WINNIPEG, MB - Getting outscored 58-29 over the middle two quarters, Golden Bears Basketball suffers just their second loss of the season, falling to Winnipeg 81-71. 

Kyle Varner led Alberta with 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting, adding three rebounds and a three-pointer in each half. Nate Waldron delivered a strong two-way performance off the bench, finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals, while shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.

Fahad Yusuf chipped in 10 points including two threes, and Ethan Egert added eight points, four rebounds, and a pair of blocks. Isaac Simon contributed eight points, five assists, and four rebounds, guiding Alberta early before foul trouble and turnovers disrupted his rhythm.

Winnipeg was paced by Malachi Alexander with 18 points, while Kato Jaro and Elijah Mensah added 16 and 14 respectively.

First Quarter

Alberta opened with poise, shooting 62.5% in the quarter. Caiden Kushnir scored the Bears' first basket at 9:24, assisted by Simon, before Winnipeg surged ahead 8–2. Alberta responded with a 15–0 run, sparked by back-to-back transition buckets from Varner and Egert. Nash Semeniuk hit two threes—at 5:25 and 1:43—and Logan Powell added a layup at 0:23. Varner finished the frame with a layup as time expired for a 10-point lead.

Second Quarter

Winnipeg flipped the momentum behind improved shooting (65%). Alberta briefly extended the lead to 30–16 after a Simon layup at 8:54, but the Wesmen answered with a 20–6 surge. Emmanuel Ugbah hit a go-ahead three at 4:06, and Alberto Gordo tied the game 36–36 at 3:28. Winnipeg took its first lead since early in the game on a Jaro three at 1:49, then closed the half up 45–40 after Alexander added a layup and free throw.

Third Quarter

The Wesmen continued to pull away, capitalizing on turnovers and second-chance points. A Gordo three at 6:22 stretched the lead to double digits, and Jaro and Mensah combined for eight straight points to push Winnipeg ahead 60–44. Alberta's only consistent scoring came from the line, as Waldron went 4-for-4 to steady the Bears. Winnipeg entered the fourth up 72–53.

Fourth Quarter

Alberta tightened defensively and outscored Winnipeg in the final frame. Varner hit a three at 4:52, and Waldron and Yusuf added late buckets, but the deficit proved too large to overcome.