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Fraser Valley Bandits set to host Guelph Nighthawks in first CEBL playoff game at LEC

Bandits hoping up and down season finishes on a high: with the CEBL crown

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It’s the playoffs. It’s time to do or die, only the strong survive.

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The Fraser Valley Bandits are back in the Canadian Elite Basketball playoffs for the third straight year, hosting the Guelph Nighthawks at the Langley Events Centre on Thursday.

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But the Bandits have been there before — this season.

“It seems like a few times we have played do-or-die games,” said rookie centre Thomas Kennedy. “We went on a little bit of a losing streak there one point, and there was a time when we were challenged by our coaching staff to step it up and get back the level that we had shown we can play at. And for us that was kind of a do or die game.

“We’ve been through that kind of mentality. Now it’s playoff time. It’s winning time. We have a mantra on the team, be the best what matters the most, and now we’re entering that season where it matters, the most the post-season.”

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NEXT GAME

Thursday

Guelph Nighthawks vs. Fraser Valley Bandits

7:30 p.m., Langley Events Centre, TV: CBC.ca


The Bandits (12-8) had been atop the CEBL standings at one point this year, but were leapfrogged by other teams when they went on a 1-5 stretch in midseason, their lone win coming over the expansion Newfoundland Growlers.

One of those losses was to the Nighthawks (10-10), who strolled into the LEC and strolled out with an 87-89 victory.

“They’re a tough matchup for everybody,” said head coach Mike Taylor. “They came into the LEC and won earlier in the year, so our guys are on alert. But we’re trying to focus on our performance and be better and be the best team we can be. And we believe we can we can play much better than we did that game.”

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Guard Marek Klassen, from Abbotsford, dribbles the ball against Guelph. The Fraser Valley Bandits host the Guelph Nighthawks this on Thursday in the first playoff game held at the LEC. Photo: Fraser Valley Bandits.
Guard Marek Klassen, from Abbotsford, dribbles the ball against Guelph. The Fraser Valley Bandits host the Guelph Nighthawks this on Thursday in the first playoff game held at the LEC. Photo: Fraser Valley Bandits. Photo by Fraser Valley Bandits /jpg

It’s been a roller-coaster season for the Bandits, mostly because of a revolving roster. They’ve lost players to injuries, weddings, personal reasons, national team call-ups as well as bigger clubs, with sterling point guard Kyle Adnam getting recalled by his team in Australia. But they’ve also brought in some familiar faces like local product Marek Klassen and centre Brandon Gilbeck, the seven-footer who led the CEBL in blocks last season.

“That’s the challenge of it. You have to embrace it. You have to accept it. It’s part of it,” said Taylor. “You try to improve the team. That’s gonna mean some challenges. … But we’ve tried to turn it into a positive and make it something good. There were several situations that surprised us throughout the summer, but I think we embraced them.

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“I think every team that’s gonna win a championship has to define its identity and use those moments of adversity to try to figure themselves out. It’s about having your team in a good place, you know, for this playoff run.”

Forward Shane Gibson dribbles against Guelph. The Fraser Valley Bandits host the Guelph Nighthawks this on Thursday in the first playoff game held at the LEC. Photo: Fraser Valley Bandits. The Bandits have had depth in the front and backcourt.
Forward Shane Gibson dribbles against Guelph. The Fraser Valley Bandits host the Guelph Nighthawks this on Thursday in the first playoff game held at the LEC. Photo: Fraser Valley Bandits. The Bandits have had depth in the front and backcourt. Photo by Fraser Valley Bandits /jpg

Shane Gibson has been their go-to scorer, averaging 18.7 ppg, while Canadians Kennedy and James Karnik have been post beasts. The Windsor-born Kennedy, who was called up to the U23 national team for a spell this season, is third in scoring (14.5 ppg) and leads the Bandits in rebounding (8.3). Surrey’s Karnik, who played for Boston College, is second in both scoring (15.9) and rebounding (7.5).

“Our front office did a great job of starting a team with a strong Canadian core,” said Kennedy. “It’s really important when a lot of teams rely on their Americans to come in and be the guys. But we started off by acquiring a strong Canadian core which has proven to be the right path for us. I think relying on Canadian talent and trusting Canadian basketball is at an elite level (was the right choice). It’s the best level it’s been at, and it’s only growing.”

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The Bandits ended the regular season with a win over Edmonton after a tough two-game split in Ontario, where they beat Niagara but lost to Scarborough. But Taylor feels his team has had a chance to rest, heal up and just fine tune their system before heading into Thursday’s playoff game.

Guelph is an up-tempo team that loves to push in transition, and rely on an inside-out game in the half-court set. Having played them twice and beaten them once, Taylor and Co. Know what to expect in the first CEBL playoff game at the LEC.

“We’ve shown we can compete with the best teams in this league. We’ve beat everyone in the league,” said Taylor. ”We’ve been really consistent, a strong road team. We went through our adversity with the changing rosters and but it’s the playoffs, anything can happen.

“It’s single elimination, so it’s survive and advance. You know, we just want to try to be the best version of ourselves, be the best team, and be the best when it matters the most.”

jadams@postmedia.com

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