It wasn't supposed to be this easy — and it likely won't be again — but for one night the Winnipeg Wesmen ran all over the top-ranked team in the country. 

The Wesmen held the nation's top-scoring team to a season-low output and used a 14-0 second-quarter run to pull away for a 76-52 Canada West conference victory in one of the biggest showdowns in U Sports this season.

The Cougars came in as not only U Sports' No. 1-ranked team, but also its highest-scoring and the country's top three-point shooting team. 

The Wesmen handled all of that. 

The Cougars were held to 4-for-27 shooting from three and were blitzed by the second-quarter run where the Wesmen forced four turnovers and made three three-pointers in a span of 3:13 before halftime.

What was a 25-23 game turned into a 16-point edge from which Regina never recovered. 

Kyanna Giles had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Wesmen (9-2), who pulled into a four-way tie for first place in the conference with Regina, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Julia Schatkowsky added 16 points, five rebounds and a career-high four blocks while also making both her three-point attempts.

Robyn Boulanger scored 13 points.

The Wesmen were also able to almost completely eliminate Regina's top guns, with second-year forward Jade Belmore — the conference's rookie of the year last season — scoring just two points on 1 of 8 shooting. Cara Misskey, who like Belmore came in averaging better than 17 points per game, was held to three points and Julia Vydrova, the team's other double-digit scorer, mustered just four points. Combined, the three players were 4-for-19 from the field. 

Regina was led by Zoe Hartmann's 14 points and Eden Wells scored 10 off the bench.

The two teams will finish the weekend with a 7 p.m. tip Saturday at the Duckworth Centre. Tickets are available online at wesmen.ca/tickets.