The University of Regina's men's basketball team came roaring back from a second-half deficit that reached as many as 18 points, but ultimately couldn't complete the comeback in a tough 89-82 road loss to Manitoba on Friday night.
 
A poor second quarter in which Manitoba outscored the Cougars by a 25-15 margin gave the Bisons a 15-point halftime lead, and that was extended to 18 after a triple by Justus Alleyn in the opening minute of the third.
 
But the Cougars responded from there, going on a 10-0 run to get the deficit back down to single digits. And a 12-2 run by Regina over the last minute and a half of the third and the first two minutes of the fourth made it a one-possession game, but the Cougars weren't able to get any closer. Back-to-back buckets by Stephen Shields (pictured) made the score 83-80 with under a minute to go, but Manitoba quickly replied with a layup and hit four free throws in the final 20 seconds to salt away the win.
 
Manitoba's win puts them ahead of the Cougars for third place in the Pioneer Division standings as the Bisons improve to 10-5 on the season, while Regina (8-5) falls into a three-way knot with Lethbridge and Winnipeg for fourth.
 
A.J. Basi was 5-for-10 from three-point land and led the Bisons with a game-high 27 points, while Keith Omoerah had 16 points and 14 rebounds for a big double-double. Alleyn also had 16 points, with Jonathan Alexander coming off the bench to score 14.
 
Shields had a career night for the Cougars, going 10-for-11 from the field and scoring a team-high 21 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive glass. Brandon Tull had 15 points and nine rebounds, while Will Tallman added 10 points and seven boards.
 
The two teams will play a rematch on Saturday night with a slightly earlier start time. They'll tip off at 6:00 (canadawest.tv).