Winnipeg basketball fans were treated to an intense, hard-fought weekend series between two of the top teams in the country. The Bisons and Wesmen battled in a home-and-away matchup that delivered high-level competition and plenty of drama.
After a tough loss on Friday night, the Bisons bounced back with a thrilling 74-70 overtime victory on Saturday.
Manitoba started strong, surging to a 12-point lead in the first quarter and holding a 40-34 advantage at halftime. The third quarter, however, saw the Herd struggle from beyond the arc, missing several open three-point attempts. This allowed the Wesmen to rally, taking a 50-48 lead heading into the fourth.
Winnipeg maintained control deep into the final minutes, and with under 20 seconds left, the Wesmen led by three with possession. Forced to foul, the Bisons sent Don Stewart to the free-throw line, where he missed both attempts. Manitoba secured the rebound, quickly pushed the ball up the court, and Mason Kraus drove to the hoop, drawing a foul and converting a clutch three-point play to tie the game.
With eight seconds remaining, the Wesmen had one last chance, but Kraus came up huge again, blocking Shawn Manahan’s layup attempt to force overtime.
In overtime, the Bisons took control with lockdown defense and composed execution on offense, outscoring the Wesmen 10-6 to secure the victory!
The Bisons dealt the No. 3 nationally ranked Wesmen (13-3) just their third loss of the season—two of which have come at the hands of the Herd. With the victory, Manitoba improves to 12-4, sitting just one game back of first place.
