Bombers stun Lions with wild rally

Deon Beasley returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown in overtime Monday to seal the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' stunning 47-35 win over the B.C. Lions.

The Blue Bombers defensive back intercepted Casey Printers after Winnipeg running back Yvenson Bernard had already scored a touchdown on a two-yard run to give the Blue Bombers a 41-35 lead.

Earlier in overtime, Lions kicker Sean Whyte booted a 30-yard field goal. Justin Palardy replied with a 32-yarder for Winnipeg.

The victory before 25,016 fans at Canad Inns Stadium kept Winnipeg's slim playoff hopes alive by bumping the Bombers' record to 4-10.

B.C. dropped to 5-9 and sits in third place in the West Division.

With the Lions' loss, both Calgary and Saskatchewan clinched home playoff games.

Palardy sent the game into overtime with a 42-yard field goal as time expired after a wild second half.

The Lions had scored 24 unanswered points in the third quarter to go ahead 32-11, but Winnipeg responded with 21 straight in the fourth to make it 32-32.

League-leading rusher Fred Reid scored on 44-yard darting run for Winnipeg, which also got touchdown catches from Terrence Edwards and Greg Carr.

Palardy also booted field goals from 41 and 45 yards and added two singles, one off a missed 31-yard field-goal attempt.

B.C. got touchdowns from Geroy Simon, Emmanuel Arceneaux and running back Yonus Davis, who returned a punt 73 yards into the end zone.

Whyte, who replaced Paul McCallum (hamstring), was also good on field goals from 49, 50 and 19 yards and added two punt singles.

Winnipeg led 4-0 after the first quarter and 11-8 at halftime.

Palardy accounted for the first quarter's scoring with a field goal and single.

Whyte booted a 49-yard field goal 18 seconds into the second quarter before B.C. committed a pair of turnovers.

Quarterback Travis Lulay was intercepted by linebacker Marcellus Bowman after the ball was tipped into the air by Winnipeg's Joe Lobendahn, but the Blue Bombers' offence came away with nothing.

Davis then fumbled a Winnipeg punt and the ball was recovered by Merrill Johnson. The turnover led to Reid's sixth touchdown of the season.

Winnipeg started Alex Brink at quarterback in place of Stephen Jyles and the rookie was booed by the crowd in the second quarter.

Brink completed just 3-of-14 pass attempts for 59 yards in the first half.

Whyte had a 59-yard punt single and connected on a 50-yard field goal for B.C. with 13 seconds left to close the gap 11-8 at halftime.

The tables turned on the Bombers in the third quarter when B.C. scored 24 unanswered points.

Winnipeg had forced another B.C. turnover early in the second half when defensive end Doug Brown tackled Lulay and Bowman recovered the ball, but again the Bombers offence sputtered.

B.C. regrouped with Davis' punt return TD that gave them a 15-11 lead at 4:15.

Winnipeg then turned the ball over on a punt attempt and B.C. recovered at the Blue Bombers' 25-yard line.

The turnover led to Simon's touchdown, which sparked the crowd to begin chanting, "We want Jyles."

Brink went in for another series and was then replaced by Jyles after Whyte connected on his 19-yarder.

B.C. ended the third quarter with Arceneaux's 17-yard touchdown catch, his second of the season.

Palardy booted his 45-yarder at 2:55 of the fourth and then B.C. made a quarterback change, replacing an injured Lulay with Printers.

Winnipeg's next possession led to Edwards' league-leading 11th receiving TD to make it 32-21.

After a scrum between players, B.C. was flagged for 25 yards of penalties before the convert on Edwards' TD, yards that were added on the kickoff. Palardy turned the kickoff into a single for a 32-22 score.

Carr caught his TD pass with 57 seconds left in the game and Palardy followed it up with his tying 42-yarder.