Alberta arrived with urgency and it showed from the opening tip. Playing with high energy and desperation, the Golden Bears delivered an outstanding shooting performance that proved to be the difference on the night.
Alberta shot an impressive 54 per cent from the field, a blistering 56 per cent from beyond the arc, and 80 per cent from the free-throw line. CanWest All-Star Isaac Simon led all scorers with 27 points, going 10-for-14 from the field and knocking down 6-of-8 three-pointers in a dominant offensive display.
The Herd, coming off a strong shooting performance the night before, struggled to find that same rhythm. Manitoba finished the game shooting 34.4 per cent from the field, 19.4 per cent from three, and 68 per cent from the line, unable to match Alberta’s pace or precision.
Alberta led wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 26–16 lead after the first quarter and extending the margin to 51–30 at halftime. The Golden Bears continued to control the game through the third quarter, leading 71–51, before closing out an 88–66 victory.
Statistically, the two teams were closely matched in most areas but ultimately, the difference came down to shooting efficiency.
Cieran O’Hara was a bright spot for Manitoba, turning in a strong performance with a double-double, scoring 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds. Taven Vigilance also provided a spark off the bench, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Krause finished with a team high 16 points and Watts, who is typically a steady contributor, was unable to find his usual rhythm on the night.
Post-game, Coach Schepp credited Alberta’s approach and execution:
“Alberta played with an energy and desperation that we did not match in the first half. They were able to take us out of rhythm offensively from the start.
They were absolutely lights out shooting tonight as well - hitting over 50 per cent from three in every quarter, 56 per cent for the game. Many of them from eight to ten feet beyond the line.”
With the loss, Manitoba falls to 8–6, slipping into a fourth-place tie with Calgary in the Prairie Conference. Alberta improves its record to 10–4 and remains in second place.
The Herd has now won three of its last four road games and will look to regroup as they return home for their final five regular-season games at home court, starting with the MacEwan Griffins on January 23 and 24.
⭐ Bisons Top Performers
Mason Kraus
18 pts • 6 rebs • 4 asts • 4 stls
Cieran O’Hara
13 pts • 11 rebs • 2 asts
Taven Vigilance
11 pts • 3 rebs • 1 asts
Tito Obasoto
9 pts • 1 rebs • 1 ast • 1 stl
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Box Score
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Point of View