EDMONTON - Isaac Simon scored a game-high 27 to lead an offensive surge for the Alberta Golden Bears in a 88-66 victory over the Manitoba Bisons Saturday night at the Saville Centre.
The hosts shot 54% from the field, easily a season-high, and were able to consistently get good looks from all over the court. Seven Bears hit two or more buckets in what was an impressive depth showing. It was not just the offence either - the Bears were able to limit the Bisons to a 34 mark from the floor, and made life hard all day for the visitors. With the win, the Bears move to 10-4 and sit firmly in second place in the Prairie Division.
The Bisons were paced by Mason Kraus, who scored a team-high 18 points and went eight-for-10 from the line, and Cieran O'Hara who had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double. At points they looked Alberta's equal, but were unable to sustain any sort of momentum to truly challenge in the contest. They move to 8-6 and sit in fourth place in the division.
The teams picked right back up from where they left off last night, going back and forth in a physical game from the jump. However, Alberta would go on a 12-0 run near the end of the quarter to wrest early control of this one. Isaac Simon was the main catalyst on the run, as he had a quarter-high eight points to lead the Bears into the second with a 26-16 lead.
The second quarter would feature a lot of the same, including the continuation of a first quarter run that would end up being 20 unanswered points for the Golden Bears, as they continued their explosive offensive performance. Simon led all scorers by wide margin at the break with 17 points Taven Vigilance paced the visitors with nine.
The third quarter went the visitors' way, as Mason Kraus led an inspired effort from the Bisons to stop the slide. They won the quarter 21-20, and while that was a small margin they were able to loosen the Bears grasp on the game. It was 71-51 entering a promising fourth quarter between these two competitive squads.
It would ultimately be a quiet fourth though, as the teams got into foul trouble early and ground the pace of play to a halt. The Bears would cruise for the rest of the quarter in what was a 88-66 victory. Next weekend, the Bears travel to Regina to take on the Cougars, while Manitoba returns home to host the MacEwan Griffins.
