CALGARY - After losing their opportunities to go to the Canada West Championship, the UBC Thunderbirds and Manitoba Bisons vyed for bronze tonight at the Jack Simpson Gym. With an authoritative 101-72 win, the TBirds will go back to Vancouver with the medals in their hands before the CIS Final 8 Championship.

Playing with a chip on their shoulders following their loss against the Dinos last night, the TBirds hit the hardwood ready to dominate. In the first half, they subdued the Bisons with a strong 30 point lead. While the Bisons attempted to claw back onto the scoreboard, the TBirds' offensive efficiency would prove to be too much for them. Making a whopping 16 three pointers and shooting 50.0% overall, the TBirds were in control for the vast majority of the game.

Leading the TBird charge was forward Conor Morgan's spectacular performance. Scoring 28 points on 10-14 FG and 7-8 3PT, he was a sight to behold on the hardwood as he elevated his teammates to victory. The TBirds shared the ball effectively but some other standouts for the night were Taylor Browne, AJ Hollaway, and Patrick Simon. On the Bisons, AJ Basi, Keith Omoerah, and and Joseph Medrano were key for keeping them in the scoreboard.

Conor Morgan was happy with his team's bronze medal win tonight. He emphasized capturing the energy from tonight and pushing forward into the CIS Final 8. He said "It's good for our team, you know, just getting a win going into nationals. I think we really gotta build off of it… we just gotta get better as a team. We have to keep coming together. We are as close as ever now. We gotta get better come Thursday"

The CIS Final 8 Championship will kick off on Thursday, March 17 at the UBC Doug Mitchell Sports Centre in Vancouver.

Kamran Dadi, Dinos Communications Assistant