 per cent field goal percentage and shooting 58 per cent from inside the arc.

Michael Nuga contributed 17 points off the bench, underscoring Edmonton's depth and offensive

versatility. Notably, Edmonton outscored Vancouver by 31 points from their bench.

"I think having some days off to be able to practice and get ourselves a little organized was great

for us,” said Stingers Head Coach Jordan Baker on tonight’s victory. “You know, we know they

want to pressure the ball, they want to disrupt our actions, we worked on being a little more

composed. We didn't do a perfect job but we saw some improvement from the last time we saw

them."

Despite a strong first-half performance from Nick Ward, who scored 20 points, Vancouver

struggled with shooting efficiency, finishing at 44 per cent from the field and 38 per cent from

three-point range.

The Bandits were also plagued by turnovers and faced a relentless defensive effort from

Edmonton, which recorded 11 steals in the game.

"Our lack of emotional resilience, I think, is definitely something we have to deal with, so you can

take that away,” said Bandits Head Coach Kyle Julius to sum up his team’s performance. “I think

that's a good thing for us. The only team that can beat the Bandits is the Bandits and I think we

proved that tonight."

The game was marked by physical play throughout, culminating in Vancouver's Taze Moore

receiving his second technical foul and subsequent ejection late in the third quarter. Moore's

absence further compounded Vancouver's offensive woes, and the Bandits were unable to

recover in the second half.

Ward also fouled out before Target Score Time after scoring a team-high 29 points, making it

easier for Edmonton to reach 107 points and improve to 8-3 for the season. They now sit atop

the Western Conference table.

“Coach has been preaching all week that this is effectively a mid-season playoff game for us,

like, we wanted first place,” said Clarke on Edmonton’s aggressive brand of basketball. “We felt

like we deserved it. We had to come out here and show it on their court. We've been a good road

team all year so we just had to lean on our depth.”

Up Next:

Looking ahead, both teams will have little time to rest as they return to action on Monday as part

of a TSN national broadcast doubleheader on Canada Day.

The Edmonton Stingers will host the Saskatchewan Rattlers at the Edmonton EXPO Centre,

aiming to extend their winning streak, in what promises to be another exciting

matchup.