WINNIPEG, MB – The Saskatchewan Huskies were in Winnipeg to take on the Manitoba Bisons on Friday night. The Bisons came out swinging and proved to be too much for the Huskies, as Saskatchewan would fall 84-61 to the Bisons. With the win, Manitoba improves to 6-1, and are the only team in Canada West with just one loss on the year. The Huskies fall to 1-6. 

Intensity was the key for the Bisons as they swarmed the floor with a tough defense, causing the Huskies to give up a whopping seven turnovers early. The Bisons defence was complimented by their offence, with Isaac Miller-Jose taking charge with a three from deep and a backboard blk. He would finish the quarter with eight points, going 100 percent from the field. 

Bisons big man Simon Hildebrandt had another standout performance as he put on a show behind the three-point line, shooting 71.4% on 5/7 shooting. Miller-Jose was a human spark plug, giving the team energy on both sides, finishing the game with 14, seven and one. On the Huskies side, Tyrese Potoma led the Huskies with 18, two and one as both teams went to battle on the hardwood.  

The second quarter was dominated by Hildebrandt, who was tremendous from three, hitting three massive shots from behind the arc with ease. He would finish the half going 4/6 from deep, netting himself 14, five and two while continuing to build the momentum for this young, electric Bisons team. Potoma would go off for 13 points, with some crafty turnaround jumpers, but the Bisons looked unstoppable as they finished the half leading 46-22. 

The Huskies would try a different approach coming out in the third, slowing things down a bit instead of matching the Bison's pace. The change in play style would open up some nice offensive opportunities for the Huskies, but the Bison's offence was still proving to be a thorn in their side. The Bisons would lead going into the fourth 73-42. 

Manitoba would use their bench for most of the fourth quarter, as 11 different players would score for the Bisons. The Huskies seemed to find their groove late in the fourth quarter, but late comeback wouldn't take as the Bisons took the 84-61 win. 

Leading the Huskies in scoring was Tyrese Potoma, who had 18 points and two rebounds, with Maxwell Amoafo adding 17 points, 12 rebounds, and one block.

Game two of the series is Saturday night, as the two teams face off at 7:00 PM CST in Winnipeg. The live stream is available on CanadaWest.TV.