BRANDON, Man. – Trailing by as many as 21 points midway through the third quarter, the University of Calgary Dinos men's basketball team roared all the way back to within two but couldn't quite get over the hump in a 100-95 loss to Brandon University Saturday evening from the Healthy Living Centre.

The loss drops the Dinos to 2-4 on the year, while Brandon is the surprise team in Canada West in the early going – picked 10th in the preseason poll but off to a 5-1 start to the year.

Nate Petrone flirted with a triple double in leading the Dinos, finishing the game with 33 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and four steals in 38 minutes of action.

Alan Spoonhunter was big down the stretch and finished with 14 points, while Gurshan Sran (13) and Martynas Sabaliauskas (10) both also finished in double figures on the night.

Six players scored 10-plus points for the Bobcats on the night, led by Khari Ojeda-Harvey, who was red hot from behind the arc and finished the night with 28 points on 10-16 shooting – including going 4-7 from three.

Both teams started things out feeling their way through the first quarter as Calgary held a 19-18 lead after one.

Brandon then got hot in the second, shooting 13-20 (65%) overall and 6-11 (55%) from three in the frame to double up the Dinos in the second and build a 50-34 advantage at the break.

The gap would stay relatively the same until the fourth quarter. A three by Sultan Haider Bhatti gave the 'Cats a 79-62 lead with 9:29 left to play. Petrone drilled a three on the ensuing Dinos possession to keep pace. Jaylan Lee and Dylan Lutes then got in the action before a triple from Spoonhunter made it a 10-point game with 6:43 left.

Petrone then scored the next six points of the game before two free throws from Lee suddenly made this a one-possession game at 83-81 with 5:03 still left on the clock. 

But Calgary never was able to get over the hump, as the Bobcats were able to keep them at arm's length the rest of the way to close out the win.

The Dinos dominated the rebounding battle, 47-33, and had a 52-36 edge in points in the paint, but Brandon finished with 16 made three pointers compared to Calgary's eight in what proved to be the difference in this one.

The road swing continues next weekend for the Dinos with a trip to Saskatchewan to take on the Huskies, starting Friday.

-UC-