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Lions down Blue Bombers

Aug 6, 2013 - 4:13 AM Vancouver, BC (Sports Network) - Travis Lulay threw three touchdown passes and British Columbia's defense held the Winnipeg Blue Bombers out of the end zone in the second half in the Lions' 27-20 win at BC Place.

Lulay threw for 268 yards on 28-of-39 efficiency and connected with Shawn Gore, Korey Williams and Courtney Taylor for touchdowns, with Taylor's coming midway through the fourth quarter to help secure the win.

The Lions (4-2) rebounded from a 26-point loss at Toronto in their last game and handed the Blue Bombers (1-5) a fourth straight loss.

"It was a tough battle," BC head coach Mike Benevides said. "I'm proud of our defense...and our offense made some big plays in the red zone."

Justin Goltz, tagged as the full-time starter in place of veteran Buck Pierce, completed only half of his 26 attempts for 112 yards with an interception in the setback. He did run in for a touchdown, as did Chad Simpson in his 19- carry, 83-yard performance.

Paul McCallum pinned the Bombers inside their own 1-yard line with the score tied 17-17 early in the fourth quarter, and Winnipeg conceded a safety after failing to move the chains.

Lulay and Taylor hooked up for an 11-yard TD with just over six minutes to go, and Justin Palardy's 39-yard field goal with 4:41 remaining made it a 26-20 game.

McCallum, whose streak of 23 successful field goal attempts ended earlier in the game, missed another try for a single with 1:39 on the clock.

The Lions' defense stuffed Simpson inches short of a first down on the next possession, but McCallum shanked a punt to give the ball back to Winnipeg at its own 46-yard line with under a minute remaining.

Still, the hosts were able to hold on as Goltz threw two incompletions at midfield and was sacked on 3rd-and-15 to all but end things.

"They really locked us down in the second half," Goltz said. "It's a disheartening loss."

A week after struggling in the red zone against Toronto, the Lions stalled again inside the opponent's 20-yard line on their first possession of the game and settled for McCallum's 27-yard field goal.

Winnipeg, after fumbling away the opening kickoff, managed a single late in the first quarter and recovered a Lulay fumble on the ensuing drive at the Lions' 35-yard line. The Bombers turned the takeaway into a major on Simpson's 2-yard run.

Following another single by the Bombers, BC went back in front, 10-9, midway through the second quarter when Lulay found Gore off a play-action fake for a 20-yard TD, the club's first in six quarters.

The Lions scored again a little later as Solomon Elimimian's interception off a tipped pass set up Williams' 14-yard touchdown catch in traffic with 4:17 left in the half.

The Bombers pulled within 17-16 at the break on Goltz's 5-yard scamper after Tim Brown muffed a punt deep in Lions territory, and the visitors tied it with a single with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third.

Game Notes

BC, which improved to 3-0 at home this season, beat Winnipeg in both meetings last year ... Williams' touchdown was the first of his career ... BC next plays on Aug. 17 against Calgary ... Winnipeg will try to stop its skid at home against Hamilton on Aug. 16.