WINNIPEG – The Winnipeg Wesmen extended their win streak to three games with a defence an accused criminal would love to have represent them in a courtroom.

 
After giving up a late basket to give up the lead after 10 minutes, the Wesmen (4-8) played a suffocating defence the Vikes (5-9) couldn't handle as they went down to their fourth straight loss inside the Dr. David F. Anderson gymnasium in the Duckworth Centre, 71-50. 

 
The win gave the Wesmen a sweep of the two-game weekend series with the Vikes after their 78-70 victory Friday night.

 
Skylar Boulanger led the Wesmen with the double-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds, while Kerri Kuzbyt had 20 points and Megan Noonan had 11 points, six boards and six steals. Kristy Gallagher led the Vikes with 12 points, nine of them came on a trio of threes in the third quarter when she single-handedly tried to get her team back into the game. Jenna Bugiardini had seven points and 10 rebounds for the visitors.

 
Boulanger said the game plan for the Wesmen was simple and executed well.

 
"We put in a lot of effort on our defence and our offence came off of the defence," said Boulanger. 

 
After trailing throughout the first quarter the Vikes had a late push to take a 19-18 lead after 10 minutes. Winnipeg built an eight-point advantage halfway through the quarter when Kuzbyt hit her first of two three-point shots after the Vikes' freshman Brittani Yee missed a three of her own at the other end. Kuzbyt had six points in the opening quarter, while Yee matched the point total in leading the visitors.

 
After having a strong game off the bench on Friday, Yee was promoted to the Vikes' starting lineup in the second game of the weekend, replacing second-year guard Amira Giannattasio, who injured her left ankle in the previous game and was on crutches.

 
The Wesmen defence was too much for the Vikes to handle in the second quarter. After fourth-year guard Jenna Krug pulled the Vikes within seven at 32-25, the Wesmen defence went to work causing three shot-clock violations, a offensive turnover and a back-court violence on the visitor's final five possessions of the half. At the half the Wesmen had a 14-point lead at 39-25.

 
Winnipeg's fourth-year guard Kuzbyt continued to hold the hot hand with back-to-back threes, giving her four in the game, while third-year post Boulanger added 10 points and four rebounds. Yee played the entire 20 minutes of the half for Victoria, while coach Dani Sinclair rotated through nine of her other players trying to find the right combination to overcome the Wesmen press.

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After struggling a bit in the first half of Friday's game, Boulanger was one of the Wesmen's best players on the court in the final 60 minutes of the weekend action.

 
"I just keep reminding myself that confidence is key and that I'm a big part of this team," said the 20 year old. "I just keep trying to build up my confidence."

 
In the third quarter, the Wesmen extended their lead to 18 points at 45-27. Kristy Gallagher, a second-year guard for the Vikes, hit a trio of threes to close the gap to 50-38 midway through the quarter. Wesmen fourth-year guard Noonan hit four of five from the foul line and added a three, giving her 11 points in the game. Despite Gallagher's sizzle beyond the arc in the third quarter, the Wesmen led 59-43 after 30 minutes.

 
With the final result not in doubt Wesmen coach Tanya McKay gave her bench players some valuable experience in the fourth quarter, which freshman forward Faith Hezekiah took advantage of to hit a pair of foul shots before downing a bucket on a offensive rebound when she beat the Vikes' player to the ball. 

 
Next weekend both the Wesmen and Vikes host their annual Shoot for the Cure games for breast cancer awareness. The Wesmen host the CIS No. 1 Saskatchewan Huskies (12-0), Friday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. (CST) and Saturday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m., while the Vikes host the UBC Thunderbirds (6-7), Friday at 6 p.m. (PST) and Saturday at 5 p.m.