With routines being altered and schedules being adjusted due to COVID-19, there's no better time to share some sports-related positivity. Below are two all-time classics from the 2019-20 University of Manitoba Bisons season to keep your spirits up.
Z-z-z-ziwa sinks buzzer beater three against Saskatchewan
From Jan. 18-19 – for the first time since 1994 – Investors Group Athletic Centre hosted two nationally ranked opponents for a Canada West men's basketball tilt. During that weekend span, the No. 10 ranked Manitoba Bisons went toe-to-toe against the No. 9 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies.
There were plenty of storylines heading into the contest, however the primary focus of attention quickly shifted to Manitoba's back court after fifth-year All-Canadian Rashawn Browne went down with a thigh injury.
A resilient group, the Bisons rallied around their captain, getting a career-high 24 points from elder statesman Andre Arruda at the forward position, and an additional 21 points from Canada West all-star James Wagner.
But with the contest on the line, it was fourth-year guard Keiran Zziwa – who enjoyed a career year with 14.6 points per game – who stepped up.
He nailed his first of back-to-back treys with 47 seconds left to go to give Manitoba a 72-70 lead. After Saskatchewan tied up the contest at the free throw line, Zziwa did his thing once more.
Manitoba called a timeout with 16 seconds left to get a side out, with the Glenlawn alum running down the clock before banking in a fade-away three with two defenders in his face to give the Bisons the win.
"It's kind of crazy, because there were a couple of instances in the last ten seconds where we got really fortunate," reflected Zziwa on the game-winner.
"James tried to get me the ball and that was almost a turnover, and then I tried to dribble out and almost stepped on the backcourt line. A lot of things just went our way, but also it was a big momentum boost for us to push for the rest of the season."
Zziwa's comments couldn't be more accurate, as Manitoba – who recorded their 12th win that night – finished the regular season with a 16-4 record, the best result in program history.
Lost in all the craziness of Manitoba's win on Jan. 18 was the fact that Zziwa had struggled with his shot up until the final minute of play. Six of his ten points came during that 47 second window in the fourth, however the veteran stayed composed all throughout the contest.
"Honestly I knew it was kind of a bad offensive game for me," he says.
"It doesn't matter for me usually if shots aren't falling, I just try and attack more. It came down to that one possession and Andre kicked it to me and that was the three that put us up two. Once I hit that one, I had no doubt in my mind that if I was to shoot any other shot from there on out that it was going in. My confidence didn't waiver."
Staying aggressive and not being afraid to get shots up were key in Zziwa's progression not just against the Huskies, but all season.
He scored a then career-high 30 points against the Winnipeg Wesmen in an instant classic on Nov. 21 in the men's basketball portion of the Duckworth Challenge, as Manitoba won 96-91 in overtime.
In the rematch against Saskatchewan on Jan. 19, he put in an all-time best 34 points, proving that he can be a go-to shooter while continuing to flex his muscles as one of the top defenders in the conference.
"I think what really gave my confidence the biggest boost was the 30-point game against the Wesmen. After that I felt like I belonged in this league and could hold my own. After the Sask game the confidence grew even more, and I knew I didn't have hold back and could shoot the shots I wanted to shoot."
