WINNIPEG – An 11-2 run in the final five minutes of the first quarter was enough for the visiting Regina Cougars, who improved to 6-3 with a 96-49 win over the Manitoba Bisons on Friday night at IGAC. The Herd fell to 2-9 with the loss. 
 
Regina forced a total of ten Bisons turnovers in the opening quarter, using a full-court trap to frustrate Manitoba early. The Cougars led 23-8 after ten on route to the 40-plus point victory. 
 
All-Canadian Jade Belmore led Regina with 23 points, a steal, six assists and seven rebounds, while Cara Misskey and Kianna Wiens added 15 and 13, respectively. As a team, the Cougars had ten steals, scoring 25 points off turnovers. 
 
With Autumn Agar out of the lineup, Emily Mandamin's minutes increased, and she made it count with a team-high 15 points including three triples.
 
Emily Johnson added 13 points and seven rebounds, with seven of her points coming from the free throw line. The veteran forward led all players with eight free throw attempts, having success driving into the paint all evening. 
 
"We've been preparing for Regina all week knowing they're a good team at running, jumping, containing the ball and trapping it. We worked a bit to stay composed, and find an open look and an easy pass," said Mandamin. 
 
"It took us a bit to find our flow in the game. It was a learning curve."
 
The two teams combined for 54 three point attempts in the game, with Manitoba actively looking for ways to break the Cougars' 2-3 zone as the game progressed. Mandamin got a few to go, while Emerson Martin also hit a triple, however the rim wasn't the Herd's friend, with multiple attempts rattling in and out. 
 
Regina, on the other hand, hit 11 threes, led by Wiens, who was three-for-three. 
 
"We put up a lot of shots, and put a lot of faith in our work beforehand," added Mandamin. 

"Seeing the ball go through the net is a big one. We felt confident going into the game, and had some great opportunities but couldn't execute at times."
 
The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 5 pm at IGAC.