Box Score Box Score
The University of Regina's men's basketball team got out to a quick start and held off the Manitoba Bisons down the stretch to take a 108-94 win on Friday night in a Canada West game at the Centre for Kinesiology, Health & Sport.
The Cougars led by 12 after the first quarter and by 16 at the half, but 10 consecutive points by the Bisons brought the visitors to within four points midway through the third quarter. Regina replied with a 17-3 run of its own to push the lead up to 20, only to have Manitoba cut the deficit to eight points mainly due to a barrage of three-pointers from Sean Maxwell.
Regina finally put the Bisons away with seven consecutive points to get the lead back up to 15 with a minute left in the fourth.
Marek Downarowicz led the Cougars (13-10) with 21 points and added a game-high 12 rebounds to register his third double-double of the season.
Paul Gareau had 20 points and eight rebounds despite spending most of the night in foul trouble, while
Jared Janotta scored a career-high 18 points in 18 minutes off the bench.
Maxwell caught fire late in the game for Manitoba, going 7-for-8 from three-point land in the second half alone. The fifth-year forward hit eight three-pointers in total and added two two-point field goals to lead all players with 28 points.
Jonar Huertas scored 20 points for Manitoba, while Eric Garcia and Keith Omoerah both had 14 and Richard Reimer chipped in with 12. The Bisons, who are embroiled in a three-team battle for the final two Canada West postseason berths, drop to 9-14 with the loss.
The two teams will meet again on Saturday night at the CKHS. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. following the conclusion of the women's game.
NOTES: The U of R's 108 points is tied for the sixth highest single-game total in program history … the most points ever scored by the Cougars in a game was back on Feb. 19, 1988 in a 119-109 win over Winnipeg … Gareau was 4-for-5 from the free throw line tonight and has now made 123 this season, six short of Brenan Schwartz's U of R single-season record of 129 set during the 2000-01 campaign … Gareau also has scored 427 points with one game remaining on the Canada West schedule, 32 shy of Tyler Wright's single-season school record of 459 (2001-02).
