This weekend marks the highly-anticipated basketball home opening games for the Western Mustangs women’s basketball team. After a lengthy preseason run, the team returns home to Alumni home to host the biggest powerhouses in Ontario varsity basketball. The women spent most of October on the road and played at a highly competitive HoopFest tournament at the University of Alberta. There, the team went 1-2 with a win against local rivals Brock Badgers. The Badgers followed up, however, with a win at Alumni Hall on November 3. The Mustangs have the depth and talent to play amongst the top teams in the country, and the players’ skills will be put straight to the test on Friday night against the University of Ottawa Gee Gees.
Ottawa – Friday. Nov 9 @ 6:00pm
The Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s basketball team is the defending OUA Champions and defeated the University of Windsor Lancers in the OUA Final. The tables turned at the CIS Final Eight, however, as the Lancers won the national title on home turf in March. This year, the Gee-Gees are back for CIS redemption and the Mustangs are the team’s first opponents. It has been an entire year since these teams matched up, where Ottawa secured an easy victory 79-62. This season, the Mustangs are prepared to close the gap and fight Ottawa to the finish. Rookies Camilla Paluch and Mara Greunke will join veterans Jenny Vaughan and Laura Dally in their first regular season games and the chemistry here is bound to shine as Alumni Hall will be filled with adrenaline on Friday night.
Women`s Carleton – Saturday, Nov. 10 @ 6:00pm
The CIS’ other Ottawa-area school, the Carleton Ravens, was just behind Ottawa last year in the OUA East rankings with a solid second place standing. After a strong regular season the team defeated the University of Toronto but fell to CIS Champions Windsor Lancers in last year’s OUA Final Four. Last year at this time, the Mustangs travelled to the Ravens’ Nest and lost by a single point with a 71-72. The stakes are high for turning the tables this year; last time, Carleton made a huge comeback in the fourth quarter to score the scoring gap. With two evenly matched teams home court could prove to be the difference last year and the Mustangs are hoping to avenge last year’s defeat in the friendly confines of Alumni Hall.
