Box Score
CALGARY, AB – The MRU Cougars women's basketball team completed the weekend sweep over the Manitoba Bisons with an 81-65 win Saturday evening.

The Bisons controlled the flow of the game from the tip and led by as many as 14 in the first quarter. MRU struggled to generate any fluid offence and could not stop Manitoba on the defensive half.

However, late in the first quarter, Mount Royal started to show some pushback. They brought the score within a single-digit difference and forced Manitoba to call a timeout.

Injuries forced the Cougars to play with a shorter bench. Second-year guard Asha Donnelly took advantage of the extra minutes, scoring 10 points in the first half. Donnelly finished with a season-high 15 points off the bench. 

Mount Royal held the narrow four-point advantage at the half, with Bisons sharp-shooter Emily Mandamin knocking down a clutch three just before the end of the second quarter to keep Manitoba engaged. 

The Cougars relied heavily on the confident and steady play from the guard-forward duo of Isabella Faba and Nora Luca. Faba let the Kenyon Court faithful know the bank is open on Saturdays when she knocked down a couple of threes off the glass. 

Manitoba worked their hardest to keep pace with MRU in the second half, but the Cougars slowly built up their lead. Marissa Richards was lights out from beyond the arc for Mount Royal, scoring 14 points and helping her team secure their second straight victory on home court. 

Ayva Khan led the Bisons in scoring with 14, while Harriette Mackenzie had a team-best 16 points and 14 rebounds for MRU. 

Next weekend the Cougars play the last leg of their six-game homestand with a pair of games against the University of Winnipeg Wesman. The Bisons return home next weekend for a mini-series against Lethbridge. Catch all the action live on Canada West TV.