Wesmen hold off Bisons for key Canada West win

They haven't always made it look easy, but the Winnipeg Wesmen are heading into the break among the tops in the Canada West.

Kato Jaro scored a season-high 23 points and the Wesmen men's basketball team held off a Manitoba rally to beat the Bisons 76-71 in overtime in a semester-ending conference game Friday night a the Investors Group Athletic Centre. 

The Wesmen now enter the holiday break at 7-3, a game back of first-place Alberta in the Prairie Division. The No.7-ranked Wesmen have the fourth-best winning percentage in the Canada West heading into 2026. 

The Wesmen led 67-62 with under 40 seconds to go, but the Bisons got a three from Brandt Lenz, a stop on the next possession and then scored on a putback from Cieran O'Hara as the buzzer sounded to force overtime. 

In the extra period, Ryan Luke hit a three 56 seconds in and the Wesmen never trailed after that. They held Manitoba (5-5) to just one made field goal in overtime and the Bisons shot more free throws (six) than field goals (three) in the final five minutes. 

Tito Obasoto hit a midrange jumper with 2:35 to go that brought the Bisons to 70-69 down but Manitoba didn't register another point until Darin Watts split a pair of free throws with 25 seconds remaining that made it 74-71 in Winnipeg's favour. 

Jaro scored 16 of his game-high total in the first half, including 10 in the second quarter when the Wesmen outscored the hosts 22-13. Donald Stewart had a season-high 13 points along with five rebounds, four assists and a career-high-matching three steals. 

Emmanuel Ugbah added 12 points and six rebounds, along with season-highs with five assists and three steals. Alberto Gordo scored 11 as Winnipeg's Starting 5 outscored Manitoba's starters 68-58.

The Bisons got 20 from Watts, 18 from Lenz and 10 — on 3-for-13 shooting — from Ramogi Nyagudi.