EDMONTON — It was a better night, but not a winning one, unfortunately, for the Winnipeg Wesmen.

A night after scoring a season low, the Wesmen women's basketball team looked much more up to the task in a 77-66 loss to the Alberta Pandas in Canada West conference place. 

The Wesmen, who trailed by eight at halftime and by as many as 10 in the third quarter, fought back to cut the lead down to two moments into the fourth, only to see the Pandas tear off an 8-0 run to pull away for good. 

After the Pandas up 55-45 with 2:16 to go in the third, the Wesmen closed the quarter on a 7-1 run capped by Raia Guinto's late three and then extended it to 9-1 with a Guinto steal-and-score less than a minute into the fourth that made it 56-54.

Alberta however, responded with eight points in the next 1:12 to push the lead back to double digits. 

Guinto led four Wesmen players in double digits with 16 points while adding three steals. Anna Kernaghan added 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Jasia Hayden scored 12 with eight rebounds, and Jazmin Birch had 10 points off the bench. 

On Friday, the Wesmen scored a season-low 46 points and shot 28 per cent from the field. They were much improved in both areas on Saturday, shooting a season-best 41.8 per cent from the floor.

They also had 11 steals, the fourth straight game they've had double-digit thefts. 

Annacy Palmer's 14 points led the Pandas, while Tanner had 12 and Ella Rees 11.

The Wesmen close out the first half of the conference season with a Thursday night tip against the Manitoba Bisons (6 p.m.) at the Duckworth Centre.