CALGARY – The University of Calgary Dinos men's basketball team appears to have turned the page in 2026.

After closing the first semester at .500 and dropping three straight home games, the U SPORTS Final 8 hosts looked like a rejuvenated group for the second consecutive night, completing a weekend sweep of the Regina Cougars with a 90-83 win Saturday at the Jack Simpson Gym.

The Dinos showed improvement on both ends of the floor and continued growth from a roster featuring numerous newcomers. Cornell transfer Hayden Franson led the way with 25 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

"Something clicked over the winter break for our team," said Franson. "We've had a lot of chemistry, especially with our younger guys, on offence and defence. It's been a team effort. We've come to practice and games focused and have been able to reset."

The win improves Calgary's record to 7-5 and moves the Dinos into a tie for third in Canada West's Prairie Division.

Regina dropped to 4-8 despite strong performances from Ben Kamba and Sufyan Elkannan, who scored 21 and 20 points, respectively.

Both teams came out firing in the opening quarter. The weekend trend of highlight-reel dunks continued, with Dre Francis throwing one down early to set the tone. Mrigendra Dhaliwal, Daniel Chijioke, and Franson followed with slams of their own as the pace stayed high.

The teams remained close through the first quarter, but Calgary found separation in the second. The Dinos shot more efficiently and strung together runs of 8-1 and 9-2 to build a nine-point lead by halftime.

Regina stayed within striking distance in the second half and tied the score mid-way through the third on an and-one by Kamba, but that was as close as it got as Calgary scored the next eight points.

The Dinos finished with four players scoring in double figures. Franson led the way, while Chijioke added 16 points, Aidan Smith scored 14, and Dhaliwal chipped in 13 to cap a strong opening weekend of the second semester.

Calgary heads north next weekend for a two-game set against the MacEwan Griffins in Edmonton. Regina travels east to face the Winnipeg Wesmen. Both series run Jan. 16–17.

-UC-