LIONS 43 ESKIMOS 29

VANCOUVER – Buck Pierce came off the bench to throw three touchdowns and run in another score Friday as the B.C. Lions thumped the Edmonton Eskimos 43-29 to snap a three-game losing streak and gain some much-needed confidence.

Pierce replaced the ineffective Thomas DeMarco at the start of the second quarter and connected on two short TDs to Andrew Harris and a long bomb to Emmanuel Arceneaux for the Lions (10-7), who were already locked into the third seed in the CFL’s West Division playoff picture coming into the game.

With one game to still go in the regular season, B.C. will visit either the Saskatchewan Roughriders or the Calgary Stampeders in semifinal round on Nov. 10.

Pierce and Stefan Logan, who became the first B.C. player to rush for more than 100 yards since late July, ran in the Lions’ other two touchdowns. Arceneaux also caught another late TD.

Mike Reilly, who signed with the Eskimos in the off-season after three years with B.C. as a backup, threw two TDs to Adarius Bowman but was also intercepted twice for the Eskimos (3-14). Bowman finished with six catches for 199 yards. Backup quarterback Jonathan Crompton ran in another late score.

Former Lions kicker Hugh O’Neill finished 2 for 2 on field goals as the Eskimos dropped their fifth straight game.

(The Canadian Press)