Bandits' second half comeback not enough, Sea Bears snap winning streak

The Vancouver Bandits second half resurgence wasn’t enough as the Winnipeg Sea Bears snapped their three-game winning streak on Friday night.

Heading into their first matchup of the season, both teams had won their previous three games, while the Bandits were without Izaiah Brockington, Tyrese Samuel and Kyle Mangas all who were placed on the CEBL’s suspended list as they work out with NBA teams for Summer League opportunities.

All eyes were on Jalen Harris and Simi Shittu who couldn’t be stopped in the first half, combining for 34 points.

Harris finished the game with 22 points on 10-20 shooting, while Shittu recorded a double double with a game-high 27 points and 14 rebounds.

It was a slow start for both teams with the Bandits starting the game 4-9 from the field, while the Sea Bears hit just three of their first eight field goals.

The Sea Bears led 21-20 at the end of the first quarter but ballooned their lead to 54-52 by half-time and didn’t look back.

Harris and Shittu were all over the box score in the first half. Shittu recorded a pair of and ones at the rim, while Harris soared in for an electric putback dunk at the 3:09 mark of the second quarter for the 12th of his 16 first half points.

The Sea Bears moved into a zone defense to end the second half, forcing the Bandits into some contested shots.

A half-time performance by Jazzy B injected some life into the Bandits, and they began the second half on an 11-6 scoring run. Two Mitch Creek and ones and some defensive plays from Sam Maillet helped the Bandits cut lead to 73-70 heading into the final frame.

Once the 4th quarter started, the tide started to roll in the Bandits favour. A once 13 point lead for the Sea Bears faded away when the Bandits took a 79-77 lead at the 6:12 mark of the fourth quarter.

With the Bandits’ pressure, Terry Roberts came alive to pull away his team, recording seven points and a block in the final five minutes to clinch the victory for Winnipeg.

Roberts was the final victim for the Bandits faithful as the guard scored his 27th point to win the game in target time on a three pointer.

Mitch Creek, who exited the game in target time after a hard fall, led the Bandits with 27 points and seven rebounds.

Seven missed free throws for the Bandits was the difference maker as they dropped their second game of the season.

The Bandits are next in action on Sunday to take on the Calgary Surge at the WinSport Event Centre. The Sea Bears will look for five straight wins when they head to Edmonton for a matchup with the Stingers.