The University of Regina's men's basketball team held a 16-point lead at halftime, but couldn't hang on as the Manitoba Bisons came back for a 72-69 win over the Cougars on Friday night in Winnipeg.

The Cougars scored eight straight points in the second quarter during a run which included back-to-back three-pointers by Brayden Kuski and Greishe Clerjuste which gave them their largest lead of the game at 17, but the Bisons came out hot after halftime. Manitoba had two separate 8-0 runs in the third quarter as the two teams went into the fourth tied at 47-47, and a three-point play by Keiran Zziwa early in the final period gave Manitoba its first lead of the game.

The Bisons led by nine with a minute and a half remaining, but the Cougars nearly came all the way back as a three-point play by Samuel Hillis off an inbounds pass got Regina to within one with 13 seconds to go.

Manitoba immediately got a dunk after the Hillis free throw to go back up by three. The Cougars had a chance to tie it at the buzzer, but Benjamin Hillis' desperation triple rimmed out.

James Wagner had a game-high 25 points and added nine rebounds for Manitoba, which improves to 13-2 with the win.

Both Hillis brothers finished in double-digit scoring for the Cougars. Benjamin finished with 18 points, while Samuel scored 14 and both Arinze Emeka-Anyakwo and Matt Barnard finished with nine.

Now 7-8 on the season, the Cougars will get another crack at Manitoba on Saturday night (7:00) in Winnipeg. A Regina win, coupled with another Mount Royal loss to Fraser Valley, would clinch a playoff berth for the Cougars.