WINNIPEG – It was a tight, back-and-forth affair all night long but the UBC Thunderbirds came out on the losing end of a thrilling 75-72 contest at the hands of the first-place Manitoba Bisons Friday night at the Duckworth Centre.

The Bisons (5-0) extended their winning streak to five games to open the season while the No. 8 'Birds (2-3) drop their second straight.

Saying it was a close game would be an understatement as both teams came to play in the opening quarter. Possession bounced back and forth in the first with the Herd narrowly coming out on top 23-22. 

The same story continued into the second quarter with the Bisons holding a slight 45-41 lead heading into halftime.



The score became even tighter in the third as the teams took turns leading throughout the quarter. The Bisons just barely came out on top with a score of 58-57. 

The visiting T-Birds turned on the jets in the fourth quarter to briefly hold a seven-point lead. Despite the spark of electricity, the Bisons pulled ahead to close out the game.

"It was a good battle," said UBC head coach Deb Huband. "Manitoba came out really tough on the court. Hopefully, we'll make some adjustments and come back better tomorrow." 

The Bisons' fourth-year Emma Thompson sunk six three-pointers on six attempts for 18 points in the opening half. Thompson put up a total of 20 points in the game. Her teammate, Taylor Randall, led the way with 22 points and five assists.



Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds' points were evenly spread across their starting lineup. Third-year Keylyn Filewich led the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Maddison Penn added another 16 points and 13 rebounds.  

Both teams meet again Saturday at Investors Group Athletic Centre. Tip-off is at 3 p.m. PT and can be streamed live on CanadaWest.TV.