The Bisons came up just shy in a thrilling battle against Lakehead, dropping a close one 90–87 on Friday afternoon in front of a loud and energetic crowd packed with school-age students.
Manitoba led 22–19 after the first quarter and entered halftime tied 43–43. Lakehead gained momentum in the third, stretching their lead to as much as 11 and heading into the fourth up 68–61.
The Herd mounted a furious comeback in the final minutes, but Darren Watts’ potential game-tying three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining just missed.
Manitoba shot a solid 46% from the field but struggled on the glass, as Lakehead grabbed 20 offensive rebounds and outscored the Bisons 24–8 on second-chance points.
Darin Watts (pictured above) led the Herd with 23 points, while Tito Abasoto added 11 and Brandt Lenz (pictured below) contributed 10 off the bench.
Top scorer for Lakehead was Chris Sagl with 32 points.
Mason Kraus sat out his second consecutive game as he continues to recover from a sprained ankle sustained in practice earlier this week.
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In the other game Friday afternoon, Winnipeg defeated UBCO 73-63.
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While Lakehead and UBCO each play three games in this tournament, Manitoba and Winnipeg play only two, as the city rivals don’t face each other in this pre-season event.
The only game on today’s schedule is UBCO vs Lakehead at 2:00 p.m. at IGAC.
Tournament Standings:
Winnipeg Wesmen – 2–0
Manitoba Bisons – 1–1
Lakehead Thunderwolves – 1–1
UBCO Heat – 0–2