The Bisons set the tone early, jumping out to a 27–19 lead at the end of the first quarter while shooting an efficient 61 percent from the field and an impressive 55.6 percent from beyond the arc. While Manitoba controlled the pace, the MacEwan Griffins found opportunities to stay within striking distance.
The Bisons cooled off slightly in the second quarter, shooting 35 percent (7-of-20), which allowed the Griffins to chip away at the lead. MacEwan outscored Manitoba 20–18 in the frame, trimming the Bisons’ advantage to six points heading into halftime.
Any momentum the Griffins had built was short-lived. The Herd came out firing in the third quarter, delivering a dominant stretch on both ends of the floor. Manitoba shot a blistering 69 percent from the field and outscored MacEwan 29–11, opening up a commanding 74–50 lead heading into the final quarter.
With the outcome well in hand, both teams played evenly in the fourth, as the Bisons closed out a convincing 96–71 victory.
Manitoba asserted its dominance on the glass, outrebounding the Griffins 47–27. Cieran O’Hara led all players with 13 rebounds, while the Bisons’ ball movement was equally impressive, recording 26 assists compared to MacEwan’s 11. Mason Kraus orchestrated the offense, handing out 10 assists on the night.
Offensively, it was a standout performance for rookie Ramogi Nyagudi, who led all scorers with a career-high 33 points. Nyagudi was remarkably efficient, shooting 13-of-20 from the field and 7-of-10 from three-point range.
Darren Watts also delivered a strong outing, finishing with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-6 from long range.
Overall, the Bisons shot 51.5 percent from the field, while holding MacEwan to just 40.3 percent, capping off a complete team performance on both ends of the floor.
Post-game comments from Coach Schepp: “Despite the final score, this was a much tougher battle tonight. We started strong again, jumping out to a 15–2 lead, but MacEwan played with much more energy, made some difficult shots, and stayed close throughout the first half. We were able to pull away late in the third quarter with excellent ball movement and some hot shooting. Ramogi Nyagudi had his best weekend as a collegiate player. He sparked several key runs for us and was very good at both ends of the floor. Our ‘Rock,’ Darren Watts, had another highly efficient night, and we also turned in one of our best rebounding performances of the season.”
With the victory, Manitoba improves to 10–6 on the season and remains tied with Calgary for fourth place in the Prairie Conference, as the playoff race continues to tighten. MacEwan drops to 3–15 and remains at the bottom of the standings.
The win also marks Manitoba’s fifth victory in its last six outings in the new year.
The Bisons will look to keep that momentum rolling on Thursday night when they host the #6 nationally ranked Winnipeg Wesmen in the annual Duckworth Challenge, with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. | 
