LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs face a stiff challenge in their first regular season game of 2010, as the Mustangs (5-3, T-3rd OUA West) visit the Windsor Lancers (6-2, 2nd place OUA West) on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. at the St. Denis Centre.

In a rematch of the 2009 OUA West Final, the Mustangs will visit the rival Lancers looking to play spoiler.

"Our progress has been steady," said head coach Bradley Campbell. "After a slow start we have been becoming more familiar with the systems and each other."  

"The real test for us in the new year will be winning games on the road."  

The Mustangs spent the holiday break practicing and staying in London, playing a club men's team, the Guelph Phoenix, on Dec. 30 and thumping R.I.T. 79-65 on Jan. 3 to conclude the annual Purple & White High School basketball tourney.

Campbell said his biggest surprise is in how the returning veterans stepped up in the second half of the season.

"They have led our team," Campbell said. "But we have to work on winning on the road and we must continue to improve at the defensive end." 

If the win over R.I.T. is any indication, the defence has seen improvement since the first half of the year.
Western returns home to host the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday Jan. 9 at 3 p.m. at Alumni Hall.