BRANDON — Shawn Maranan's return to action was a winning one for the Winnipeg Wesmen Friday night.

Maranan, a fifth-year point guard who had been sidelined more than two months with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the pre-season, had 16 points and five assists and the Wesmen men's basketball team stormed out early to defeat the Brandon Bobcats 91-71 in the Canada West conference opener for both teams. 

Maranan hadn't played in any of the non-conference games for the Wesmen since getting hurt against Black Hills State on Aug. 20, but the Wesmen were buoyed by his return, opening the game on a 19-3 run and closing the first quarter up 24-12. 

The Bobcats never got closer than seven down the rest of the way and the Wesmen maintained a double-digit advantage throughout the second half on their way to their most decisive victory over the Bobcats since a 21-point win on Dec. 4, 2021. 

It was Winnipeg's sixth win in the past seven games — and 10th in the last 12 — over BU. 

Lamar Everd, a transfer from TMU, scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Wesmen, who also got 14 points and seven rebounds from Ryan Luke, and 11 points off the bench from Emmanuel Thomas. 

The Wesmen shot 50 per cent from the field and made 8 of 22 from three. The Bobcats, meanwhile, were held to 38.5 per cent from the floor and 10 of 34 from three. 

Sultan Haider Bhatti scored 23 to lead all Brandon scorers, he also had nine rebounds and six assists. Travis Hamberger scored 14 and Youri Cange added 10.