Amber Doyle, Bison Sports

WINNIPEG – The University of Manitoba Bisons transformed into a different team in the second half to top the Brandon University Bobcats 85-84 in an extremely tight game in men's basketball at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Saturday (Nov. 25).  

Bisons fifth-year Justus Alleyn's free throw shots at the end of the fourth quarter clinched the win. He went to the line after an open play foul to give the Bobcats five fouls in the quarter. 

The two teams could not be more evenly matched. The Bobcats topped the Bisons 88-85 in a buzzer beater last night (Friday, Nov. 24).  

"I'm proud of the guys because we've lost a few close games," said Bisons head Coach Kirby Schepp. "We stayed together and played team ball. The basketball gods were shining on us." 

After trailing through the first half, the Bisons came from behind in the third to take a 61-55 lead. They outscored the Bobcats 25-11 in the quarter. 

The Bobcats clearly did not go down without a fight. They went on a run of their own to start the fourth quarter. It was tied 81-81 for the game's final two-minutes. 

The Bobcats came out of the weekend with a split to fall back to .500 (4-4) on the season. They also split at home against Calgary last weekend (Nov. 17/18). 

Meanwhile, the Bisons break a three-game losing streak after back-to-back losses at Mount Royal last weekend. Their record improves to 5-4. 

Alleyn was the Herd's leading scorer, putting up 33 points. Forward James Wagner also added to the effort with a double-double. He posted a total 19 points and 16 rebounds. 

Bobcats guards Jaleel Webb and Tyvon Cooper led the visitor's scoring. Both had 19. 

Both teams play again next Friday (Dec. 1). Manitoba heads to UBC Okanagan, while Brandon goes to Trinity Western. Both games start at 8:00 p.m. PST.