The Bisons men’s basketball team lost 62-60 to the Winnipeg Wesmen on Friday, Jan. 31. The Bisons bounced back stronger to claim a 78-74 win over the Wesmen in a rematch on Saturday, Feb. 1.
The Bisons and the Wesmen made a strong start in game one. The Wesmen opened the score with Lamar Everd’s three-point jump shot, but Daren Watts quickly responded for the Bisons with a three-pointer at the 8:21 mark, assisted by Cieran O’Hara. At 5:35, O’Hara tied the game with a two-point jump shot, assisted by Mason Kraus, bringing the score to 10-10. The Bisons then pushed harder, ultimately taking an 18-16 lead by the end of the first quarter with a layup made by O’Hara at 0:34.
In the second quarter, the Bisons took control, extending their lead to 27-20 at the 7:03 mark with a layup from Watts. The Wesmen then shifted their strategy, tying the game at 30-30 after Emmanuel Thomas made free throws at 1:32. Later, a jump shot from Andre Gray II at 0:46 provided the Bisons with a narrow 33-32 advantage.
The third quarter promised excitement as the teams were tied 33-33 at 9:06. With just three minutes and one second remaining, Everd from the Wesmen made free throws to level the score at 40-40. The Bisons then adjusted their game plan, gaining a slim 44-43 lead when Brandt Lenz hit a jump shot, assisted by Kraus, at the 1:05 mark.
The two teams continued trading baskets in the fourth quarter, with the Bisons maintaining their lead until 3:18, when Shawn Maranan hit a three-point jump shot to give the Wesmen a narrow 55-54 advantage. Despite a determined final push by the Bisons, the Wesmen’s resilience secured a 62-60 victory.
The Bisons men’s basketball coach Kirby Schepp recounted how the game turned out and outlined potential strategy for the rematch.
“It was a very hard-fought defensive battle. I thought we struggled offensively for much of the game. I thought both teams struggled offensively for much of the game and it became a physical battle the whole way that came down to who had the last possession,” said Schepp. “We’ll look at the film and we’ll make adjustments for tomorrow for sure.”
Kraus reflected on the game and how they can win the matchup.
“They were more physical than us, they battled us on the glass. We just got to box out, get some more rebounds. And then [when] some late fouls come toward us, we just got to stay clean. We just got to play our game, play stronger and that’s it,” he said. “We just got to come out hard and play our game.”
In the first quarter of game two, the Bisons made a strong statement by taking an 8-0 lead at the 6:27 mark with Lenz’s three-point jump shot, assisted by Manyang Tong. The Bisons held their momentum, finishing the quarter with a 19-12 lead.
In the second quarter, the Bisons played with relentless pressure, extending their lead to 40-27 at 2:01 with a layup from Gray II, assisted by Barac Thon. Although the Wesmen attempted a comeback, the Bisons held firm with a 40-34 lead.
In the third quarter, both teams reshaped their strategies, resulting in a 48-48 tie at 0:55. Shortly after, the Wesmen took a narrow 50-48 lead when Everd made a layup at 0:25.
The Wesmen kept up their lead in the fourth quarter until the 0:27 mark when Kraus stepped up with a free throw, tying the game at 68-68, which remained the final score at the end of regulation.
In overtime, the Bisons responded with zeal, taking a 71-70 lead after Watts came through with a three-point jump shot, assisted by Kraus at 4:36. The Bisons held firm, refusing to surrender their advantage, and secured a deserving 78-74 win.
The Bisons men’s basketball team is third on the Canada West Prairie league standings with a winning percentage of 0.750, after 12 wins and four losses.
The Bisons men’s basketball team will play the MacEwan Griffins on Friday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. CT and on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. CT in Edmonton.
