Written by Danielle Doiron 

WINNIPEG – The University of Manitoba Bisons fell 83-67 in a hard-fought men's basketball game against their crosstown rivals, the University of Winnipeg Wesmen on Saturday, January 31 at Investors Group Athletic Centre.

The loss was Manitoba's second of the weekend, after losing 85-67 on the road against the Wesmen Friday night. The Bisons are now 9-9 for the season and on a five-game loss streak. The victory brings Winnipeg to 10-6 and extends their win streak to four games. The Bisons hold on to the seventh and final Canada West Pioneer Division playoff spot, while the Wesmen sit at fifth in the division.

Manitoba's Wyatt Anders and Amjarit Basi and Winnipeg's Christopher Baxter each scored 17 points in the game.

Both teams looked strong at the start of the back-and-forth first quarter, but the Wesmen soon broke ahead after a pair of 3-pointers from Mark McNee and Denzel Lynch-Blair to take an early 10-3 lead. Manitoba fought back and scored six more, but couldn't break Winnipeg's seven-point lead and finished the quarter down 20-13.

The Bisons struggled to find the net in the second, only scoring nine points in the quarter to Winnipeg's 20. Despite sinking three free throws and making seven rebounds in the quarter, Manitoba couldn't keep up with Winnipeg's offense and went to the locker room down 40-22. 

Manitoba fought to make up their point deficit in the third. Justus Alleyn opened the half with the Bisons' first 3-point basket of the game. He scored four more to help the home team cut Winnipeg's lead to 10, with a score of 55-45, by the end of the quarter.

Basi cut that lead down to seven points with a 3-point jump shot early in the fourth, but the Bisons soon ran into trouble with fouls. The home side sent Winnipeg to the line 24 times in the quarter. The Wesmen sank 22 free throws, while the Bisons only made 8 of their 12 free throw attempts. Basi and Anders combined for 18 points in the quarter, but couldn't put up the numbers to stop the Wesmen. Winnipeg took the game 83-67.

The Bisons have next weekend off but will take on the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on the road at 8 p.m. PST on Friday, February 13. The Wesmen play next against the Trinity Western University Spartans on Friday, February 6 at 8 p.m. PST.