Calgary led 22–21 after the first quarter, but Manitoba responded with purpose. A strong second frame pushed the Bisons ahead 44–34 at halftime, and they maintained control through most of the third.
Despite a 9–2 Calgary run early in the quarter, highlighted by a Calgary three that trimmed the lead to 46–43, the Bisons answered right back. A soaring one-handed dunk from O’Hara, followed by a steal-and-score from Watts, rebuilt Manitoba’s momentum and sent them into the fourth up 63–56.
From there, the closing minutes turned into a back-and-forth battle. Calgary crashed the boards effectively and continued to shoot confidently from deep. Franson delivered the dagger with back-to-back triples in the final minute, giving the Dinos a late lead.
Manitoba still had their chances. With under 20 seconds remaining, the Bisons generated two excellent looks in the lane, including a 12-footer from Brandt Lenz that rattled out. Unfortunately, neither attempt dropped.
“It was a tough game,” said Head Coach Kirby Schepp. “We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. We really struggled down the stretch and they made several big shots. We led for most of the way and were in control for much of the game.”
Manitoba played without star guard Mason Kraus, sidelined due to injury.
With the result, Calgary improves to 5–4, while the Bisons move to 4–4.
Manitoba will look to regroup and bounce back in tonight’s rematch.
⭐ Bisons Top Performers
Darin Watts
18 pts • 7 rebs • 4 asts • 2 stls
Brandt Lenz
15 pts • 4 asts • 4 rebs • 1 stl
Cieran O’Hara
15 pts • 10 rebs • 5 asts • 3 stls
Ramoji Nyagudi
10 pts • 1 rebs • 1 asts
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