After finishing their recent three-game road stretch with a 76-71 win over the Lakehead Timberwolves, the Mustangs will return to Alumni Hall with a 4-0 record as they look to defend their home court against the Laurier Golden Hawks on Wednesday before heading to Waterloo to take on the Warriors this Saturday.
 
The five-point victory was no doubt closer than Western intended, as the Timberwolves were 1-3 coming into the matchup. Efficient shooting by Lakehead and a strong performance by the bench unit gave the team an early spark against the Mustangs. However, Western was once again carried by their dominant rebounding ability, as they outscored the Timberwolves 25-5 in second chance points. Lakehead would go on one final run in the fourth quarter, but 27 points from Mackenzie Puklicz would prove to be too much for the Lakehead defence, leading to the Mustang victory.
 
Western vs. Laurier - Wednesday, November 23 at 6:00 p.m. – Tune in live on OUA.tv and CHRW Radio 94.9 FM
 
The Golden Hawks come into Wednesday's matchup with a 4-1 record, tied for first in the OUA West, and will be Mustangs toughest challenge thus far early in the season. Two things stand out about this talented Laurier squad; they do not turn the ball over and they score with proficiency. The team ranks third in the country in both categories and will need to continue to take care of the basketball against Western's perimeter defenders.
 
The Golden Hawks have been led by their fifth-year guard Kaitlyn Schenck, who is averaging 18.4 PPG, while adding 3.4 steals per game, posing a threat on both ends of the floor. Laurier has already proven to be one of the most consistent teams in the nation at getting to the free throw line, so Western's ability to defend without fouling shooters will be a key to success for them this Wednesday.
 
Against such an outstanding shooting team, the Mustangs will be looking to improve their perimeter defence this week, as the team has not ranked well in opponents' three point percentage to start the year. Western will also look to create second chances for themselves by continuing their impressive rebounding effort against a Laurier team which has struggled with winning their battles on the boards thus far.
 
The winner of this week's matchup will have a big impact on the division standings, as both teams are currently fighting for first place, and the Mustangs will be looking to repeat the success they had against the Golden Hawks last season, when they took the season series 2-0.
 
Western at Waterloo - Saturday, November 26 at 1:00 p.m. - Watch live at OUA.tv
 
The Waterloo Warriors currently stand at 2-1 after a 93-63 loss to Queen's on the road on the road this Saturday. Despite the tough loss, the Warriors have had two strong wins against York and Toronto, winning by double-digits in both games, and the team seems to have found their identity as a three-point shooting team, as they rank fifth in threes attempted and sixth in threes made, allowing them to spread the floor. Although they've had success from behind the arc, the team has struggled to maintain consistency from other parts of the floor, while the Mustangs are currently leading the nation in overall FG percentage.
 
The Warriors have found consistent scoring throughout the roster this year, as four of the Waterloo players are averaging double-digit points while Jenel Ulman leads the team with 13.7 PPG. The team's depth has become a theme this season, as the team has continued to log consistent and productive minutes with their bench unit.
 
The Mustangs will be looking to attack the paint early on, as Waterloo has been effective at both shooting and defending the three, but has had trouble with their interior defence, including allowing 27 second chance points this past week against Queen's. Western's leading rebounders, Julia Curran and Victoria Heine, will no doubt hope to create similar numbers this weekend. The two teams met up twice last year where the Mustangs won both games by double-digits.