The Winnipeg Wesmen basketball teams both got wins in their home city as the conference season gets closer.

The women's basketball team went 1-2 at the CJOB Shootout, while the men's team earned two wins in two games at the Matt Loewen Invitational at the U of M.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

The Wesmen scored an 83-59 win over the Briercrest Clippers on Thursday to open their annual pre-season tournament and lost a pair of close games after that: 61-60 to Thompson Rivers and 61-57 to Manitoba on Saturday. 

Winnipeg 83, Briercrest 59
Freshmen Ella Castres and Emma Elliott both scored a game-high 16 points and both made three three-pointers in the Thursday win. Jazmin Birch added 15 points, and Jennifer Kallon added 10 with five assists. 

The Wesmen broke the game open in the third quarter with a 17-5 run that pushed the lead up to 18 points less than five minutes into the half. 

Thompson Rivers 61, Winnipeg 60
The Wesmen led by four with three minutes to go in a game in which no team led by more than six. 

TRU's biggest lead of the ball game was just two points, but the Wolfpack outscored the Wesmen 7-2 over the final 3:08. 

Birch's 18 points and seven rebounds led the way for Winnipeg, and Castres chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds. 

Manitoba 61, Winnipeg 57
The Wesmen were playing from behind after a 17-10 first quarter in favour of the Bisons, but pulled even at 26 thanks to an 11-2 run capped by a Jennifer Kallon three. 

Down 49-41 going into the fourth, the Wesmen ran off an 8-0 stretch to tie the game. The teams were tied at 55 with 2:20 to go, but Manitoba got back-to-back buckets and never trailed again.

Kallon was the lone Wesmen in double figures with 13 points and nine rebounds. Avneet Kainth scored eight points in six minutes off the bench, knocking down three of four from the field. 

MEN'S BASKETBALL

The Wesmen men dominated the Lakehead Thunderwolves to open the four-team event at the Investors Group Athletic Centre and then held on to beat Thompson Rivers in the team's second game. 

Winnipeg 85, Lakehead 64
Kato Jaro scored a career-high 33 points and added seven rebounds and seven assists as the Wesmen beat Lakehead for the third straight time in non-conference play. 

Elijah Mensah added 25 points and eight rebounds, and Alberto Gordo scored 12 with six rebounds and three steals. Mensah and Jaro combined to make 9 of 16 from three, with Jaro knocking down five of his 10. 

Winnipeg 71, TRU 70
The Wesmen held the Wolfpack to just three points in the final 2:15 to pick up the narrow victory. 

After a Jaeden Bynoe three gave TRU the lead, 70-69, with 1:15 to go, Emmanuel Ugbah made a pair of free throws for Winnipeg to take the lead back and the Wesmen hung on. 

Mensah and Jaro once again topped the boxscore with Mensah scoring a team-high 21 and Jaro adding 20. Ugbah finished with 15 points, five rebounds and four steals, and Gordo had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. 

Winnipeg's starters accounted for 66 of the team's points.