KELOWNA, B.C. — The Winnipeg Wesmen executed a tremendous turnaround Saturday night.

One night after losing by more than 40 points, the Wesmen women's basketball team bounced back in a big way to salvage a season-opening split with a 54-51 win over the UBCO Heat.

The Wesmen improved to 1-1 as they prepare to host their home-opening weekend Friday and Saturday against the UBC Thunderbirds.

Winnipeg's win came after a 41-point season-opening defeat on Friday, but Saturday they found a way to stymie the Heat (1-1) defensively, holding the hosts to 24.3 per cent shooting from the field and 6-for-31 from three. 

Carmen Hiebert posted her first Canada West double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Wesmen, who finished the win off despite scoring just nine points in the fourth quarter. Holding the opponents to eight fourth-quarter points certainly helped. 

The Wesmen also won despite three players — Jasia Hayden, Jennifer Kallon and Raia Guinto — all fouling out. Hayden earned her first career start and grabbed eight rebounds.

Anna Kernaghan had nine points and 10 rebounds for Winnipeg, which was outrebounded 67-53. 

The Wesmen forced 22 UBCO turnovers including five during a critical five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter with the game still in the balance. 

After Tennyson McCarthy capped a 9-4 UBC run that tied the game at 47 with 6:41 to play, the Wesmen held the Heat without a field goal for the next 5:16 and managed to open a six-point edge.

Jaeli Ibbetson hit a three with 1:09 left to make it 53-50 — and later added a free throw to get within two — but Jazmin Birch made one of two from the line with 0.5 seconds left push the lead back to three and an Ibbetson three-point attempt following a timeout on the ensuing possession bounced off the front rim as the buzzer sounded.

Kelsey Falk led the Heat with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Ibbetson had a game-high 19 rebounds, but was 1-for-11 from the field.