Edmonton Stingers knocked off the Vancouver Bandits 92-78 in the second half of a home-and-home Canada Day long weekend series on Monday, July 3 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
After losing by 10 points to the Bandits at Langley Events Centre on July 1, the Stingers responded with an efficient shooting performance inside the arc and a team-high 19 points from Aher Uguak.
Uguak led the way with 19 points and four rebounds, but four other Stingers also recorded double-digit scoring performances
“We had a way better start (compared to Saturday),” Uguak said after the game. “The second half, especially the fourth quarter, was a little sloppy. We’re not where we wanna be yet, but things take time. I think we got better today and I like the ‘W’ for sure.”
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The Stingers’ ability to get to the rim was buoyed by the fact that Vancouver was playing without one and eventually two of its leading scorers in Nick Ward and Giorgi Bezhanishvili for most of the game.
Two days after combining to score 32 points against Edmonton, both Ward and Bezhanishvili failed to play in the fourth quarter this afternoon. Ward was ejected with two consecutive technical fouls in the second quarter, while Bezhanishvili fouled out towards the end of the third.
Before their absences, Ward and Bezhanishvili were flexing their muscles inside. Ward, specifically, recorded six points in the first quarter and seemed to overmatch Edmonton’s forwards.
Bezhanishvili, who recorded his fourth foul of the game halfway through the second frame, was forced to miss most of the quarter due to foul trouble.
Shortly after Bezhanishvili left for the bench, Ward was assessed a technical foul. Following a conversation with the Stingers’ bench, Ward received his second technical and was ejected from the game.
Ward finished with eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of action.
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In the absence of both starters, Shaquille Keith recorded a game-high 20 points for Vancouver off the bench.
Following halftime, Edmonton led 51-37. Bezhanishvili kept Vancouver in the game with six points in the third quarter. But Bezhanishvili recorded his fifth personal foul after fighting for a loose ball under the Edmonton basket.
A Jahenns Manigat three-pointer cut Edmonton’s lead to 15 by target score time, but the Stingers were able to close out the Bandits in the final frame.
Fueled by four points by Uguak in target score, Brody Clarke knocked down a free throw to close out the game at 92.
Next, Bandits return home to Langley Events Centre Sunday, July 9 at 7 p.m. to play Ottawa BlackJacks.
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