KELOWNA, B.C. — The Winnipeg Wesmen avoided a disaster Saturday and are coming home with a season-opening sweep.

The Wesmen men's basketball team used a 24-3 second-half run to turn the tables on the UBCO Heat in an 89-75 Canada West conference victory that gave the team two wins in two outings to start conference play. 

The Wesmen were held to just 12 points in the first quarter and trailed by as many as 14 points at multiple times during the first half. A night after putting 106 on the board in a convincing win, the Wesmen were scuffling on Saturday, spending most of the first half playing catch-up.

Winnipeg, however, closed the second quarter on a 12-3 run that trimmed the Heat lead to 41-36. 

UBCO's lead would get back to eight and hover there for much of the third quarter before the Wesmen went on their decisive run. With the Heat up 56-48, Kato Jaro found Donald Stewart for a layup with 4:07 to go in the third that sparked the Wesmen surge.

The Heat went scoreless the rest of the third quarter and by the time Hafith Moallin made a lay-up 31 seconds into the fourth, the Wesmen had already built up a 10-point lead. The Wesmen would then hold the Heat without a field goal for the next two minutes and UBCO could only get as close as six points down the rest of the way.

Mikhail Mikhailov had 22 points, 10 rebounds and three steals to lead the Wesmen, who will host the pre-season No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds in their home-opener Friday and Saturday. 

Alberto Gordo had 18 points and seven rebounds, Shawn Maranan had 16 and five, Malachi Alexander chipped in with 13 and seven, and Stewart scored 12 despite taking just four field goals. 

Jalen Shirley's 28 points topped the Heat (0-2) while Lamine Conde had 17 and Moallin 14. 

Winnipeg shot 48.5 per cent from the field and made seven of 21 threes. UBCO was held to 36.1 per cent shooting and six of 24 from three. 

The Wesmen also won despite committing 22 turnovers the most they've surrendered in the past 16 conference games dating back to last November. 

Winnipeg outrebounded the Heat 45-37, but gave up 17 offensive boards.