SAULT STE MARIE, Ont - Despite the strong momentum of the Algoma Thunderbirds late in the game, a tough Mustangs defence and an assertive offence powered Western to a 68-55 win on Friday afternoon at the Sault College Athletics Centre.
Western is now 3-2 for the season putting them into a tie with Laurier for second place in the OUA West Division standings. The Thunderbirds sit in fifth place in the division with an 0-4 record early on in their second year of OUA competition.
The Mustangs were quick out the gate starting with a number defensive rebounds, fast passes, and quick pace to start them on an early 6-0 run against the Thunderbirds. The purple and white's strong offence had the Thunderbirds on their heels trying to catch up on the board. They matched the Mustangs fast pace a few minutes into the quarter and clawed their way back into the game on a 9-2 run tying the game at 9-9 mid-way through the first quarter. Mustang player Elliot Dooley connected on the perimeter like bread and butter during the opening minutes, sinking multiple baskets from outside.
The Mustangs answered the Algoma comeback with a full-court press affecting the back end play for the Thunderbirds in the second half of the opening frame. Their defensive press took the Thunderbirds out of plays in the paint and forced their outside shooting. Second-year Thunderbird and Algoma's Male Athlete of the Week, Sean Clendinning made a number of shots from the perimeter to sink three-pointers and help keep the Thunderbirds within a few points.
Western was able to catch onto these plays and up their defence to prevent full-court plays for the Thunderbirds. An impressive three-point basket by Dooley at the buzzer ended the first quarter with a score of 19-14 for the Mustangs.
Both teams refused to back down as their strong plays continued on the court for the second quarter. An undersized Thunderbirds team played bigger and more physical making fouls and preventing the Mustangs to access the rim. Thunderbird player Samy Muhamed marked his name on the score sheet with a number of rebounds to lead the Algoma defence against the Mustangs.
The Mustangs wouldn't back down easily however, with Anthony Spiridis tackling the reounds to assist his team's offence. A pass and basket to Quinn Henderson deep in the key resulted in a Thunderbird foul giving the Mustangs the and-one to start off a 6-0 run late in the quarter. The half ended with the Mustangs holding onto their lead with a score of 39-30.
An exciting second half brought the teams trading baskets with the score tight near the end of the game. The Mustangs could not connect early in the half which allowed the Thunderbirds to capitalize on their rebounds and finish with lay-ups. The Mustangs were able to keep their lead with a number of assertive plays including steals, assists, and turnovers to keep ahead of the home side.
Things started to heat up when the Mustangs defence fell midway through the fourth and the Thunderbirds took advantage, scoring baskets to catch up to their opponents and be within two points. However, the purple and white refused to give up their lead and were able to make cross-court plays and defensive rebounds to bring their lead further from the threat to close the game at 68-55.
The second game of their double-header against the Algoma Thunderbirds continues tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on OUA.tv.
Note: Detailed stats were unavailable at time of original posting. This story will be updated when the box score becomes available.
