CALGARY SURGE LOOK FOR PAYBACK IN REMATCH WITH VANCOUVER BANDITS
By Zulfi Sheikh
The Calgary Surge (-125) look to avenge their lone loss of this early season as they host the Vancouver Bandits (-108) from the WinSport Event Centre on June 14 at 7:00 pm local/9:00 pm ET.
The game will be available for streaming live on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, and on the CEBL Mobile app available on iOS and Android devices.
This will be the second of three contests between the two teams this regular season, as they’re set to face-off once more in less than two weeks.
Looking back at their first matchup, the Bandits squeaked out an 84-81 win, and in doing so, snapped the Surge’s three-game win streak. A major factor in that victory was Vancouver’s interior presence, as the team was a +9 on the glass and finished with a 50-38 advantage on points in the paint. Unsurprisingly, they held a +10 advantage on second chance points throughout the game as a result.
It was Nick Ward who led the way for the Bandits in that one as he dropped 19 points off the bench in 21 minutes of action, scoring all six of his field-goals from inside the arch. His physicality also helped his team get some easy baskets as he led the game in both free-throw attempts and makes.
Despite the loss, Calgary immediately bounced back and won two-in-a-row to start another streak, and now lead the Western Conference standings with a 5-1 record.
In their most-recent 80-63 win against the Saskatchewan Rattlers, the Surge put on a defensive clinic. They forced 20 turnovers, 13 of which were steals, on route to their opponent shooting just 31 per cent on the night.
Calgary’s defensive performance should come as no surprise as the team currently leads the league in both blocks (5.8) and steals (9.8) per game. To highlight that note, the 63 points the team held Saskatchewan to, was also the lowest scoring output by any team in the league so far.
Beyond defense, the Surge’s offense also found success that night with all five of their starters scoring in double-figures. They were led by Sean Miller-Moore, who put up 20 points on an efficient 50 per cent from the field. He’ll look to replicate that performance against the Bandits tonight, while the team’s top scorer in Simi Shittu (16.8 PPG) will aim to bounce back from a 10-point outing in which he went just 3-8 shooting.
On the other side the Bandits are currently 2-4 and sit at the bottom of the West but are coming of a victory of their own. They took care of business against the Niagara River Lions by getting an 87-78 win on the second night of a back-to-back.
Vancouver outshot Niagara from the field and distance, but it was once again their interior presence that determined the game. They were a +17 on the glass and held the edge on points in the paint and second chance points as a result. Winning the rebounding battle has become the calling card for a Bandits team that currently averages over 50 boards per contest.
As the only team in the league to do so, they also have three of the top-10 rebounders in the CEBL in Giorgi Benzhanishvili (1st), Malcolm Duvivier (T-5th), and Ward (T-5th). If the Bandits are going to snag another victory against the Surge, it’s clear they’re going to do it by dominating the glass.
In that win against Niagara, Vancouver was led by Ward who scored a season-high 25 points to go with nine rebounds, and M.J. Walker who notched 20 points as well. It was Walker’s second game since joining the team, and the guard has looked impressive so far.
Through two games he’s averaged 23 points per game on an efficient 50 per cent from the field and 44 per cent from deep. It’s clear that the Florida State University product has been acclimating well to the CEBL game and will be looked upon to help his team get consecutive victories for the first time this season.
All games will also be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, and on the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Full list of betting props available on BetVictor.
About the Canadian Elite Basketball League
A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball. The CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.