Brandon shoots lights out late to stun Manitoba

Someone forgot to tell the Brandon University newcomers they weren’t supposed to win on Friday.

The Bobcats rode a combined 52 points from fifth-years Sultan Bhatti and Travis Hamberger, adding 38 from players making their Canada West debut in a 101-90 victory over Canada West’s second-ranked Manitoba Bisons in the season opener at the Healthy Living Centre on Friday.

“I say all the time, those guys are dogs. When I say dogs, it means they’ve got heart,” said Hamberger, who netted 23.

“You don’t need to go at them to try to make them wake up and come off the bench for a spark, they’re always ready, and that’s what I love about them.”

The Bobcats kept pace in a wild opening stretch as Max Winters scored a quick four points inside. But the third-year forward from Neelin took two early fouls.

Import DeMarco Duncan checked in and grabbed a few rebounds, then scored on a put-back layup.

Sultan Bhatti nailed a 30-footer and a contested floater.

BU got even more production off the bench as Arjun Hehar and Munroop Gill hit tough layups.

On the other end, the Bisons had no issues getting to the rim for easy ones to keep it tied 26-26 after 10 minutes.

As expected, the quality looks went in more often than the contested ones in the second quarter.

Coupled with six offensive rebounds, the Bisons took advantage of the softer Bobcats’ defence to pull ahead by as many as nine points.

Bhatti and Travis Hamberger kept Brandon in it from beyond the arc, as Manitoba took a 48-42 lead into the break.

The third quarter was Mason Kraus against the world. The fifth-year guard created for Manitoba on offence while Hamberger, Bhatti, Malik Brown, and Hehar knocked down threes.

Kraus kept the visitors ahead for the first eight minutes of the quarter before Gill beat a double-team for a layup to tie, and Hamberger cashed a straight-on trey to pull ahead 70-67.

BU took a 72-69 lead into the fourth.

When the final frame started, Hehar and Gill treated the Bisons’ defence like paid actors hired to help film their highlight reel.

Hehar drilled a three, Gill added a floater, and Bhatti banked a triple to go up 80-71, forcing a Kirby Schepp timeout. When they returned to the floor, Gill inbounded the ball off his defender’s back, collected it, and tossed it in for two more. The five-foot-11 rookie added another floater and suddenly BU led by 13 with less than six minutes remaining.

Manitoba was never going to let it be easy from there and tightened up on defence while driving straight downhill to make it 90-85 with three minutes to go.

For the second time on the night, the Bobcats spent 23 seconds on offence twiddling their thumbs only for Bhatti to toss up a deep, off-balance contested three. Of course, he made both, and this one put Brandon back up eight.

The Bobcats got a pair of big stops before Gill hit another contested floater to lead 97-88 with 45 seconds remaining.

The Bisons started playing the foul game, but the Bobcats knocked a few more down and eclipsed the century mark to cap a perfect night for the program.

BU hit 14 of 29 threes, while Manitoba made six of 24.

The Bisons won the glass battle, but only 41-35.

The Bobcats are off to Winnipeg to face the Wesmen on Sunday energized.

“We saw the pre-season rankings, and me and Sully coming back for our fifth year had to do something,” Hamberger said.

“We knew we had something to prove and we had to leave it out on the court.

“We’re trying to make a statement here, and this is the best way to start it.”

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