It’s been a tough season for the men’s side (1-10), especially after a couple of heartbreaking losses to Waterloo (73-75) and Guelph (57-58), yet coach Brad Campbell’s team has been on the cusp of breaking out as of late. With Lakehead (6-5) coming for their double-header at Alumni Hall, Western will get to test out their young squad – only three players qualify as third-year or above – against the perennial OUA-powerhouse Thunderwolves who are having a relatively quiet season.

Scoring will be an issue if the Mustangs cannot get the requisite big nights from their veterans, with no player on the team averaging over 15 points per game or ranked within the top-20 scorers in the OUA. The Thunderwolves find themselves in similar company; they too lack the go-to scorer who can take control of the game, falling into the same category as Western.

Third-year forward Peter Scholtes helps lead the team both on the floor and in the stat-sheet with 13.3 points per game on 38% field-goal accuracy – with 35% from three-point territory – and 4.4 rebounds per game. If the Mustangs are going to change their fortunes, Scholtes is going to play a major role in that renaissance.

Where Lakehead has the decisive edge is on the boards. Yoosrie Salhia anchors the team with an even 10 rebounds per game and is tied for second in the OUA with five double-doubles on the season so far. As a team, the Thunderwolves average 38.4 rebounds per game compared to only 30 for Western.

The Mustangs need to focus themselves with ball-control as well – both protecting their own possessions and zeroing in on their opponents’. Western forces an above-average 17.4 turnovers per game but commit 20.2 of their own, proving that perhaps it’s not always better to give than take.

After splitting a head-to-head with Brock in Thunder Bay last weekend, being blown-out in the first game and barely squeezing out a win in the second, the worst-case scenario for the Mustangs would be a Lakehead team seeking retribution for their struggles last weekend. A win would be a major coup for coach Campbell’s squad and a big positive in a season that has not unfolded the way that most had hoped.

Still, Western has provided some improved play of late and if they can hang tough for four quarters against a battle-tested Lakehead team, they have a good shot of continuing their trend of exciting games while looking to add another tally to the win-column.