Box Score WINDSOR, Ont. – Strong shooting and excellent games from both George Johnson and Quinn Henderson helped the Western Mustangs men’s basketball team upset the nation’s fifth ranked team on Wednesday night, coming away with a 79-74 victory.
 
Reversing the scenario from the game between the two schools earlier in the night, the Mustangs had their best shooting game of the season, scoring on 54.7 percent of their field goals, more than 13 percent better than their season average.
 
Offensively Western was led by Johnson, as the first-year guard netted 17 points in the victory. Johnson’s been on fire lately, scoring a season high 18 points in the two games prior to tonight, vastly improving on his 6.4 points per game average. Henderson, a Dundas native, scored 15 points and brought down a team high seven rebounds. Rounding out the Mustangs scoring in double digits was Greg Morrow who added 13 points coming off the bench and tying Henderson in rebounds with seven. Windsor countered with Lien Phillip having one of his best games of the season, scoring 23 points as well as being a force under the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds in the loss.
 
It was a back and forth game with neither team comfortable until the final whistle. The Mustangs came out strong in the first quarter, with Henderson scoring eight points to put the team out in front 18-12 after the opening ten minutes.
 
Windsor stormed back in the second frame, eliminating the Mustangs lead a few minutes into the quarter and eventually pulling ahead to take a slight 37-35 lead into halftime.
 
Things didn’t get any easier in the second half with both teams trading baskets in the third quarter, resulting in each team scoring 18 points, leaving Windsor holding a 55-53 lead entering the final frame.
 
The young Mustangs squad held steady with the more experienced Lancers in the fourth quarter, keeping pace throughout the period. With just under four minutes remaining Western trailed by two with the score at 68-66, until Johnson took control, dominating the score sheet for the next two minutes. The London native scored the next seven points capping things off with a three-pointer to put Western in front 73-68 with 1:42 remaining. Windsor kept the pressure up and continued to push the Mustangs, eventually cutting the lead to 75-72 with only 44 seconds left, but a cluch three-pointer from Morrow at the 18 second mark put the game out of reach and Western claimed the 79-74 win.
 
Western returns to the court on the road this Saturday against Laurier for the Mustangs final game of the season. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.