WINNIPEG —After a tough loss last night, the Manitoba Bisons women's basketball team came looking to take a win from the top team in U SPORTS on Saturday. It was a true test of wills down the stretch, and the Bisons lost by just one possession, 58-55, in an upset that would've been heard Canada-wide.
Hitting their stride right away, the Saskatchewan Huskies gained an early lead, scoring eight points before the Bisons could get any. It wouldn't be until four minutes into the first quarter when the Bisons could earn their first two points from free throws. They followed them up with a three-pointer from deep by Taylor Randall, fifth-year guard for the Bisons. The Huskies responded by tightening their defence and managed to gain some breathing room, ending the quarter 21-10.
The Huskies had a substantial lead at the start of the second quarter, but the Bisons quickly showed the Huskies that they shouldn't get comfortable. Tightening their defence and transitioning into their offence quicker, the Bisons could reel in the leading team and bring the game to a five-point difference.
"We wanted to be a bit more physical in the paint and do a better job on the boards," said Michele Sung, head coach of the Bisons. "I think we did a much better job today."
A three-pointer with just three seconds left on the shot clock brought a scare to the Bisons, but they quickly reciprocated with a three-pointer of their own. Taking advantage of the Huskies' slow offence, the Bisons got the score to just a two-point difference, the closest it had been since the game started. However, an unfortunate foul followed by a shooting foul gave the Huskies the chance to finish the quarter 33-28.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Bisons managed to take the lead for the first time all game. The Huskies scrambled to find substitutions that could stop the Bisons' tempo. Guard for the Bisons, Lauren Bartlett would drive a quick layup buzzer beater to finish the quarter in an intimate 42-44.
"We had a really off shooting night, and they had something to do with that," said Lisa Thomaidis, head coach for the Huskies.
The fourth quarter would only further increase the suspense. Throughout the entire 10 minutes would be a back-and-forth, point-for-point battle between the two teams. Neither team gained a lead of more than four points for nearly the whole quarter.
The game would come down to which team could capitalize on the other's mistakes more efficiently. After 10 minutes of nail-biting basketball, the Huskies managed to be the team to do just that, ending the game 58-55.
