Bison Basketball
Bisons tidy up at home
Sweep complete with wins over Simon Fraser and Trinity Western
The fourth-ranked women's squad was at home this past weekend, and was looking to improve upon their national ranking. It looks like they have done just that, as they up-ended second-ranked Simon Fraser last Friday night by a score of 67-61. The following evening, Trinity Western was in town and Manitoba handled them easily, defeating them by a score of 66-48. Coach Pam Danis is happy with the strong start to the season, but also warns that it is too early to start celebrating yet.
"[Beating Simon Fraser] was a big step for us, but it's early," Danis said.
Playing a solid first half, the Bisons led at the half by a score of 28-26. Keeping their momentum, they held their lead throughout the game and eventually emerged with a six-point victory. Leading the way for the Herd was Anna Drewniak, who notched 14 points and seven rebounds in the victory. Dani Langford led the SFU effort, as she contributed 22 points and two rebounds in the losing effort.
"[Simon Fraser] are ranked number two in the country," Danis pointed out. "They won nationals two years ago and they are always one of the top teams in women's basketball. I think for us and our program, the steps we've taken are huge and that was one obstacle that we had to overcome."
"The last time we played them was three years ago and we lost both games by 60 [points]," Danis added. "We've come a long way."
After that big victory, the Herd had to be careful not to have a letdown against Trinity Western the next evening. Although not totally happy with her team's performance in this game, Danis was still pleased with the resulting 66-48 score. Bison Sara Hrehoriak led all scorers with 16 points to go with six rebounds, while Samantha Hill contributed 11 points and nine rebounds for TWU.
Looking ahead to this weekend, the Herd play a home-and-home series with cross-town rival Winnipeg, who are also 2-0 to start the season, and Danis is looking forward to it.
"It's always a rivalry, and the fact that we might be [ranked first and second] in the country going into this week is gonna make it [an even bigger] hype." Danis said.
The first game of the two-game set is Nov. 13 at the IGAC. The second game is at the Duckworth Centre at the U of W on Nov. 15. Tip-off for both games is at 6:15 p.m.
Bisons split their first two games of season
Loss to SFU is offset by victory over Trinity Western
With two games at home versus Simon Fraser and Trinity Western, the men's Bisons squad opened their regular season by splitting these games. Opening up versus Simon Fraser, the Herd lost a tight contest by a score of 68-66. However, the Bisons bounced back the next evening with a solid 78-73 victory over Trinity Western.
The game last Friday versus Simon Fraser only got close near the end of the game. SFU dominated for most of the game, as they were up 37-27 at half and continued to play well during the second half. However, the Herd pressed hard late in the game and they got to within one. However, it was too little too late as SFU stopped Manitoba and took the two-point victory. SFU's Pasha Bains led all scorers with 29 points to go with two rebounds, while Ryan Dulder led the Bisons with 25 points and added six boards in the loss.
The next evening, the Herd hosted Trinity Western and this score was always close. The Bisons played well in the first half, taking a 43-38 lead into halftime. However, the game was up for grabs as the lead was exchanged numerous times in the second half. With only six seconds left, Dulder sank two free-throws to wrap up the game. Taylor Cherris-Wilding led the Bisons to victory with 20 points and three rebounds, while TWU's Adam Friesen racked up 23 points and four boards in a losing cause.
The Herd are in action this weekend against the Winnipeg Wesmen, who have dropped their opening two games to start the season. The first game of the two-game set is Nov. 13 at the IGAC, while game two is at the Duckworth Centre at the U of W on Nov. 15. Tip-off for both games is at 8 p.m.