BRANDON, Man. – Saturday proved to be not about how you start but how you finish, as the Bobcats had a great start but were beat by the Manitoba Bisons 75-69 Saturday night.
 
Brandon started the game on a 13-2 run, but the Bisons answered with a run of their own to tie it 16-16.
 
The Bobcats took a 10-point lead in the second before Manitoba trimmed the deficit to just a point at the break, with Brandon leading 35-34.
 
The Bobcats were ice cold to start the third, as the Bisons continued a 23-2 run between the second and into the third.
 
While Brandon was able to trim the deficit in the fourth, the Bobcats were forced to foul late and Manitoba made the most of the opportunity.
 
"We believe in ourselves, first and foremost, so this game is just another that we're putting in our pockets to move on to the next one," said Manitoba's Jonam Kazadi of his team's performance.
 
"We're not going to value one game over another. Every game is important and as equal as the next."
 
Simon Hildebrandt added to his case to be the conference's rookie of the year. The first-year forward led all scorers with 27 points, which included a perfect 13-for-13 from the free-throw line.
 
The Bobcats were led by Jahmaal Gardner's team-high 22 points while Anthony Tsegakele finished with 15 points and Sultan Haider Bhatti had 13.
 
The win improves Manitoba's record to 11-1 on the season while the Bobcats slip to 8-6.
 
The Bisons return home to host the Mount Royal Cougars next weekend while the Bobcats will enjoy a bye weekend.