MBB: Late heroics lift Cougars past Bobcats in tight battle

#8 Captain Sam Barnie leading the charge for MRU.

The 10–6 Mount Royal Cougars welcomed the 6–8 Brandon Bobcats to Kenyon Court on Friday night, playing in front of a packed home crowd. With the Canada West playoffs approaching, both teams entered the matchup looking to strengthen their position in the race to host a postseason game.

Both sides came out firing in the opening minutes, with Cougars forwards Kuach Gajak and Faruq Balarabe finishing through contact at the rim to get MRU on the board early. Brandon responded behind the sharpshooting of forward Arjun Hehar, who helped the Bobcats build momentum and carry a 22–18 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Desmond Ducheck sparked the Cougars early in the second quarter, scoring key buckets to briefly give MRU a one-point edge midway through the frame. Brandon's Sultan Haider-Bhatti began to find his rhythm, knocking down a pair of big shots as the Bobcats edged ahead 43–42 heading into halftime.

The second half opened with the same level of intensity, as both teams searched for a run to gain separation. A jumper from the top of the key by Sam Barnie helped the Cougars stretch their lead to seven, putting MRU ahead 54–47 midway through the third quarter.

Strong play from guard Jacob McLellan helped the Cougars maintain their advantage, and a Barnie and-one conversion extended the lead to 62–55. Mount Royal carried a five-point cushion into the final quarter.

Brandon stormed back early in the fourth, led by Haider-Bhatti, who helped cut the deficit to one and forced an MRU timeout. Guard Munroop Gill continued his strong night, pushing the Bobcats ahead as he reached 21 points with five minutes remaining.

A thunderous dunk from McLellan put the Cougars back in front late, but Gill answered with a soft floater to tie the game at 72. Captain Sam Barnie delivered in the closing moments, helping Mount Royal regain control and build a four-point lead with under 30 seconds remaining. A late three from Gill gave Brandon a final push, but the Cougars closed out the contest, securing a 79–75 victory.

Player of the Game: Desmond Ducheck who finished with a career-high 18 points on an efficient 54 percent from the field in the win.

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Players Mentioned

#8 Sam Barnie: F; 6' 6"; Third Year

#0 Kuach Gajak: G; 6' 4"; First Year

#2 Desmond Ducheck: G; 6' 3"; First Year

#10 Jacob McLellan: G; 6' 3"; First Year

#14 Faruq Balarabe: F; 6' 6"; Second Year

Players Mentioned

#8 Sam Barnie
: 6' 6"; Third Year
: F

#0 Kuach Gajak
: 6' 4"; First Year
: G

#2 Desmond Ducheck
: 6' 3"; First Year
: G

#10 Jacob McLellan
: 6' 3"; First Year
: G

#14 Faruq Balarabe
: 6' 6"; Second Year
: F