The non-conference season continues to go swimmingly for the Winnipeg Wesmen. 

The Wesmen men's basketball team won its fifth straight game against U Sports opponents and scored its most lopsided victory yet of 2025-26, downing the UNBC Timberwolves 81-53 in the opening game of the Lea Marc Challenge Friday at the Duckworth Centre. 

The Wesmen have only one loss in the non-conference seasons — a Day 1 defeat to NCAA Division I UND in August — and Friday marked their sixth straight win, which includes a victory over UND, Aug. 20. 

In their current five-game stretch, the Wesmen have won by an average of 22 points per game and they've yet to give up 70 points. 

Friday was more of the same kind of dominance. After falling behind 11-10 near the halfway mark of the first quarter, the Wesmen tore off a 12-2 run to close the period and then held UNBC to nine points in the second quarter and went into the halftime break up 44-22.

All 13 players who dressed for Winnipeg got into the game as head coach Mike Raimbault went to his youngsters late in the third quarter. 

Elijah Mensah led the Wesmen with 16 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes. Noah Kankam, who sat out all of 2024-25 with a knee injury, flashed his potential with 12 points on six of nine shooting in 23 minutes off the bench. Alberto Gordo started and played 19 minutes, racking up 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting along with five rebounds and four steals. 

The Wesmen shot 54.5 per cent from the field and made six of 19 from three. They forced the Timberwolves into 20 turnovers and turned those into 25 points for themselves. 

Evgeni Baukin's 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists led UNBC. 

Winnipeg will face Algoma of the OUA in Saturday's tournament finale, which also serves as the final dress rehearsal for the Canada West conference season, which opens Oct. 26 at home against Brandon.