EDMONTON - Six Golden Bears scored more than ten points in what was an impressive top-to-bottom 97-88 victory over the Mount Royal Cougars Saturday night at the Saville Centre.

Third-year guard Lars Ishimwe put up a line of 15/6/3 on 63% shooting from the field, and was supported by fellow Edmonton product Geoffrey James hitting three three's.

The Cougars were led by Nate Petrone, who netted a game high 24 points, and Dylan Lutes who potted 17 of his own going 7/8 from the field.

The win maintains Alberta's (4-0) undefeated start to the year, while the loss puts the Cougars (2-2) back to .500.

The Bears are sole leaders in the Central division in Canada West play, the Cougars a distant third.

The Cougars started with a strong first quarter, outscoring the Bears 24-16, and largely dominating possession amidst a slow Alberta shooting start. Lutes had a quarter-high 10 points for the Cougars, knocking in two threes. Ishimwe added 5 of his own for the Bears.

The second frame got Alberta back on track, getting their shooting going along with playing stellar defence. The 33-17 difference was a function of many things, with Tyus Jefferson, Adam Paige, and Cole Knudsen among the standout performers for Alberta. Mount Royal's stellar shooting start slowed in the second, going 4/9 from the field including 1/4 from three.

After the intermission, both teams came out firing. The third was a great microcosm of the entire game, with the lead changing hands multiple times and both squads displaying their elite talent. Ishimwe had six of his 15 points in the quarter.

The game came down to the wire, with no more than an eight point advantage held by either squad until the final seconds. The Bears dominated on the fast break, with Ishimwe, Jefferson, and Geoffrey James running the floor for what seemed like the entire quarter. Nate Petrone and Holt Tomie took over for the Cougars, doing well to match the Bears offence. The game was all but iced on a steal and dunk from Jefferson that brought the Saville Centre to its feet.

The Bears travel to Calgary with the Pandas to take on the 3-1 Dino's on November 26th. The Cougars travel home to face the Lethbridge Pronghorns (1-3), also on the 26th.