WINNIPEG – Even with the opposition scheming to stop her, there was no denying Taylor Randall on Saturday afternoon.

The fifth-year guard was fantastic in a victory for Bisons women's basketball (2-4), scoring 24 points on 9-for-19 shooting, adding five rebounds to keep a scrappy Brandon Bobcats (0-6) team at bay.

"I'm sure if you asked her she'd say she had a poor shooting game, but it was 40% from the field, 50% from three, and she got to the free throw line," said Bisons head coach Michele Sung. 

"She struggled yesterday, just in reality, so the way she responded really shows the growth over the last couple of years, which is huge."

Brandon, meanwhile, was led by 13 points each from Chelsea Misskey and Piper Ingalls, as the pair combined to go 9-for-19 from the field.

At the outset, it looked like Manitoba would have a repeat of Friday's runaway win. Starting 4-for-5 from the field, the Bisons went up 10-0, which included four points from Randall. Brandon turned up the defensive intensity after that, though, putting together a 17-6 stretch as a response.

"We've struggled the last four games with giving up massive runs, so we talked about that," said Sung. "If there are things in our control, we take care of it and if they're playing well, we need to manage it and know our time will come."

The game became a trench battle after, as both teams challenged the other with full-court pressure and traps to throw off their offence. It was the Bisons who would get some breathing room before halftime, though, as a Lauren Bartlett three with just over four minutes left in the half put Manitoba up five. The home side went into the break up 37-32.

At the start of the second half, Manitoba went on an important run to build their lead. A key bucket came from Autumn Agar, who had a hook shot in the post to put Manitoba up 43-34. Agar was one of the Bisons' most efficient players on Saturday, going 4-for-7 for eight points and grabbing ten boards.

"She's really earned it," said Sung. "She's been proactive in her development, getting comfortable in systems, and picking and choosing when she can be physical — which she does well. Her ability to play two ways is huge for us."

Brandon would commit five turnovers in the first four minutes of the third and put Manitoba into the bonus early, which hurt their opportunities to get out and run. While their defence remained stout, the visitors were unable to get shots to go down — finishing 31.3% from the field as a team and 29.6% from three.

With 2:11 left in the third, the Bisons would get the lead into double digits — which they wouldn't give up the rest of the way. Randall drilled a three-pointer to put Manitoba up 50-39, while Lauren Bartlett drew a charge on the other end for a Bobcats turnover.

Next weekend, both teams will be challenged by the East division's top teams. The Bisons visit Saskatchewan to close out the first half, while Brandon will play host to the Winnipeg Wesmen