Mitch Creek set a Vancouver Bandits single-game playoff scoring record, a 27-point performance that helped helped the Langley-based team advance to their second-ever Championship Final appearance, as they held off a late Calgary Surge rally on Friday, Aug. 9, for an 89-87 win at Verdun Auditorium.
Helping the Aussie on the night was league MVP Taz茅 Moore who finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and Nick Ward who put up 17 points, eight rebounds and five blocks off the bench.
Zach Copeland had arguably his quietest game of the season, finishing with just nine points on 3-for-11 shooting, but that didn鈥檛 stop Bandits鈥� head coach Kyle Julius from having the import guard on the floor for Target Score Time.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no way we can play (Target Score Time) without Zach,鈥� Julius said.
Julius鈥� decision paid off as Copeland received a pass off a Koby McEwen offensive rebound and drilled his lone three of the contest to send Vancouver to the Championship Final.
Calgary knocked down back-to-back-to-back triples -- capped off by Justin Jackson hitting one from the right corner at the buzzer 鈥� to lead 23-20 after the first frame.
It was short-lived, however, as the Bandits went on a 9-2 run of their own in the second quarter.
Creek spearheaded the charge as he scored all nine of those points as part of a game-high 18 in the first half. Vancouver made sure not to waste the import鈥檚 effort as Copeland drilled a step back jumper from the left elbow in the dying seconds of the frame to put the Bandits up 47-41, the largest lead of either team at the break.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about taking what comes,鈥� Creek said on his record-setting performance after the win. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a reflection of the team and culture we have 鈥� it鈥檚 not about points or steals 鈥� it鈥檚 about winning.鈥�
Vancouver kept that trend going as action resumed in the second half, going on a 10-0 run in third quarter, scoring all but two of those points at the rim. The most emphatic basket of that run came courtesy of a fastbreak alley-oop dunk from Moore off a slick feed from Copeland.
And despite trailing by as many as 11 points in the third, the Surge responded with an 11-4 run that once again came courtesy of knocking down shots from distance. Calgary hit three triples in the final three minutes of the frame to cut the deficit to 70-67 ahead of the fourth.
Calgary hit four more threes in the fourth quarter -- a Davis Jr. triple in Target Score Time even briefly giving the Surge an 83-82 lead 鈥� but ultimately it wasn鈥檛 enough. Ward threw down a dunk and split a pair of free throws and Creek drilled a three before Copeland made himself as the game鈥檚 hero by knocking down the game winner.
鈥淔or us it鈥檚 always about one more thing and right now it鈥檚 about one more win and we鈥檒l be champions,鈥� said Creek.
With the win, the Bandits will play the Niagara River Lions, winners of Friday鈥檚 Eastern Conference in Sunday鈥檚 championship game, which tips off at 3 p.m.
