Elijah Mensah's sterling start to the Canada West season continued Friday in a rout of the crosstown rival.
Mensah scored over 20 points for the sixth time in seven games this season and the Winnipeg Wesmen rolled to a 93-67 win over the Manitoba Bisons in a Canada West conference men's basketball game at the Duckworth Centre.
Mensah led the Wesmen (2-0) with 25 points and 11 rebounds, extending the best run of his five-year career in a UWinnipeg uniform. Mensah has scored at least 20 points in six out of seven games against U Sports opponents and has averaged 24.7 points per game and has shot 64 per cent from the field in those contests, all Wesmen wins.
The No. 3-ranked Wesmen improved to 2-0 on the conference season as they prepare to welcome the MacEwan Griffins for two games Nov. 6-7. Their first two conference games have produced an average win differential of 28 points.
The Bisons, who showed little fight in the fourth quarter, were sent reeling from the opening bell as Winnipeg jumped out with a 21-4 run to open the game and took a 30-9 edge into the second quarter. Manitoba chipped away moderately to get the deficit down to 48-33 at halftime and managed to get as close as 59-50 with four minutes to go in the third.
The Wesmen, however, responded with a 14-3 run to close the third and then outscored the Bisons 22-14 in the fourth to win going away.
Mensah shot 10-for-13 from the field and made five of his first six shots to carry 19 points into the halftime break.
Alberto Gordo had a stat-stuffing line of 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and
Kato Jaro scored 16 points with nine assists.
Ryan Luke chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.
The Bisons (0-1) got 11 points from Brandt Lenz and Taven Vigilance, while Titus Heron and Ramogi Nyagudi scored 10 apiece.
The Wesmen dominated in the paint 50-28 and won the rebounding battle 43-32.
