SASKATOON, Sask. — The University of Manitoba Bisons suffered their first loss of the 2026-27 Canada West women's basketball season Friday night, falling 81-69 to the defending U SPORTS champion Saskatchewan Huskies at the Ron & Jane Graham Centre Court.
The defeat dropped Manitoba to 2-1 on the season, while Saskatchewan improved to 3-0. It also marked the Bisons' first major early-season test after opening the campaign with back-to-back victories, including last weekend's home-opening win over Brandon.
Manitoba controlled the opening quarter, building a nine-point lead and carrying a 15-9 advantage into the second.
Anna Miko set the tone early, scoring 10 first-quarter points as the Bisons held the defending national champions to just two field goals in the opening 10 minutes.
The Huskies responded in the second quarter behind Logan Reider and Maya Flindall. Saskatchewan outscored Manitoba 25-18 in the frame and took a 34-33 lead into halftime after a three-pointer from Olivia Harm in the final seconds of the quarter.
The teams battled through a tightly contested third quarter that featured multiple lead changes. Manitoba briefly reclaimed the lead at 53-51 with 2:22 remaining in the period following a basket by
Izzi Fust, but Saskatchewan answered with a 9-2 run to close the quarter and carried a 60-55 advantage into the fourth.
The Huskies gradually pulled away in the final 10 minutes, extending their lead to as many as 12 points. Manitoba trimmed the deficit to five early in the quarter, but Saskatchewan's experienced lineup responded with timely baskets from Harm, Reider and Flindall to secure the victory.
Miko delivered another standout performance for the Bisons, finishing with 29 points and 14 rebounds while shooting 13-for-18 from the field. The second-year forward also recorded two blocks and accounted for much of Manitoba's inside scoring.
Fust added 15 points and five rebounds, while
Samantha Onyebuchi contributed seven points and three steals.
Taylor Schepp chipped in six points and a team-high six assists as Manitoba shot 44.6 per cent from the floor.
Saskatchewan was led by Flindall's 25 points and Reider's 18-point, six-assist effort. Harm added 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists as the Huskies placed three players in double figures.
Despite being outrebounded 37-30 and held to two three-pointers, Manitoba remained within striking distance for much of the evening before Saskatchewan's depth and experience took over down the stretch. The Bisons and Huskies conclude their weekend series Saturday. You can catch the action on CanadaWest TV.
