HUSKIES DROP ROAD GAME TO BISONS2013-02-08
WINNIPEG - The Manitoba Bisons men's basketball team has moved into a share of first place in Canada West's Prairie Division with an 83-74 win over the #9 Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday, Feb. 8 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre (U of M campus).
The win coupled with an Alberta Golden Bears loss on Friday night against Winnipeg allowed Manitoba to make the jump in the standings. However, the Bisons have not yet clinched a playoff spot in a tight Prairie Division. Alberta and Manitoba now sit with 28 points while Saskatchewan sits in third with 26. Winnipeg and Calgary trail in fourth place with 12 wins each.
Stephan Walton led Manitoba (14-6) with 20 points in the contest. Kevin Oliver chipped in with a double-double performance, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Stephon Lamar led all Saskatchewan (13-6) scorers with 20 points and Canada West Male Athlete of the Week Matthew Forbes chipped in with 15.
Game Stats
The two teams were tied at 24 after a highly competitive first quarter. Both teams shot extremely well in the quarter with both clocking in at over 50 percent. The back-and-forth play continued in the second, with the Huskies heading into half with a 44-38 lead. Walton and Lamar led their respective teams with 10 points at the break.
Manitoba came out strong to start the third quarter, tying the game by going on an 8-2 run which included a pair of three pointers from Jonar Huertas. The Bisons finished the quarter strong, grabbing a four point lead heading into the fourth and holding the visitors to only ten points in the quarter. The home team won the rebound battle in the third by a 19-10 margin; a stat that left the Saskatchewan bench upset towards the end of the quarter.
The intensity continued to escalate in the fourth quarter and the Saskatchewan bench remained frustrated, this time by a Manitoba field goal that the Huskies contested did not beat the shot clock. The Bisons continued to grow their lead from that point. A Huertas jump shot put the home team up 75-68 with three minutes remaining in the game and they did not look back from that point.
The two sides meet again tomorrow in another important game that should pick up from where it left off. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT.
