The Fraser Valley Bandits were on the wrong side of history on Wednesday (Aug. 4) in Edmonton.
A historical 25-0 consecutive point run in the second quarter turned the game on its head and paved the way for a dominant 106-65 win for the Edmonton Stingers.
Fraser Valley actually led 28-14 after the first quarter, but after the historic scoring run in the second they trailed 49-32 at halftime. The second quarter saw Edmonton outscore Fraser Valley 35-4.
That consecutive run is the biggest in Canadian Elite Basketball League history and Edmonton’s 106 points is also the most points scored by any team this season.
But the Bandits can take solace in the fact they aren’t the 1986-87 Sacramento Kings. Back on Feb. 4, 1987, the Lakers opened the game on a 29-0 run and set an NBA record. They led 40-4 after the first quarter also setting a record for fewest points allowed in a quarter since the shot clock was implemented (that record was then broken by the Dallas Mavericks in 1997 and the Golden State Warriors in 2004 with two points).
Another notable run was a 40-0 for the Ohio Bobcats over the Cleveland State University Vikings last December. That was the longest consecutive scoring run in NCAA Division I history.
The 40-0 run for @OhioMBasketball is the longest scoring run for a @NCAA D-I team against another D-I in history.
— Russ Eisenstein (@RussEisenstein) December 6, 2020
The Bandits shot just 31 per cent from the field and hit six of 25 shots from beyond the arc. Alex Campbell led Fraser Valley with 21 points, while Brandon Gilbeck had a solid game with 11 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. Jahmal Jones of the Stingers led all players with 28 points and nine assists.
“I think it was a little bit of a lack of confidence for us. Early in the game, I thought the first quarter was the best quarter of our season,” stated Bandits head coach David Singleton. “As we tell these guys, one quarter can change a game. We got away from what we were doing and started turning it over and missing shots, and it unraveled from there.”
Fraser Valley will battle Edmonton again in the Alberta capital on Friday starting at 6:30 p.m. Abbotsford time. The Bandits then close off the season in Saskatoon with games against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Sunday and Tuesday.
One win by the Bandits will guarantee the team hosts a playoff game at the Abbotsford Centre.
