The Winnipeg Wesmen are one win away from making history for the University of Winnipeg. 
 
For the first time in program history, the Wesmen men's basketball team will play for a Canada West conference championship on Friday (9 p.m. CT) when it travels to Victoria to take on the host Vikes.
 
It is the first conference title of any kind the Wesmen will compete for since 1994-95 when the team lost in the championship of the defunct Great Plains Athletic Conference. 
 
The UWinnipeg basketball programs joined the Canada West in 2001-02. 
 
The Wesmen made the championship game by virtue of a 73-70 semifinal win over heated rival Manitoba on Saturday. That win also secured a berth into the eight-team national championship tournament in Halifax March 10-12, the first time the Wesmen have qualified for nationals since 1993-94. 
 
The Wesmen finished the season 15-5, the second-highest win percentage in program history, and survived a triple-overtime game with Brandon in the conference quarter-final before the win over Manitoba. 
 
Shawn Maranan, a Sisler High School graduate, was named a second-team Canada West all-star this season, and Spanish freshman Alberto Gordo was one of five players named to the conference all-rookie team. 

A watch party at the Duckworth Centre is planned. For more information, contact t.nicholson@uwinnipeg.ca.