SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. - After five games, the Western Mustangs women's basketball team chalked up their first win of the season, hanging on to defeat the Algoma Thunderbirds 54-51 at the Sault College Athletics Centre on Friday afternoon.
Both teams came into the contest winless, sharing last place in the OUA West. Algoma has yet to win a game since joining the OUA last year.
The first quarter problems the Stangs had in their first four games of the season seemed to be behind them as they were able to move the ball around quickly and get shots up. Pressure was taken off Caroline Wolynski, with Allison Brandt coming off the bench and getting the opportunity to head up plays. Pam Licatta saw some looks, too, sinking a three pointer from the outside to move the quarter along for Western. At the end of the first quarter, Western only trailed 1 point behind Algoma at 15-14.
Team cohesion helped Western stay competitive with the Thunderbirds in the second quarter. While Western had problems making initial shots, aggressive play under the rim from Victoria Heine and Sasha Samardzija helped get key rebounds off the glass to give the Mustangs the extra shots they needed. The team went on a 12-4 run near the end of the second quarter to take the lead, but a three-pointer at the buzzer from Algoma's Becky Dewetering tied the teams at 28 apiece.
After the third quarter, the Thunderbirds gained a 1 point lead over the Mustangs which would hold over until the first minute of the 4th when successful free throws from Wolynski put the Stangs out front. This would begin a run that put Western ahead by 8 with under two minutes left to play.
But Algoma would not be counted out so easily. The Thunderbirds clawed back to within two points with only six seconds left on the clock. Wolynski was fouled on the next Western possession, going to the line and sinking a free throw which would be all that the team needed to secure a 54-51 victory.
With the win, the Mustangs improve to a 1-4 record and take hold of fourth place in the OUA West, while Algoma sits in fifth place at 0-4.
The two teams will be back at it again tomorrow night at 6 p.m. at Sault College. Fans can watch all the action 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.
