Sea Bears Close Out Regular Season, Turning Focus to Playoffs After Vancouver Loss

It was a difficult afternoon for Winnipeg from the start. After a delayed tip-off due to Sea Bears travel disruptions, Vancouver came out firing and never looked back. The Bandits built a 17-point lead after the first quarter and continued to pull away, with Mychal Mulder delivering a great shooting performance, 29 points on 11-of-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from three. Mitch Creek added 28 points and six assists to go with it.

Emmanuel Akot was Winnipeg's brightest spot offensively, finishing with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep. Xavier Moon chipped in 15 points, and D.J. Burns contributed 13 off the bench. Despite the lopsided result, the afternoon was not without a milestone: Teddy Allen broke the franchise record for most three-pointers made in a single season, adding to his legacy as one of the most dangerous shooters in Sea Bears history.

Simon Hildebrandt acknowledged the travel situation was not ideal, but the group is already looking ahead. "It definitely wasn't ideal, but at the end of the day, we got to find a way to battle through adversity and play better on the floor," he said. With the playoffs just days away, Hildebrandt's focus was already shifting. "Short memory. We got a big home game. We got a great home crowd. Just be ready and focus on that one."



The regular season is over. The real work starts Wednesday.

UP NEXT

The Sea Bears open the Western Conference Semifinal at home against the Saskatoon Mamba on Wednesday, August 6 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Let's pack the Den — get your playoff tickets here!