DAVID LARKINS, Wesmen Athletics 

Fresh off an impressive sweep against one of their division's top teams, the Winnipeg Wesmen stuttered slightly before running away with another lopsided win over their in-city rivals.

Kyanna Giles had 26 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and the Wesmen women's basketball hit a season-best 44 per cent from three to pull away for a 91-62 victory over the Manitoba Bisons Thursday night at the Investors Group Athletic Centre. 

Giles had eight points, seven rebounds and four assists in the third quarter alone when the Wesmen got a bit more breathing room on the scoreboard after the Bisons had closed the first half down 48-38. Winnipeg outscored the Bisons 25-10 in the third quarter.

The Wesmen stormed out on a 12-4 run before the game was even 2 1/2 minutes old, but the Bisons hung around forcing nine first-half turnovers and at one point lowering the deficit to 20-16 in the first quarter. From there, however, the Wesmen closed the quarter on a 9-2 run and the Bisons would get no closer. 

"We did not play defence in the first half," Wesmen head coach Tanya McKay said. "(The Bisons) had uncontested layups, uncontested threes. The kids had to elevate their effort and they did and that's the way we have to play."

A 13-2 run opened the second half and the Wesmen held U of M to only one field goal through the first 5:24 of the third. 

"We had more pressure on the ball. We knew who our checks were and we weren't letting them beat us to the rim," McKay said. "We were defending ball penetration and we were closing on shooters. We need to do that, we need to know that we can create a lot of opportunities off our defence and that's our mentality."

Robyn Boulanger hit on 4 of 6 from three — including back-to-back triples in that pivotal second-quarter run — and finished with 18 points. Keylyn Filewich added 16 points and nine rebounds and Faith Hezekiah had 10 and nine. 

Jillian Duncan played 17 minutes off the bench and had six points, seven rebounds and two blocks. 

Emerson led Manitoba (0-1) with 13 points and Lauren Bartlett added 11.

Winnipeg shot 42.3 per cent from the field and held Manitoba to 31.3 per cent shooting. 

The two teams meet again Saturday at the Duckworth Centre at 6 p.m.

—#REPTHEW—