The Manitoba Bisons didn't get the win on Friday night, but showed that they are up for the fight. In an 89–59 loss to the Saskatchewan Huskies at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, Manitoba played with a greater edge and confidence than the night before. It felt less like a scoreline and more like a piece of evidence tendered to the jury: Exhibit A, we belong here.
Treyah Paquette captured the mood post-game:
"We came out knowing we can compete with the number one team in the country. Our shooting percentage was higher. We played with so much grit and never let up. … We're a young team and we just keep building. We all have a common goal—to go further in the playoffs than we have the past few years. Playing for each other has made a huge difference."
The Bisons indeed shot better, 30.9 percent from the field, up from 26 percent the night before, while hitting eight threes and going a perfect 9-for-9 from the line. Ayva Khan led with 17 points, and Paquette added 10 to go along with two triples.
Head coach Michele Sung echoed the same sense of pride and progress:
"It didn't feel like a 30-point loss, to be honest. We focused a ton on not giving up so many offensive boards, and we limited that—it was a lot better today," Sung said. "When you play the best team in the country, you have to feel it out. For a lot of our players, it's their first time playing at this level. We showed we can compete in stretches; now it's about doing it for 40 minutes."
Saskatchewan, as they are prone to do, played with a mix of intensity and poise, like a working dog that knows exactly where the herd will move before the herd itself decides. Logan Reider scored 26 points and Gage Grassick added 24 and 10 rebounds, reminding one of twins who were given only one ball for their birthday, forced to share yet always making the most of it when it's their turn.
Though the result favours the Huskies, the takeaway for Manitoba is clear: they can hang with the best. They are a young team that's doing more than just rebuilding; they're gaining momentum. No upset this time, but the Bisons got something out of this: proof that they can compete.
