Dinos fall short in back-to-back matches against Winnipeg Wesmen
By Lexus Rae and Maggie Hsu, December 3 2025—
The Dinos men’s basketball team fell short in a tight contest against the Winnipeg Wesmen during Pack the Jack on Nov. 21. A lively Jack Simpson Gym carried the Dinos’ lead through the first half, fueling Calgary with early momentum. But as Winnipeg overtook by the end of the third quarter, the Dinos’ frustration was evident as they fell short by one basket, with the game ending at 80-78.
The Dinos entered the first quarter with a slow start as both teams’ defenses were on full display, forcing their opponents to take shots from the outside. Calgary’s defense forced Winnipeg to take eight of 15 field goals from field goal range with only 25 per cent success. But the Dinos’ opening quarter stood strong as they drained three of seven attempts from beyond the arc that would see the home team close the first quarter with a 17-10 lead.
The energy shifted in the second quarter as the Dinos maintained their lead with impressive plays made by Eli Djordevic and Hayden Franson, both transfers from the NCAA playing in just their second weekend for the Dinos. Franson’s impact on the team was evident throughout the game as he grabbed 11 rebounds in 31 minutes played, while Djordjevic also posted over 31 minutes as he dropped 13 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The second half emphasised how close the game truly was, as the Wesmen took the lead for the first time in the game with less than four minutes left in the third quarter, outscoring the Dinos 25-15. The quarter ended with the Wesmen barely holding a lead of 54-56.
The final frame was a fight to the death as the Dinos were dominating the boards, outrebounding the Wesmen 10-8 on both ends of the court and managed to regain the lead with their strong possessions of the ball. However, the Wesmen did not sit back and they tied the game once again with four and a half minutes left in the game, with the Dinos struggling to shift the momentum back in their favour.
The last 20 seconds of the game turned into a chess match with continuous fouls and timeouts as the Dinos strategised ways to tie the game. But the clock would ultimately run out on the home team and the Wesmen secured the win with just a 2-point lead.
Although the Dinos came short, head coach Dan Vanhooren did not let this defeat discourage him and his team.
“I think our team competed really well tonight, so I was pleased with our effort level and some of the things we did,” said Vanhooren.
One of the Dinos’ weaknesses was their free throw shooting as they shot just 63.0 per cent from the foul line throughout the game. Ultimately, these missed opportunities cost them the game.
“We had some shots that were wide open and we missed those,” Vanhooren said. “If we hit those shots and clean up our free throw shooting, we might have won the game.”
The Dinos roster saw some big changes this season with 11 new players. Every game is an opportunity for the team to work together and build chemistry in preparation for their turn to host the U SPORTS Men’s Final 8 in March. This rebuild and growth is best seen through new players taking the spotlight in each game. Tonight, first-year Daniel Chojioke posted a team-high 19 points.
“This was my fourth start, but I’m still new to starting,” said Chojioke. “I felt like it was a good game, but we just need to focus on finishing out games and really running teams into the fourth, and when we are up, not settling.”
With these lessons fresh in their memories, the Dinos looked to apply them on Saturday’s rematch. However, the Dinos fell to the Wesmen again by a score of 78-61. This pushed their record to 4-4, and Winnipeg’s record to 5-2.