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Daren Watts

Men's Basketball Mike Still, Bison Sports

WEEKEND PREVIEW: Basketball, men's hockey kick off second half at home

Numerous players are approaching career milestones in their respective sports.

The Bisons are back in action this weekend, kicking off the back half of the season with men's hockey and basketball hosting. Numerous players are approaching career milestones and playoff positioning is at stake all across the board. 

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL VERSUS REGINA, 6 PM FRIDAY, 5 PM SATURDAY (CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS)
  • Sitting at 2-8, the women's basketball team are just outside a top 12 position in CanWest, aiming to spring into a playoff spot with success against 5-3 Regina. 
  • The teams last met in November of 2022, with the Cougars winning both games, 91-82 and 75-62. Emerson Martin, Lauren Bartlett and Emily Johnson combined for 60 points in the series.
  • This will be Bisons guard Treyah Paquette's first time facing her former team in the regular season. Paquette played for the Cougars last year on both the basketball and soccer teams, the first female to ever do so.
  • Bisons sharp-shooter Emily Mandamin is third in Canada West in three-point efficiency, operating at 46.7 percent. Emerson Martin is 12th at 37.9 percent.
  • Lauren Bartlett has the highest career minutes per game (32.8) and assists per game (4.5) totals in program history. Overall, she's in the top ten in nine different categories, including assist to turnover ratio (1.3, seventh) and three point percentage (38.8, second)
  • Emily Johnson's career field goal percentage of 48 percent is second in Bisons history 
  • The Cougars have a player in the top three in CanWest in points per game (Jade Belmore, 19.3, second), rebounds per game (Ryenn Schutz, 10.5, third) and three point percentage (Dayna Pearce, 45.1, fourth).
  • Emily Johnson is tied for eighth in CanWest, with 77 total rebounds

MEN'S BASKETBALL VERSUS REGINA, 8 PM FRIDAY, 7 PM SATURDAY (CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS)
  • Two of the top teams in the country will duel it out this weekend when 8-0 Regina plays 8-2 Manitoba. The Cougars are off to their best start in program history, while Manitoba is 26-4 in the regular season dating back to last year. 
  • The squads split a pair of games last year in Regina (81-73 Regina, 85-76 Manitoba). Overall, the Bisons are 10-6 at home against the Cougars since 2007, including wins in three of their last four at IGAC.
  • The two opponents are among the nation's best defensively. Regina leads CanWest, giving up just 65.5 points per game, while Manitoba is allowing just 76.6 points per game.
  • Neither team has a player shorter than 6'3" in their starting lineup, while none of Regina's eight regulars are shorter than 6'4".
  • Regina big man Hayden Collier is fourth in CanWest, averaging 9.6 rebounds per game.
  • No player in CanWest has more steals over the last three seasons than 6'3" Bisons point guard Mason Kraus (114). Additionally, Kraus' 53 steals a year ago were the third-most in the storied history of Manitoba's basketball program, and he's just 38 shy of tying the all-time best of 152, set by Eric Garcia in 2011. 
  • Kraus' 4.8 assists per game are the eighth most in a season in program history
  • Guard Daren Watts' free throw percentage of 89.3 percent is the fourth best in a season in program history
  • Every key returnee from 2022-23 for Manitoba has increased their minutes, led by Watts, whose 27.8 minutes per game are up by a whopping 17 from last season. 
  • Simon Hildebrandt is in the top five in five different career categories for Manitoba, including free throw percentage (83.5 percent, second) and three pointers per game (2.3, fourth)
  • Fifth-year forward Wyatt Tait's 38 blocks are just two shy of eighth all-time in Bisons history

MEN'S HOCKEY VERSUS UBC, 7 PM FRIDAY, 2 PM SATURDAY (CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS)
  • At 2-14, Manitoba looks to stay in the playoff hunt against 14-4, second place UBC.
  • The T-Birds won both games against Manitoba in the first half of the season, 4-3 in OT and 5-2. Manitoba held leads in both games at certain points.
  • Bisons defenceman Chase Hartje had three points in the first half series against UBC. His 14 points in 16 games this year are just 11 shy of the most by a Manitoba defenceman dating back to 2008. 
  • This year, Hartje became just the fifth blue-liner since 2008 to record at least ten points in three straight regular seasons.
  • Bisons captain Jonny Hooker's ten goals leads the team. He's on pace to set an eight-year program best, as no player has scored more than 13 goals in a regular season since Jordan DePaPe (19) and Shaq Merasty (14) in 2015-16.
  • Hooker also leads Canada West with seven power play goals
  • Friday's contest marks the 100th regular season game in the career of Bisons forward Colton Veloso, who has five points this year and 56 as a Bison since 2018. 
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Players Mentioned

Lauren Bartlett

#5 Lauren Bartlett

G
5' 4"
2nd
Emily Johnson

#11 Emily Johnson

F
5' 10"
2nd
Emerson Martin

#12 Emerson Martin

F
6' 1"
2nd
Chase Hartje

#16 Chase Hartje

D
5' 11"
1st
Colton Veloso

#17 Colton Veloso

F
5' 11"
3rd
Mason Kraus

#5 Mason Kraus

G
6' 3"
1st
Wyatt Tait

#6 Wyatt Tait

F
6' 6"
3rd
Daren Watts

#9 Daren Watts

G
6' 4"
1st
Jonny Hooker

#18 Jonny Hooker

F
6' 1"
2nd
Simon Hildebrandt

#2 Simon Hildebrandt

F
6' 9"
2nd

Players Mentioned

Lauren Bartlett

#5 Lauren Bartlett

5' 4"
2nd
G
Emily Johnson

#11 Emily Johnson

5' 10"
2nd
F
Emerson Martin

#12 Emerson Martin

6' 1"
2nd
F
Chase Hartje

#16 Chase Hartje

5' 11"
1st
D
Colton Veloso

#17 Colton Veloso

5' 11"
3rd
F
Mason Kraus

#5 Mason Kraus

6' 3"
1st
G
Wyatt Tait

#6 Wyatt Tait

6' 6"
3rd
F
Daren Watts

#9 Daren Watts

6' 4"
1st
G
Jonny Hooker

#18 Jonny Hooker

6' 1"
2nd
F
Simon Hildebrandt

#2 Simon Hildebrandt

6' 9"
2nd
F