WINNIPEG – Trailing by as much as 11 overall and seven midway through the fourth, the Manitoba Bisons showcased a herculean effort in the final stretches against the Alberta Golden Bears, coming out on top 93-88 in double overtime in an absolute classic at Investors Group Athletic Centre on Saturday.
Manitoba had their backs against the wall, as head coach Kirby Schepp was handed two technicals and was forced to exit the game late in the third. Despite the circumstances, the Herd rallied around their veteran bench boss, coming up big when it counted.
In Schepp's absence, assistant coach and Bisons alum Rashawn Browne, as well as fellow assistants Donny Hayes and Srdjan Komlenovic stepped up, making key decisions in crunch time. Arguably the most important decision Browne made was inserting first-year standout Simon Hildebrandt back into the game with four minutes to play, despite having four fouls.
Hildebrandt, a 6'9" MBCI product who played prep basketball last year, went to the line with 2:13 left, after being fouled on an attempted three. He sunk all his free throws to narrow the score to 69-67 for Alberta.
A huge steal by Wyatt Tait -- who had eight points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals -- and a successful contested layup by Isaac Miller-Jose then tied the game with 1:30 remaining.
Both teams fought for everything to break the tie but ended up going into overtime.
Alberta, who got 22 points from
Adam Paige and 17 from
Brandon Meiklejohn, started out the electric OT with a jumper by Meiklejohn, and a wild scooping layup from Isaac Simon that would start separating them from the Bisons as they pulled ahead 81-77 with two minutes remaining
A Bears turnover late shifted the momentum for the Bisons, as Hildebrandt got to the line for two. Overall, he went 14-for-14 from the line, which was a deciding factor with both teams in the bonus for the first and second overtime sessions.
Meiklejohn then got to the line to give Alberta an 81-79 lead, however the Bisons sent it to double OT on a last-second dunk from Miller-Jose, who scooped up an attempted three from Tito Obasoto, getting the bucket as time expired.
Meiklejohn continued to shoot the lights out, with a dagger three in the corner that put Alberta up by three with 3:30 left
Guard Elijah Lostracco, who had 16 points, hit a big three shortly after, but was matched by Meiklejohn.
Paige then hit two free-throws, but Lostracco responded with a shot himself, tying it back up at 88.
Hildebrandt then got to the line to give Manitoba a 90-88 lead, and Miller-Jose came up big on the defensive end with his third block of the evening as the Bisons held on the rest of the way for a five-point victory.
Both teams will be back in action next weekend.
