The Bisons men’s basketball team recorded an 89-76 win against the Brandon University Bobcats on Friday, Feb. 6 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre.
The Bisons took control, earning a 17-5 lead at 2:27 in the first quarter after a jump shot by Mason Kraus. Daren Watts made a layup at 1:06, assisted by Kraus, to make it 21-7. At 0:25, Cieran O’Hara scored on a layup, assisted by Kraus, extending the lead to 23-7. Arjun Hehar made a layup for the Bobcats with 15 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 23-9.
Watts scored on a layup at 4:06 in the second quarter to give the Bisons a 35-17 lead. Ramogi Nyagudi made a layup at 1:45 to extend the advantage to 40-21. Malik Brown made a free throw for the Bobcats with three seconds remaining, making the score 40-23 at halftime.
Kraus made a layup at 6:49, assisted by Watts, in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 49-30. Taven Vigilance made a layup at 2:51, to keep the advantage 60-42. With three seconds to end the quarter, Vigilance made a jump shot to bring the score to 66-52.
At 6:22 in the fourth quarter, Kraus made a free throw, giving the Bisons a 74-54 lead. Miguel Nitro scored on a layup at 1:12 to extend the margin to 85-69. Watts made a dunk at 0:37, assisted by Tito Obasoto, to make it 89-71. At 0:00, Travis Hamberger made a three-point jump shot for the Bobcats, but the Bisons secured an 89-76 victory.
In the second game on Saturday, Feb. 7, the Bisons continued their strong play, defeating the Bobcats 87-65.
The Bisons led 29-16 after the first quarter and outscored the Bobcats 21-11 in the second quarter. The Bobcats responded by winning the third quarter 21-19, but the Bisons held on, taking the fourth quarter 18-17 to achieve the win.
Bisons men’s basketball coach Kirby Schepp reflected on the victory after the game. “It was a tough game,” he said. “The game didn’t mean a lot to [the Bobcats], so they were resting guys for playoffs. It was a great opportunity to get a lot of our bench in, get them some experience a little bit. In some ways it was a tough game to play in, but I’m just glad we got the win and we’re looking forward to playoffs.”
Before the game, seniors Kraus, Watts, O’Hara, Obasoto, Samuel Jensen and Manyang Tong were recognized. Schepp described the group as “family.”
Schepp explained why he chose to start the game with those seniors. “I just wanted to give those guys one last run together. We started in the second half, too, and that was probably the last time those five guys will play together, at least on this floor. It was just great to see them go out.”
Obasoto talked about his experience playing alongside his fellow seniors. “Honestly, it’s surreal. I [wouldn’t trade it] for the world. I had the opportunity to go somewhere else and a big part of me staying at home was the group of guys we had. The fact that we all played since we were in elementary school, middle school, high school, and we got to play together on the biggest stage just meant the world to me. Honestly, I feel like the chemistry is what put us above and had us break the record. That’s what it’s all about — camaraderie and chemistry.”
He shared his thoughts on what lies ahead for Bisons men’s basketball. “We have a bright future. I feel like the young guys got the right environment to grow and practice with five great seniors every day, day in and day out. Practices aren’t easy. Practices are harder than games sometimes […] and they have the right preparation to do great things next year.”
Kraus also spoke about his experience playing with fellow seniors on the team. “It was a great experience with all of our guys competing, getting some of the young guys in today. It was just great seeing them, especially since next year six of us are going to be gone.” He believed that the future of Bisons men’s basketball is “going to be bright.”
Kraus added, “Our old guys set a good tone and a good standard for the young guys so they can come in every day and compete and just show what they got.”
