Amber Doyle, Bison Sports

WINNIPEG - The No. 3 Calgary Dinos extended their win streak to nine after topping the Manitoba Bisons 87-59 at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Friday. 

The Dinos reinforced their position at the top of the Canada West standings and No. 3 ranking in U SPORTS. With a veteran squad, the reigning champs ran every component of their offence and shot an impressive 50 per cent. Heading into halftime, the Dinos already had a sizeable 55-25 lead over the Bisons.

"They really controlled the tempo in the first half," said Bisons head coach Kirby Schepp. "There's no question they're one of the best teams in the country."

Fifth-year guard Mambi Diawara led the way for the visitors, putting up a total 18 points, 12 of which were from beyond the arc. Diawara sits third in points per game in Canada West with an average of 21.1.

Third-year forward Brett Layton, standing at 6'8", also contributed in a big way. Layton added 18 points for the Dinos and snagged nine boards. Layton shoots at an average of 58.9 per cent, landing him in the top five in Canada West. He shot 69.2 per cent during Friday's game.  

Meanwhile, the Bisons, now 3-6 on their season, were unable to swing the momentum in their favour during the opening half. 

The second half was a slightly different story. The Bisons had an especially strong third quarter. In the quarter alone, the Herd outscored the Dinos 21-12.

"I was happy with our resiliency," said Schepp. "We just kept competing." 

Fourth-year guard Rashawn Browne generated a fair portion of the Herd's offence with 17 points. Browne also added six rebounds and four assists. Fifth-year guard DJ Jordan Jr. got on a bit of hot streak in the third. Jordan Jr. put up ten points in the quarter after going scoreless through the first half. 

"DJ just came out and was aggressive," said Schepp. "He saw opportunities to attack, and he took them."

Both teams will tipoff again tomorrow night at 7 p.m.