Bears start hot and run past Bisons in consolation semi
David Larkins/Wesmen Athletics
After a long day Wednesday, the Alberta Golden Bears looked much more like themselves in an early-afternoon win.
Isaac Simon scored 20 points and the Bears held the Manitoba Bisons to seven first-quarter points on route to an 83-55 victory in a consolation semifinal at the 54th Wesmen Classic at the Duckworth Centre Thursday afternoon.
The Bears, who had travel troubles that left them arriving at 6 a.m. on gameday Wednesday and ultimately lost in overtime to Regina, burst out with a 15-4 run to start the game and left the Bisons scrambling the rest of the way. The Bears were up 25-7 after the first quarter.
Manitoba, which will play in the seventh-place game Friday, made a second-quarter push and an Elijah Lostracco buzzer-beating three from more than 30 feet out had the Bisons down 44-35 at the half.
The Bears, however, stretched the lead back to double-digits at 59-46 after the third and held the Bisons without a point for the first 3:13 of the fourth quarter as the lead ballooned to 70-47 with 5:04 left.
Brandon Meiklejohn added 20 points for the Bears and Abdullah Shittu added 10 with 10 rebounds.
Lostracco had 14 points to lead the Bisons, who lost starting guard Mason Kraus to a left leg injury early in the game.
