Monkey off Bisons back with win
Men’s basketball team earns first victory 96-80 over Dinos
Vuthana Suon, Staff
Photo by Derek Law.
It would be a bit of an understatement to say the winless U of M Bison men’s basketball team had nowhere to go but up. On Saturday night (Nov. 19) at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, the Bison men assured themselves they no longer have to carry the burden of being winless, as they notched their first win of the season.
Still reeling from a heartbreaking 83-81 loss the night before, which ended with a buzzer beater by the U of C Dinos, Bison veterans Darcy Coss and Jon Lundgren led the herd to a decisive 96-80 win in game two. The victory leaves the Bisons at 1-5 this season.
Lundgren recorded a game high 22-points on 7-for-18 shooting on Saturday. The fifth-year forward began his university career with the Bisons and returned this season to don the brown and gold, after suiting up for the Trinity Western University Spartans for a few years.
Coming back to the herd was an easy decision for the seasoned veteran, having previously played for Bison coach Minich Nowrang.
“I’m probably not going to be playing in the NBA,” Lundgren said. “So the next best thing was to come back to finish up my education degree and become a gym teacher.”
Lundgren brings leadership in addition to his athletic skills to a very young and inexperienced team, said Nowrang.
“Jon has been phenomenal; when he came back to play for us, I knew he’d bring awesome leadership and awesome energy,” said Nowrang. “He’s also really bought in to what we’re trying to do and he’s been really patient with the young guys, and tonight that showed.”
Though the season is still young, Lundgren has already garnered a number of awards, including tournament all-star honours at both the Brandon University Invitational and University of Winnipeg Invitational tournaments.
Lundgren set the mood early on Saturday, scoring nine of the herd’s first 11 points. However, the game was close until the final few minutes of the first half, when the Bisons closed out the half strongly, led by Lundgren and third-year guard Vyron Phillips, taking a 49-37 advantage to the locker room.
“It was a good first half for us — we made shots, rebounded hard, and it carried us to the second half,” said Lundgren.
The second half was a continuation of the first, with the Bisons extending their lead to as much as 20, thanks to Coss’s six three-pointers. Unlike past games, the Bisons were able to hold onto their lead until the final buzzer.
“This game was a big relief for us. Hopefully, we can build on this win and get a few more after this” said a relieved Lundgren.
The Dinos were led by the duo of Brian Finniss, with a team high 20 points, and Chris Wright, who earned a double double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Next week, Lundgren and the rest of the Bisons look to stampede into Regina, as they take on the CIS No. 8- ranked Cougars (5-1).
