CALGARY – In front of a packed house in one of the country's toughest home gyms to play in, the No. 10 nationally ranked Manitoba Bisons blocked out the noise, sending the No. 2 nationally ranked Calgary Dinos home with an L, 82-75.
 
It's Manitoba's seventh win in a row. They're alone in first place in Canada West's Prairie Division, at 10-1, with an undefeated record dating back to November 22.
 
The Herd's win over Calgary (8-3) marks the second time in the last three series that they've defeated a nationally ranked opponent and conference rival on the road. Manitoba also knocked off No. 4 nationally ranked Winnipeg (9-2) across town prior to the winter break, 85-76.
 
Leading scorers Mason Kraus and Daren Watts combined for 50 of the Herd's 82 points, hitting eight threes overall. But the story, as it's been all season, was the play of the Bisons' defence.
 
Manitoba held the country's leading scorer Nate Petrone to seven points entering the fourth quarter, frustrating the dynamic guard, along with fellow play-maker Noah Wharton with their disruptive playing style.
 
Kraus and versatile centre Cieran O'Hara were in Petrone's face often, and the Dinos turned the ball over 19 times in total.
 
Kraus finished with five steals and two blocks, while Manitoba had 11 steals as a team.
 
"For me, it's just a time to show out how good of a defender I am," said Kraus, whose 30 steals are fourth in the country.
 
"I love having the ability to show what I can do to prove myself in this league, and to show why I think I'm the best defender in the league."
 
Meanwhile, the 6'6" O'Hara recorded a game-high 12 rebounds, while Watts – who tied his career-high with 39 minutes – added 11.
 
It's the seventh time this season that O'Hara's racked up at least ten boards, and his 102 rebounds are third in Canada West, and 12th in the country. It's also the third straight season that the board man has put snagged over 100 rebounds in a season.
 
For Watts, it's the second time in the last three games that he's recorded a double-double, doing so for the first time in his U SPORTS career last Friday against Brandon.
 
Calgary didn't go down easily though. Manitoba led by as much as 17, 61-44 in the final two minutes of the third, but the hosts clawed their way back, getting into the bonus while draining a number of key triples.
 
Petrone scored 12 of his 19 points in the final ten, while Wharton (team-high 20 points) sunk two three pointers during a 13-5 run over a six-minute span. The former made it a one-point game, at 75-74 as part of an and-one, leading to a thrilling conclusion in the final 1:24.
 
In a déjà vu moment from the Winnipeg game, Manitoba closed out the contest with a gritty effort on the glass.
 
A Kraus three didn't cash, but Watts scooped up the rebound. Another triple didn't go, and neither did a Brandt Lenz layup, but O'Hara went up high to steal the first rebound, and then out-muscled Calgary inside for the second, leading to a Bisons timeout.
 
Out of the break, Lenz stepped up with a deep triple, three of his 11 points in the game, along with two steals.
 
A Calgary three came up short, and O'Hara was there again for the rebound, leading to a Watts jumper to close things out.
 
"That's Cieran our centre, that's what he does," said Kraus.
 
"He saves us. I threw up a bad one. Daren missed one. He's just a horse. He's a dawg. He fights for us. That's what we do. Everyone fights for us. We fight together."
 
Both teams play again tomorrow at 7 pm CT.