The Winnipeg Wesmen buckled down on defence when they needed to. 

The Wesmen women's basketball team held MacEwan to 11 points over the final 6:56 and surged ahead for a 72-67 win over the Griffins in Canada West conference women's basketball action Friday night at the Duckworth Centre.

The Wesmen (3-1) wiped out a seven-point lead with just under seven minutes to go in the fourth with a 13-2 run over 2:23 that gave them a 62-59 lead and they never trailed again,.

The run was started by a Jasia Hayden four-point play with 6:41 left that brought the Wesmen to 56-53 down. Raia Guinto followed that with a layup and then two free throws on the ensuing two possessions as part of her career-high 29 points.

Later, after Guinto scored to give Winnipeg a 64-61 lead, Celine Quigley knocked down a three to tie it with 2:39 left. Anna Kernaghan scored a layup the next trip down and the Wesmen held MacEwan without a field goal the rest of the way. 

The Griffins committed five fourth-quarter turnovers in falling to 0-5. It was the first time this season the Griffins scored more than 60 points in a contest. 

Guinto, the third-year guard, scored 21 points after halftime in setting her new career standard. Kernaghan was the only other Wesmen in double figures with 12. Jennifer Kallon scored eight points and added a career-high nine rebounds. 

The Griffins were led by Unity Obasuyi's 22 points, while Toni Gordon added 16 and a game-high 12 rebounds. Quigley finished with 14 points off the bench. 

The two teams meet again Saturday at 7 p.m.