The Saskatchewan Rattlers were defeated by the Fraser Valley Bandits by a score of 87-75 in a Tuesday night tete-a-tete between the CEBL's two undefeated teams (insofar as 1-0 counts as "undefeated") at the Meridian Centre in St. Catherines.
The Bandits look strong in the opening minutes, though the Rattlers quickly took back control and the lead, pulling well ahead by the end of the first quarter. Saskatchewan was up 49-38 at the half, and seemed as if they were poised for their second win. Fraser Valley managed to tie the game up in the third, and trailed by just two going into the fourth. In the final frame, the Bandits sneaked ahead. The Rattlers just couldn't score. Negus Webster-Chan was able to drain a crucial game-tying three to keep things close as Elam time approached. The Bandits were up 78-72 going into the Elam Ending, making the target score 87. With the Bandits at 84, their stalwart spark-plug Marcus Capers was fouled past the three point line. He drained all three of his subsequent foul shots. Capers had been solid for the Bandits all evening, and so it seemed fitting that he would record the winning basket.
The star of the evening was the Bandits' Cam Forte, largely on account of his defensive performance. Forte tied the CEBL record for steals in a game with 6, a mark that previously belonged to the incomparable Bruce Massey, formerly of the 2019 Rattlers.
Another encouraging performance came from sideline reporter Amy Audibert, whose genuine enthusiasm for both the interviews she conducts and the action on the court is always unquestioningly conveyed. The most telling moment of the broadcast itself, however, was when color commentator Jevohn Shepherd mistook the Rattlers' totem animal for a bear. He seemed incredulous when he was informed that the team logo, and the "Rattler" it denotes, makes reference a snake.
With the loss, the Rattlers fall to 1-1. The Bandits, meanwhile, are the cream of the crop in the CEBL at 2-0, a complete about-face from their dismal 2019 campaign.
