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Leading scorer Shane Gibson returns for second season with Vancouver Bandits

Says Langley-based team has some ‘unfinished business’ after playoff disappointment last year
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Vancouver Bandits announced they have re-signed leading scorer Shane Gibson, seen here in a June 30, 2002 game, for his second consecutive Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season with the Langley-based professional basketball team. (Courtesy Vancouver Bandits)

Vancouver Bandits announced Thursday that the club has re-signed its 2022 leading scorer Shane Gibson for his second consecutive Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season with the Langley-based professional basketball team.

A 6-foot-2 guard from Killingly, Conn., Gibson played in 19 games and averaged a team-high 18.7 points, shot 47.5 per cent from the field (second on team), while also ranking second in assists (3.2) and fourth in rebounds per game (4.4) among Bandits players who dressed in at least 12 regular season games.

Gibson was named a member of the All-CEBL Second Team on Sept. 7, 2022.

His points per game average positioned him in the league’s top 10, while his sharpshooting from long distance placed him second among league leaders for three-pointers made (59).

Gibson said the team has some”unfinished business.”

“Last year ended way too soon and very short of our goal,” Gibson declared. “This summer we get another opportunity to bring the trophy where it belongs.”

The 33-year-old guard was a three-time All-Northeast Conference (NEC) selection and is the all-time leading scorer in Sacred Heart University (SHU) NCAA Division I program history, averaging 17.2 points per game over the course of four seasons for the Sacred Heart Pioneers between 2008-2013.

After his first year with the Bandits last summer, Gibson suited up for Defensor Sporting Club in Uruguay before later signing with his current club, Turkey’s TED Ankara Kolejliler.

Bandits head coach and general manager Kyle Julius said Gibson was “a tremendous leader for us last season and his ability to spark an offence and make big plays is second to none.”

READ ALSO: Campbell back with Bandits at Langley Events Centre for another season

Bandits begin the 2023 CEBL campaign on the road, Saturday, May 27, when the club takes on the Winnipeg Sea Bears at Canada Life Centre.

Fans will have their first chance to watch Gibson and company on home court at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, when Vancouver welcomes the Calgary Surge for its first-ever visit to Langley Events Centre

READ ALSO: Highlight to Bandits’ season will be hosting 2023 Championship Weekend

A highlight of the Bandit’s fifth CEBL campaign will be hosting Championship Weekend,which takes place between Friday, August 11 and Sunday, August 13 featuring three games of playoff basketball as part of a multi-day festival experience to celebrate the intersection of arts, culture and sport.

As hosts of Championship Weekend, the Bandits receive an automatic semifinal berth.

Season tickets for the fifth season of Bandits Basketball are available for purchase and can be accessed by clicking here, or by call 604-455-8881, or emailing tickets@thebandits.ca.


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