Bisons Fall to Wesmen

 

The Manitoba Bisons put together a determined effort but came up short in a 91–79 loss to the Winnipeg Wesmen in a hard-fought Prairie rivalry matchup.

The Herd set the tone early, opening the game with strong energy and building a 24–19 lead after the first quarter.

The momentum shifted in the second, however, as Winnipeg found its rhythm offensively and outscored the Bisons 30–15 to take a 49–39 advantage into halftime.

The Bisons responded coming out of the break with one of their best stretches of the night. Manitoba controlled the third quarter, outscoring the Wesmen 26–19 to cut the deficit to just three points, 68–65, heading into the final frame.

Winnipeg answered in the fourth, using timely shooting and execution down the stretch to pull away with a 23–14 quarter and secure the win.

Manitoba held an edge on the glass, outrebounding Winnipeg 40–32. Shooting percentages favoured the Wesmen, with the Bisons connecting on 45.1 per cent from the field, 28.0 per cent from three-point range, and 80.0 per cent from the free-throw line. The Wesmen shot 47.1 per cent overall, but their efficiency from beyond the arc (42.3 per cent) and at the line (87.5 per cent) proved to be decisive.

Turnovers were a key factor in the outcome. Manitoba committed 21 turnovers compared to Winnipeg’s 12, and the Wesmen capitalized by scoring 32 points off those miscues. Winnipeg’s ball movement was also evident, finishing with 24 assists to Manitoba’s 15.

Mason Kraus led the Bisons with a strong all-around performance, finishing with 19 points and nine assists.

Ramoji Nyagudi added 14 points and six rebounds, though his impact was limited after early foul trouble in the second quarter forced him to sit for the remainder of the half.

Daren Watts contributed 12 points, while Cieran O’Hara recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Wesmen’s Malachi Alexander led all scorers with 26 points. Following the game, head coach Kirby Schepp pointed to offensive execution as the difference. “We were out of sync today on offense,” Schepp said. “Way too many turnovers, and most of them were live-ball turnovers. They had 32 points off our turnovers alone. It’s tough to get stops when your defense is always scrambling to get back. Winnipeg is too good of a team to make that many mistakes against.”

The Bisons showed resilience and competitiveness, particularly in their third-quarter response, but will look to tighten up ball security and execution as they prepare for their next challenge against the Brandon Bobcats at home next weekend.

With the loss, the Herd drop to 11–7 on the season and are tied with the Dinos for fourth in the Prairie Conference. Wesmen improve to 14–4, maintaining their spot atop the conference standings.

Watts connects from beyond the arc for three of his 12 points, with Don Stewart defending.

Brandt Lenz goes up strong scoring two of his seven points on the night.

Nyagudi, who finished with 14 points, attacks the basket against Wesmen defender Elijah Mensah.

Wesmen’s Malachi Alexander and Bisons’ Mason Kraus were named Players of the Game.

⭐ Bisons Top Performers Mason Kraus 19 pts • 9 asts • 7 rebs  • 2 stls Ramogi Nyagudi 14 pts • 10 asts • 6 rebs  • 1 stl Daren Watts 12 pts • 7 rebs • 4 stls • 1 ast  Cieran O’Hara 11 pts  • 10 rebs • 4 asts • 1 blk Click here for Box Score Note: Congratulations to the Bison’s women’s team, who dominated the Wesmen 76-61. Taylor Schepp led all scorers with 20 points.