Miles King scored a career-high 21 points as the McGill Redbirds defeated the visiting Manitoba Bisons 83-66 in men’s preseason basketball at Love Competition Hall in Montreal on Friday. The victory brought McGill’s preseason record to 1-1, while Manitoba opened its schedule at 0-1 in front of 312 spectators.
McGill Controls Play From the Opening Tip
The Redbirds never trailed in the contest, establishing a 22-14 lead after the first quarter and carrying a 37-29 advantage into halftime. McGill broke the game open in the third quarter by outscoring the Bisons 23-15, shooting 47.1 per cent in the stanza. King accounted for eight of those points without missing a shot to help push the lead to 60-44 entering the final period. McGill stretched its advantage to a game-high 20 points early in the fourth before Manitoba trimmed the margin to nine. The Redbirds responded by shooting 61.5 per cent in the final quarter to secure the 17-point victory.
King Rebounds From Opening Shooting Struggles
King, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard from Montreal, surpassed his previous career high of 16 points set during his freshman season. He shot 8-for-11 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from three-point range, while adding five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in 29 minutes of action. McGill head coach Ryan Thorne noted that King’s tough shooting night in the preseason opener against UNB—where he went 4-for-16—was an anomaly. “He’s a scorer,” Thorne said. “When he gets good looks, he’s going to make them. We have to make sure he doesn’t have to take tough shots and look for him within the flow of the game so he gets easier shots.”
Four Redbirds Score in Double Figures
King was one of four Redbirds to finish in double figures. Sophomore Sean Duff and senior Saransh Padhy each contributed 15 points, while junior Alexandre Reinert-Woodfine added 11 points off the bench. Padhy secured the game’s only double-double by grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds to go with his 15 points, shooting 5-for-11 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. “Saransh is a fourth-year guy on our team, so we’re going to play through him,” Thorne said. “If we have shooters around him and he makes good decisions, we’ll be in good shape.” For Manitoba, Samuel Desrochers and Brandt Lenz led the scoring with 12 points apiece, and Ramogi Nyagudi chipped in 11. Jonam Kazadi pulled down 12 rebounds for the Bisons.
Defensive Focus Drives Preseason Progress
McGill finished shooting 43.7 per cent overall (31-for-71) and hit 38.1 per cent from beyond the arc (8-for-21). Manitoba shot 33.3 per cent from the floor and struggled from distance, making just 4 of 24 three-point attempts (16.7 per cent). While pleased with the perimeter shooting, Thorne emphasized his team’s defensive objectives following the game. “I’m more concerned about our defence,” he said. “Our focus is on being a better defensive team than we were last year, and I think it showed in the first two games. If we can keep teams under 60, we’re in a great situation.” The Redbirds forced 16 turnovers and collected 13 steals, offsetting their own 19 turnovers, while the Bisons held a narrow 36-35 edge on the boards and outscored McGill 40-34 in the paint.
First Meeting in Nearly a Decade
Friday’s matchup marked the first meeting between McGill and Manitoba in nine years. Their previous encounter was a 63-53 quarter-final victory for the Redbirds at the Nationals in Halifax on March 9, 2017.
Queen’s Awaits at Love Competition Hall
Manitoba continues its Quebec preseason swing against UQAM on Oct. 3, 2026, at 6 p.m. McGill returns to the floor at Love Competition Hall on the same day, Oct. 3, 2026, to host Queen’s at 3 p.m.
