CALGARY – An all-out team effort by the University of Calgary Dinos led them to an 81-74 victory over the Weber State Wildcats Sunday night non-conference action at the Jack Simpson Gym.

After turnovers plagued the Dinos Saturday night against Creighton, the hosts were able to keep better control of the ball en route to the victory.

“We didn’t turn the ball over as much, and for us that’s the key,” said Calgary coach Dan Vanhooren. “Our effort both nights was excellent, and I think that says a lot about the character of the kids we have. We were a little more relaxed tonight, some guys shook the rust off, and I think we looked a little more comfortable out there.”

A balanced offensive attack coupled with a strong defensive effort gave the Dinos the lead after a tight first quarter and then held the Wildcats, who won the Big Sky Conference title in 2006-07, at bay.

“We gave up a couple 12-point runs to Creighton, and that puts you in the hole too far,” Vanhooren said. “We got up on them by 10 tonight and they went on a couple of four- or five-point runs, but they never really got further than that. I think defensively this team that we have is much better defensively than any team we’ve had in the last several years.”

Both teams got off to a tentative start, with Weber State taking a 7-2 lead midway through the opening quarter. Calgary clawed back to tie it up, and the teams headed into the quarter break drawn at 12.

The tight play continued through the first five minutes of the second quarter until back-to-back treys from Jeff Price (3rd year, Calgary) and Henry Bekkering (3rd, Taber, Alta.) opened up a lead for the home side, and Calgary took a 35-27 lead into halftime.

Calgary’s Robbie Sihota (3rd, Calgary) scored four points in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter to extend the lead, but the Wildcats began to fight back as guard Dezmon Harris (Sr., Fort Worth, Tex.) scored his team’s first eight points of the half. Arturas Valeika (Sr., Vilnius, Lithuania) cut the Calgary lead to two at 41-39, and the teams traded points through the rest of the stanza. Daviin Davis (So., Midland, Tex.) hit an impossible three-pointer at the buzzer, and Calgary led 55-50 after three quarters.

That clutch shooting from beyond the arc carried forward into the fourth quarter for Weber State as they again began to cut into the Calgary lead. Three straight fouls to Henry Bekkering brought the lead down to a single point, and Valeika gave the visitors the lead with 6:20 to play.

Foul trouble, however, began to catch up with the Wildcats. Ross Bekkering (3rd, Taber, Alta.) turned a three-point play on Valeika’s fifth personal foul of the night to give the Dinos the lead, and Calgary did not look back. Cody Darrah (5th, Edmonton) hit a wide-open three-ball in the final minute to go with 7-for-7 free throw shooting on the night to ice the win for Calgary.

Henry Bekkering led the Dinos with 18 points and seven boards while Sihota added 17 points. Price and Darrah added 16 apiece in a balanced attack for Calgary. Ross Bekkering led all players with 13 rebounds on the night. Harris potted 21 to lead Weber State in scoring, while Tyler Billings (Jr., Logan, Utah) contributed 15 and Valeika 14.

Both teams will see their final action of the 2007 Battle of the Border tournament Monday as the Wildcats take on the Saskatchewan Huskies at 10 a.m. before the Dinos hook up with the Creighton Bluejays in the tournament finale at noon.