Herd squeaks by Cougars

Bisons fend of Regina in dying seconds

Gord Reid, Toban Staff

Last Friday, the Bison men's basketball team won a hard-fought battle with the University of Regina Cougars in the Bison East Gym, by a score of 91 -89. The game ended with Bison post Elliot Unger blocking a potentially game- winning three-point attempt from Kobie Brandt, with six seconds left to play.

The game see-sawed backand forth, with neither team ever taking a lead larger than nine points. The Bisons started out slow, falling behind 18-11 early ir the first half. Unger then took command, scoring 14 first-half points and throwing the Cougars defence into disarray.

Regina led for the greater part of the first half. Despite the efforts of Unger and guard Marc Virgo, who combined for 32 points, the Cougars were up 50-45 at half-time.

What already was an extremely entertaining and exhilarating game was punctuated comedically by a group of 15 or so young children. The children provided the vocal and partisan crowd with entertainment, by dancing to the PA's music during time-outs.

The Bisons, ranked seventh in the nation, rallied to go up 78-69 with 8:18 to go in the second half Regina responded to the vocal urgings of Coach James Hills and fought back to close the gap to 90-89. Bison first-year guard Juphell Falcis then made one of two crucial free throws, to put the Herd up by two with 13 seconds left. Unger then blocked Brandt's field goal attempt to seal the win.

The Bisons clearly beat Regina under the boards, due in part to the defensive rebounding of six-foot-eight post Dennis Skrabek The Herd enjoyed a total team effort, with five players scoring in double digits: Unger (22), Virgo (22), Darren Slobodian (12), Skrabek (10) and Lenin Mangaron (10).

The Bisons were also forced to rely heavily on their reserves. Three starters fouled out and the bench responded in spades, outscoring the Cougars 18-7.

Top scorers for the Cougars were guard Dale Holmes, with 30 (including five three-pointers) and centre Kevin Gilroy with 23.

The Bisons next action isn't until the weekend of December 28 when they take on some of the nation's top teams in the Wesmen Classic at the University of Winnipeg.

This article first ran in The Manitoban, Vol. 83, No. 17 (December 6, 1995). It was my first story for the sports department of the Toban, and incidentally the first Bisons basketball game I attended. Do you want to know something? I actually enjoyed reading this article.

Much like my journalism career, the Bison East Gym is now a thing of the past. It was demolished in 1998 following the construction of the new Investors Group Fieldhouse; a (much-needed) multi-level parkade and the new Nursing building now sit in its place.