BRANDON – The Brandon Bobcats took a big step towards solidifying a Canada West playoff spot after bouncing the Manitoba Bisons 92-77 in men's basketball action on Saturday night.
 
BU pushed the pace early as they grabbed a 10-2 advantage over the Herd four minutes into the contest. After the first quarter, the Bobcats led 17-15.
 
In the second quarter, a 16-4 run by the Bobcats helped strengthen their lead. At halftime, Brandon was up 40-30.
 
After the break, BU expanded on their lead courtesy an 8-0 run. The Bobcats continued to build momentum and stretched their lead to 20, 58-38, with less than two minutes to go in the third quarter.
 
In the fourth, the Bobcats put together a 10-3 run that kept them in good shape for the remainder of the game.
 
The Bobcats, once again, benefited from balanced scoring with four players reaching double figures. Earl Thompson Jr. led the charge with a game-high 27 points and 12 rebounds for BU.
 
Tyvon Cooper collected 22 points and John Paul added a double-double with 18 points and 15 boards for Brandon.
 
Pookie Saunders was next with 12 points as the Bobcats picked up back-to-back wins over their longtime rivals en route to finishing the regular season at 9-and-11.
 
Brandon will have to wait until the conclusion of the regular season next weekend to find out if they have advanced, as there is a logjam for the final playoffs spots.
 
Meanwhile, Manitoba's top scorer was Justus Alleyn with 26 points as the Bisons slipped to 10-and-8 with the loss.
 
The Bisons are back on home court next weekend to cap off their regular season as they welcome the Mount Royal Cougars. Manitoba has officially clinched a post-season spot, while Mount Royal is right there with Brandon in the battle for a playoff berth.