Canadians Jean-Michel Menard and Brad Gushue won their late draws Thursday as North America took a commanding 39-15 lead over Europe at the $120,000 Continental Cup curling tournament.

Gushue, an Olympic gold medallist from the 2006 Turin Olympics, beat Norway's Pal Trusen 5-4 over eight ends. The skip from St. John's, N.L., had a 5-2 lead before Trusen scored one in each of the final two ends to make it close.

Menard, of Ste-Foy, Que., defeated Scotland's David Murdoch 6-5 in a rematch from the final of the 2006 men's world championship. Murdoch won the worlds by beating the Canadian 7-4, but this time Menard scored twice in the final end to give his rink the come-from-behind victory.

Europe did manage to get some of those points back when Olympic silver-medallist Markku Uusipaavalniemi of Finland beat American Pete Fenson 7-5.

In the women's team draws earlier Thursday, Canada's Shannon Kleibrink defeated Switzerland's Mirjam Ott 8-5. Kleibrink, form Okotoks, Alta., lost 7-5 to Ott in the semifnals of the 2006 Turin Olympics en route to a bronze medal.

Debbie McCormick of the United States defeated Sweden's Anette Norberg 6-3. The win allowed a measure of revenge for McCormick, who lost a close 10-9 decision to Norberg in the 2006 world championship final in Grande Prairie, Alta.

In the third game of the second draw, Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C., salvaged a draw with Germany's Andrea Schopp, stealing one in the eighth end to tie the match 4-4. No extra ends are played in the team games.

In mixed doubles action during Thursday's first draw, Menard and Jeanna Schraeder won 12-5 over Murdoch and Binia Feltscher-Beeli, and Fenson and Joraanstad edged Lars Vagberg and Norberg 7-6.

Trulsen and Eva Lund provided Europe's only victory of the first draw, 6-5 over Gushue and Amy Nixon.

North America has won two of the three previous Continental Cup events.

© The Canadian Press, 2007