CALGARY – Defence shaped the second half Saturday at the Jack Simpson Gym.

The University of Calgary Dinos men's basketball team recovered from an 18-point deficit to earn a resounding 87-70 win over the Winnipeg Wesmen.

A sputtering start saw Calgary fall into a 28-15 hole in the opening 10 minutes, courtesy of Mike Mikhailov. His play in the pick and roll with Shawn Maranan was surgical, ending the evening with 17 points fueled by Maranan's 10 assists. 

The Wesmen had assists on 12 of their first 13 made field goals and looked poised to earn the road sweep until the Dinos' defence sank their teeth in during the third quarter.  

A 9-0 run on the back of Calgary's tenacious effort sparked the second-half comeback. 

"During halftime that was our main focus, what we needed to do was lock in defensively and focus on our matchups, and that's what we did," said Noah Wharton postgame. 

Wharton's intensity as the point-of-attack defender eradicated any success Maranan and Mikhailov had found in the first half. With five minutes remaining and the game within shouting range for the Wesmen, Wharton's frenzied defence turned into a Calgary steal and Ezeoha Santiago three-pointer that put the game on ice. 

Mason Foreman's presence was once again instrumental in the Calgary victory, ending his return to the Dinos' lineup with 48 points and 28 rebounds across the two contests.

The Dinos improve their record to 5-7 on the year, which includes a 5-1 mark on their home floor. The Wesmen see their five-game win streak end and slip to 7-3 in Canada West play.

Calgary now heads out on the road for games against the Fraser Valley Cascades, Jan. 13-14.

The Wesmen return home and match up against the Regina Cougars next weekend.