WINNIPEG – The Alberta Golden Bears offered up one of the biggest upsets of the year on Saturday at IGAC, stealing a win over No. 9 ranked Manitoba 71-69.
 
Down 69-68 with 13 seconds to play, forward Ethan Egert found rookie Nash Semeniuk cutting to the basket and he made no mistake from under the rim for the game-winning bucket.
 
Manitoba took a timeout right after and had a chance for the win, but Semeniuk stole the basketball, and the visitors then ended the game at the line.
 
The win improves Alberta's record to 5-9, as they remained in the final playoff spot in Canada West's Prairie Division, winning their second game in their last four. They face Regina at home this coming weekend.
 
Manitoba fell to 11-3, one game back of No. 4 ranked Winnipeg for first heading into a critical home-and-home this weekend against their city rival.
 
Semeniuk was sensational over the weekend for Alberta, offering up a taste of what's to come in the next five years with a combined 42 points over two games. He added two seals and six assists on Saturday, playing in 30 minutes.
 
Fellow rookie Kyle Varner added a game-high 16 points, one night after draining a career-high 22. He was particularly important late in the fourth for the Golden Bears, nailing two critical triples, while playing lights out defensively.
 
With 5:10 to go, Varner sunk a fade away three from the corner, narrowing Manitoba's lead to 65-63 after the hosts had led by as much as eight early in the fourth.
 
Then, with two minutes to play Varner sunk another contested three to tie the game at 68, leading to Alberta's game winner shortly after.
 
The Bisons showcased their versatility all evening, with nine different players getting on the score sheet. Alberta also had nine different scorers.
 
Three-point specialist Barac Thon had the best weekend of his UM career as one of Manitoba's depth scorers, tying his career high with 12 points while setting a personal best with four made threes.
 
Perimeter shooting was a strength all evening for Manitoba, who sunk 13 triples, four each from Thon and Mason Kraus, who had a game-high 20 points.
 
When they needed a key bucket, the hosts dialed up from distance, with Kraus and Thon sinking perimeter shots in the first after Alberta had opened up a lead of as much as 12.
 
In the third, Thon and Brandt Lenz kept the three-point parade going. They each hit two triples, as the Bisons led by five in the final minute, and as much as eight after a step-back three early in the fourth from Thon.
 
But Alberta got timely rebounds when it counted, including two from Varner, one of which led to his three that tied the game at 68.
 
As a team, the Golden Bears had 39 boards, led by Ethan Egert's nine and Varner's seven.  Manitoba got a game-high ten from Cieran O'Hara, who's fourth in Canada West with nine boards per game.