The Winnipeg Wesmen have started January off hot and find themselves in the top three of the Canada West conference. 

Mikhail Mikhailov led five Wesmen players in double figures with a career-high 24 points and the UWinnipeg men's basketball team rallied late for a 95-90 conference win over the Regina Cougars Saturday night at the Duckworth Centre. 

Shawn Maranan had a career-high 13 assists along with 13 points for the Wesmen, who used a 19-0 run over a 4:18 stretch of the third and fourth quarters that turned an eight-point Regina lead into an 80-69 lead 37 seconds into the fourth. 

Malachi Alexander had 16 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Wesmen (9-3), who also got 17 points and five rebounds from Donald Stewart and 12 points, six rebounds and three assists from Ryan Luke. 

Majok Madol's game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds led the Cougars (5-7), who dropped their fifth straight conference game. Brayden Kuski added 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Carter Millar dropped 12 points with seven rebounds. 

The Cougars were scorching from three in the first half, making 11 of their first 12 threes and finishing 11-for-13 in the first 20 minutes. They would shoot 16-for-27 from the perimeter, an impressive 59.3 per cent, the first time since November 2019 they shot over 50 per cent from three, and not far off the program record 61.1 per cent they set against Manitoba on Dec 2, 2006.

While not shooting at the clip of the Cougars, the Wesmen weren't slouching from outside, either. They made 7 of 12 from three in the first half, with Stewart hitting his first three attempts. They finished 42.9 per cent from three, the fourth time this season they've shot 40 per cent or better from outside. 

The Wesmen hit the road once again next weekend when they visit UNBC for the first time since 2018.