Box Score

LONDON, Ont. - Laura Dally provided a lesson in court-vision, sparking the Mustangs’ offence and throwing her match-ups off their game on defence en route to a resounding 73–56 victory for Western over the visiting University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Dally, Western’s veteran third-year guard finished with a game-high 18 points, eight assists, as well as six rebounds.

“Our team played very well. Beating a 4-0 team feels great, especially coming off of last weekend,” said Dally after the win, referring to last week’s loss at Laurentian.

“Laura is an exceptional player. She struggled early on, she didn’t have a foundation and as you see her start building her foundation you’re going to see (nights like tonight) more often,” said Western head coach Brian Cheng in reference to his talented guard.

After an up-and-down start to the season, the Mustangs took a step in the right direction with a victory over an undefeated University of Toronto squad. The Blues would ultimately fail to add Western to their list of defeated foes that already included Guelph, Lakehead, Waterloo and Laurier.

Western brought out their full-court press on defense early on. The aggressive defence would translate to an inspired focus from the Mustang defenders and the first quarter was punctuated with several displays of Western’s versatility and aggression.

Dally not only established her deadly touch from behind the three-point arc – scoring nine of her 15 first-half points from downtown – but also her tenacity on the defensive end, disrupting shots and passing lanes for would-be Toronto scorers.

The Blues’ early turnover issues would lead to greater shot opportunities for Western to start the game.

After a rough opening to last Saturday’s loss to Laurentian, the Mustangs came out blazing on all fronts, shooting 58.8% from the field and causing havoc on defence, leading to a 23–13 first-quarter advantage.

The steep advantage would begin to wane in the second quarter with the Blues refocusing on defence to cut down on Western’s open shots. Both teams’ shooting proficiency would revert back to the mean, with Western shooting 43.8% to Toronto’s 37.5% on 32 opportunities apiece. Toronto would begin to seriously challenge Western’s lead on a wave of improved play, cutting the hometown Mustangs’ lead to 35–32.

Two minutes into the second half, Toronto would reclaim their first lead since early in the first quarter. The lead was brief, with Toronto’s inflated confidence popped by yet another Dally three-pointer, followed shortly by a three-pointer from the Mustangs’ leading scorer, veteran guard Jenny Vaughan.

The ball movement between Western’s talented backcourt duo was relentless in searching for clean scoring chances, with Dally and Vaughan both creating their own shots and facilitating opportunities for their teammates.

After the early Blues’ renaissance, a 14–2 Mustangs scoring run would give coach Cheng’s team some needed breathing room.

Western would carry a 10-point lead into the final quarter of play, which they would maintain with the same consistent level of play that helped them build the lead in the first place. The Varsity Blues were unable to muster any comeback with prolific scorers like Dally and Vaughan playing at their best.

Second-year forward Jory McDonald continued to show that she belongs in the starting lineup, outhustling her opponents on the boards despite often being out-numbered on the glass. She finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Veteran Mustang forward Melissa Rondinelli led the game with 10 boards to complete her 14-point double-double.

The high-scoring Vaughan finished with 15 points, giving Western four players in double-digit scoring figures.

The early season has been one of consistent if not modest results, with the Mustangs neither winning not losing more than a game at a time.
Coach Cheng knows what it takes for his team to win in the OUA, and his team responded in the third quarter.

“We are going to have to control the point of attack. We’re going to need good defense, team rebounding and take care of the ball on the other end,” said Cheng.

On the effort tonight, the ever-modest coach offered familiar praise of his team.

“I think we are getting better.”

The weekend’s action continues Saturday when downtown Toronto once again comes to Alumni Hall, this time in the form of the Ryerson Rams. Tip-off is at 6:00 PM.