The 6-14 Manitoba Bisons are looking to play spoiler tomorrow at 8 pm CT when they take on the No. 10 nationally ranked, 15-5 Regina Cougars. The action goes down during the single site Canada West Playoff Tournament hosted by Fraser Valley. Catch the action on Canadawest.tv.
The Cougars handed the 19-1 Saskatchewan Huskies their only loss of the season, and have won nine of their last ten games, led by First Team All-Star Jade Belmore's conference-leading 18.3 points per game.
But the Bisons have proven to have the answer. On January 7th at home, Manitoba knocked off Regina 74-67 for the program's first win over the Cougars in 16 years.
Manitoba controlled play for large portions of the game, and never trailed by more than two points.
The Herd did a great job containing a diverse Cougars attack in the win. Belmore scored 20 points, however she was held to 8-for-24 shooting from the field and missed all eight threes that she took. Only one other Regina player finished in double figures.
Versatile forward Emerson Martin led the way offensively, with a career-high 25 points.
Seventeen of those came in the first half, including four triples, as the Dakota product didn't miss from distance at any point in the opening 20, converting on five-of-six in the game overall. It was the second time that Martin made five triples during the season, and she finished with a career-high 30 treys, and was sixth in CanWest, shooting 39 percent from distance.
Martin and Emily Mandamin (third in three point efficiency in CanWest at 42.2 percent) combined for 65 triples in the regular season, and as a team, the Bisons were seventh in three point efficiency, at 28.9 percent.
Senior guard Lauren Bartlett added 21 points, along with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals in the win, while long-time teammate and close friend Emily Johnsonrecorded her fourth career double-double with 12 points and a game-high ten rebounds.
Martin and Bartlett tied for second on the team, with 11.3 points per game, while Johnson had a career year, leading the Herd with 12.1 points per game, while also setting a new single game rebounds record, with 18 against Winnipeg at the start of February.
"We are excited to be back at the Canada West Playoff Tournament this year. We know we have a big challenge ahead of us but we've been here before," said head coach Michele Sung.
"This group has been working hard towards this week of the season and any more time we get to compete together is special."