EDMONTON, Alta. - Fifth-year
Emmanuel Bonsu scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Saskatchewan Huskies to a 71-57 victory over the Alberta Golden Bears Saturday night at the Saville Centre.
It was a remarkable effort to lead the Huskies to their third win of the season, as he hit three tough triples over draped defenders to stave off any Alberta momentum in the final frame. He finished with 17 points on six-of-12 shooting, and was joined in the win by
Easton Thimm who had a game-high 19 points.
Alberta saw a converted effort on both ends, but were simply unable to knock down three's, part of their season-long identity. Kyle Varner led the team with 14 points, but a six-for-33 mark from beyond the arc proved too much to overcome. They move to 9-3 on the season but still hold first place in the Prairie Division.
It was a tight first half with a one point lead from Alberta after one turning into a three point Saskatchewan lead at the break. There were plenty of scoring runs on both sides, as an Alberta 7-0 run early in the second quarter had them in control, but the Huskies would buckle down from there to take the lead, led by 12 points from
Easton Thimm who was terrific. The biggest edge the visitors held was in the paint, where they outscored the hosts 26-14, thanks in no small part to Thimm. Saskatchewan entered the third quarter up 40-37, looking to continue their success under the basket.
The third quarter was a remarkable shift to a physical, defensive game, as the squads combined for just 16 points in the quarter. However, the Huskies continued to pad their lead, as they won the quarter 10-6 to head into the final frame 50-43.
The Bears would battle back throughout the quarter, eventually getting as close as a four-point deficit on the heels of some great play from Nash Semeniuk and Caiden Kushnir. However,
Emmanuel Bonsu hit two straight phenomenal threes to put the visitors up by ten, a lead they would not renege as they left Edmonton with a split weekend series.
The Bears play host to the Manitoba Bisons next weekend, while the Huskies remain on the road to take on the Lethbridge Pronghorns.
