SASKATOON - For the first time in 16 seasons, the Manitoba Bisons have won a game in Saskatoon, as they defeated the two-time defending U SPORTS national champion and #3-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies 96-93 Saturday night.
Much like Friday night's game, the two teams played a tight-scoring game with neither team able to pull away for long. The Huskies' largest lead came at 14-7, which would last only a few seconds.
Samantha Onyebuchi would make a buzzer-beating shot as part of her quarter-high seven points to pull within 21-20 after one stanza.
The back-and-forth would continue through the second quarter as the Huskies would pull out a 48-45 lead. Manitoba shot 64.3% in the frame, with
Taylor Schepp bringing the Herd to within that three-point difference, hitting three free throws for the last points of the quarter as part of her quarter-leading nine.
Saskatchewan extended the lead back to seven to start the third quarter before the tides started to turn in the Bisons' favour. Still more back-and-forth ensued, as the Bisons would win the quarter 22-20 to trim the lead to one, 68-67.
Izzi Fust would lead all scorers in the quarter with nine points on a clean 4-for-4 shooting rate.
The story of the game comes in the fourth quarter, as the Huskies would stretch the lead back to six, 82-76, halfway through the quarter. Five straight points from
Anna Miko came next, followed by a 7-1 run by
Darya Rom to take the lead, 88-85. Both teams would refuse to miss on a possession the rest of the way, as the Bisons responded to each of the Huskies' shots, with Rom and Onyebuchi cashing a pair of free throws to ice the game.
Darya Rom led all scorers in the game with a monster 30 points on 9-for-13 shooting, 16 of those points coming on 6-for-7 shooting in the fourth quarter alone.
Samantha Onyebuchi had the game's only double-double off the bench, with 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, and 11 rebounds. Four other Bisons scored in double figures:
Taylor Schepp with 14,
Anna Miko with 13,
Izzi Fust with 12 and
Hope LaRocque with 10.
The Bisons now head out on their bye week before hosting the Alberta Pandas Nov. 20 and 21.
Tickets are available here.
Fun fact: The co-leading scorer for the Bisons on Jan. 31, 2010 - the last win in Saskatoon - with 18 points was a then-fifth-year Michele Hynes, now head coach Michele Sung!
