WINNIPEG - The biggest basketball game in the province of Manitoba didn't disappoint. With a spot at nationals on the line, the Winnipeg Wesmen upset the nationally ranked, 19-2 Manitoba Bisons 73-30 in front of a sell-out crowd of 3300 at Investors Group Athletic Centre. They will now face Victoria in BC next week for the conference banner.
With 23 seconds left and the score 72-70 for Winnipeg, Bisons forward Wyatt Tait, who finished with 15 points, three steals, eight rebounds and an assist got a defensive rebound and carried the ball up court. He missed the game-tying shot, but got his own rebound. The second opportunity was blocked by Ryan Luke, who had eight points and didn't miss a shot, and Winnipeg then nailed one of two free throws.
Manitoba got a side out with five seconds left, but Elijah Lostracco's trey fell short to end a wild back-and-forth contest.
Perimeter shooting was a major story. Winnipeg shot 39 percent, while the Bisons made just two treys on 28 attempts. All-star freshman Simon Hildebrandt had both triples for Manitoba and finished with a game-high 20 points, while All-Rookie guard Alberto Gordo made three treys alone and had 17 points overall. Shawn Maranan added a game-high 20 points and 13 assists for the Wesmen.
Gordo was particularly critical in the final four minutes. With the game tied at 66, he nailed a triple, and on the following Wesmen possession he sunk another. The latter was the shot of the day, as he swished it with just one second left on the shot clock while falling backwards.
Manitoba fought back, with two free throws from Hildebrandt and a lay-up from Tait, setting the stage for a thrilling finish in the final 30 seconds, where Winnipeg held on.
"It was just a shot that we had to get up. With all the practice that I've done to get to this moment all throughout the year, and at the end of the day it's just a matter of getting your shots up," said Gordo of his second triple in the fourth.
"It's not really about luck. It's all the practice that's behind every shot. I'm really happy that it went in. Not everyone can make that type of shot."
The game was back-and-forth overall. The score was tied nine different times, including going into halftime after a Hildebrandt triple. Winnipeg led by as much as 11 and eight after three.
The Bisons went on a 9-2 run in the opening three minutes to close the gap, but Winnipeg made three straight triples shortly after to set the stage for a thrilling finish.
Winnipeg shot 44 percent from the field, while Manitoba shot 38.6 percent and got three steals from all-star guard Mason Kraus.
Both Winnipeg and Victoria now advance to nationals. Manitoba, whose fans (including many student-athletes) filled one side of the gym, still have a shot at the at-large berth, and will await the results from the OUA semi-finals and finals to determine if they get a ticket to Halifax.
"It was amazing to see all the support in this game and all year long," said Tait. "We couldn't have done it without the fans.
