Written by: Danielle Doiron, Bison Sports

WINNIPEG, MB. – The University of Manitoba Bisons are still winless in women's basketball team after losing 64-54 to the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday, Januuary 16 afternoon at Investors Group Athletic Centre.
 
With the loss, the Bisons are now 0-12, while the Thunderbirds are 6-6 and on a four-game win streak.  
 
UBC veteran guard Diana Lee led both teams with 15 points, while Manitoba's Nicole Konieczny had 13.
 
"I thought it was a little better," Bison head coach Michele Hynes said after the game. "It's tough to teach such a young team to play with pressure, so fouls are going to happen.
 
"The second half of the season, we've felt a shift. We're playing better and we have better depth in our rotations. We just mentally collapsed today."
 
Manitoba's Rebecca Potter opened the scoring seconds into the first with a jump shot, but the Thunderbirds quickly responded. UBC added a layup of their own, and the teams looked evenly matched until Bison rookie Alyssa Lucier sunk a three-pointer with four minutes left in the quarter. The basket gave the home team a 10-7 lead, but Lucier left the court minutes later with a lower body injury. She returned to the game midway through the second. The Bisons extended their lead with three jump shots to end the first up 16-11.
 
Neither team scored until almost two minutes into the second, when Manitoba's Atoosa Jalayeri sunk a three-point jumper to put the Bisons up 19-11. From there, the Bisons took off. Konieczny made all four of her free throws and Jalayeri added another three-pointer. But while the Bison offense shone, the home side ran into trouble with fouls. Five Manitoba players fouled to send the Thunderbirds to bonus, but UBC only sunk a pair of free throws, and the Bisons held on to a 34-28 lead at the half.
 
The Bisons continued to struggle with fouls in the third, and the Thunderbirds quickly claimed four points on free throws. Midway through the quarter, UBC guard Cherub Lum added a layup on a breakaway to give the visitors a 39-38 lead. Monton tied the game at 41 with a three-pointer, but the Bisons couldn't regain the lead. Manitoba gave up two baskets and two free throws, and the Thunderbirds finished the third leading 47-41.
 
Konieczny opened the fourth with a three-pointer and a jump shot, but the Bisons couldn't catch up to the Thunderbirds. UBC extended their lead to double digits after Hynes was called for a technical foul and the Thunderbirds put up a free throw and a three-point jump shot. Manitoba later brought the game within six, but the Bisons again ran into foul trouble. UBC added four points on free throws in the last 40 seconds of play and took the game 64-54.
 
The Bisons will look for their first win of the season next weekend on the road against the Lethbridge Pronghorns. The doubleheader begins on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. UBC will host the Regina Cougars for two games the same weekend. All these games will stream live on canadawest.tv.
 
Scoring by quarter
UBC: 11-17-19-17: 64
MAN: 16-18-7-13: 54

Scoring leaders
UBC: Diana Lee (15), Adrienne Parkin (12), Jessica Hanson (12)
Manitoba: Nicole Konieczny (13), Montant Kinzel (12), Jenilyn Monton (9)
 
Rebound leaders
UBC: Adrienne Parkin (8), Kara Spotton (7), Jessica Hanson (6)
Manitoba: Montana Kinzel (8), Jenilyn Monton (7), three players (6)
 
Assist leaders
UBC: Diana Lee (5), Adrienne Parkin (5), two players (2)
Manitoba: Jenilyn Monton (4), Atoosa Jalayeri (2), four players (1)