It was a night of mixed fortunes for the Brandon Bobcats at the HLC on Saturday, as the men's and women's basketball teams split their doubleheader against the visiting Regina Cougars.

Men's Basketball: Bobcats Power Past Cougars 77-62

The Brandon Bobcats men's team defended their home court in convincing fashion, pulling away in the second half to secure a 77-62 victory over the Regina Cougars.

The Bobcats were led by a stellar all-around performance from Sultan Haider-Bhatti, who dominated the paint and the stat sheet. Haider-Bhatti recorded a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while also dishing out 7 assists and grabbing 3 steals.

Travis Hamberger provided the scoring punch for Brandon, leading the team with 19 points on efficient shooting, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. Munroop Gill was also instrumental, filling the box score with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and a game-high 4 steals, anchoring the Bobcats' defensive effort.

While the first half was competitive, with Brandon holding a slim 32-29 lead at the break, the Bobcats found their rhythm in the third quarter. They outscored Regina 22-20 in the third and clamped down defensively in the fourth, holding the Cougars to just 13 points in the final frame to seal the win.

Regina struggled to find offensive consistency, shooting just 33.3% from the field compared to Brandon's 48.3%. Ben Kamba led the Cougars with 19 points, and Kaz Dornstauder added a double-double of his own with 14 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome Brandon's balanced attack.

Women's Basketball: Slow Start Dooms Bobcats in 69-45 Loss

In the early game, the Bobcats women's team couldn't recover from a difficult opening quarter, falling 69-45 to the Regina Cougars.

The game was largely decided in the first 10 minutes, as Regina stormed out of the gates to take a commanding 27-5 lead. The Cougars' defense stifled Brandon early, and their dominance on the glass was a major factor throughout the night. Regina outrebounded Brandon by a massive margin of 59-31, including 20 offensive boards that led to second-chance opportunities.

Despite the lopsided start, the Bobcats showed resilience, playing Regina nearly even for the remainder of the game. Ella Averill was a bright spot for Brandon, scoring a team-high 18 points to go along with 8 rebounds. Macaya Copeland was the only other Bobcat in double figures with 10 points.

Regina's Jade Belmore was the game's top scorer, pouring in 22 points. Jordyn Neumann added 14 points off the bench, and Cara Misskey controlled the interior with 11 rebounds for the Cougars.

The teams will travel to Saskatoon to take on the Huskies next weekend to close out the first half.