Cougars Open New Year with Home Win Over Bisons

Basketball made its return on Thursday morning, as the 6-6 Mount Royal Cougars took on the 2-8 Manitoba Bisons in front of a sold-out crowd at Kenyon Court in their first game back since the semester break. Both teams looked eager to start the new year in the win column, especially given the competitiveness of the Prairie Division this season.

The Cougars got on the board first with an Asha Donnelly three-pointer, not long before Bisons guard Kyu Fust had a three for her own. First-year guard Savanah Sommerfeldt knocked down two early threes to help the Cougars extend the early lead. 

Donnelly would continue her dominance offensively, leading the way with nine of her team's 27 points as the Cougars took a 27–14 lead after the opening frame.

Nora Luca made her presence known in the paint during the second quarter, going to work down low against a smaller Bisons squad. Luca would convert an and-1 attempt to extend her team's lead to 13 points to make the score 31-18.

The Bisons would make their best efforts to cut the lead before the half, led by Fust's team-high seven points. Despite these efforts from the Bisons, the Cougars held on to a commanding lead heading into the half up 48-29.

Both teams came out of the halftime break with an increased emphasis on defense, as the visiting Bisons trimmed the deficit to 10 points midway through the third. The Cougars offense went stagnant during a strong quarter for the Bisons, with the visiting squad further cutting the Cougar lead to just four points. 

First-year Bisons guard Taylor Schepp helped her team with 11 points, with the Cougars holding on by a score of 56-52 heading into the final quarter of play. 

The poise and maturity of the Cougars team was on full display in the fourth quarter, with key contributors like Alexis Evans and Elise Carline impacting the game when it mattered most, helping extend the lead back to 14 points midway through the quarter before pulling away late. 

The home team Cougars would end up taking home their first win of the new year by a final score of 86-60. Nora Luca led all scorers on the night with 19 points. 

Player of the Game: #7 Elise Carline who posted a double-double on the night, with 12 points and 10 rebounds.