EDMONTON – In a complete team performance, the U SPORTS No. 2 Golden Bears inched closer to an undefeated regular season, knocking off the Calgary Dinos, 90-76, on Saturday afternoon at Saville Community Sports Centre. 

Five Bears scored 10+ points, led by a game-high 17 from Cole Knudsen, and 16 from Tyus Jefferson. Geoffrey James (15), Lars Ishimwe (13) and Adam Paige (12) also recorded double-digit point totals. 

Manyang Tong matched Knudsen's output with 17 points of his own, for a Dinos team that shot just over 40-percent from the field. Ezeoha Santiago and Parker Johnstone also added 15 each for Calgary.

The win pushes the Bears up to 15-0 in conference play, while the loss for the Dinos is their sixth, dropping them to 9-6. 

Alberta came out firing in a rare matinee, with the home side holding a 25-15 lead after one, and a 50-36 lead at the half. Knudsen was unstoppable in the paint for Alberta, making 8-10 shots he took, adding nine boards and three assists. 

The trio of Santiago, Tong and Johnstone did what they could to limit the damage in the first half, keeping the game within reach.  

Normally a dangerous team from beyond the arc, the Bears were ice cold on Saturday afternoon, with the Dinos holding the U SPORTS Championship hosts to just 3-16 from three-point range. By comparison, the Dinos shot 9-30 from deep, including a 5-10 third quarter, which saw them outscore the Bears 24-19. 

However, the depth of Alberta was too much for the Dinos to match. The Bears held the Dinos to just 16 points in the fourth, holding on for the 14-point win.

The two rivals will conclude their regular seasons tomorrow, with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m. MT at Saville.