The Western Mustangs finished up their regular season last weekend with a win over Algoma, and now they hope to keep the wins coming as they head into the playoffs. Their first battle towards the Critelli Cup will be against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Wednesday, March 2. The last time the teams met was at a tournament in Toronto over the Christmas break when the Varsity Blues topped the Mustangs by just four points.
At the close of the regular season the Mustangs were second in the West at 14-6, with Mackenzie Puklicz, Caroline Wolynski, and Maddy Horst consistently topping the purple and white scoresheet.
With her total of 353 points and average of 18.6 points per game, Puklicz is not only the top scorer for the Western Mustangs, but also in the OUA. Captain Wolynski, who is first in the OUA for minutes played (677 this season) and minutes per game (33.9), is the second top scorer for the Mustangs with 13.6. Second-year Horst rounds out the group as the third-highest scorer for the Mustangs, bringing in 12.1 per match.
On the defensive end, rookie Julia Curran has been leading the Mustangs. The forward averages 7.5 rebounds, four coming from the Mustang bucket and 3.5 from the opponents' hoop. Forward Victoria Heine and point leader Puklicz follow Curran with 6.2 and 5.4 rebounds, respectively.
Western vs. Toronto - Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. - Watch live on OUA.tv
The Varsity Blues ended their regular season on a high, beating both the York Lions and the tough Queen's Gaels. The wins allowed Toronto to finish off their season with a 8-11 record for third place in the East.
Geography major Rahshida Atkinson – the only Varsity Blue to average double digits on the court – led the team through the regular season with 15.6 points. London native Alanna Garner comes in behind with 9.2 points, while Diedre Edwards and Keyira Parkes both average 8.8.
Garner and Edwards are not only strong on offense, but this season the pair also proved their abilities on defense, averaging 6.1 and 5.4 rebounds, respectively. Five foot eight master's student Abena Addo, is the only Varsity Blue to out-rebound Garner and Edwards with a 6.3 average.
The Varsity Blues average about two more rebounds per game than the Western Mustangs; however, they also average about five points less. With different strengths of equal importance to the game, Wednesday's matchup is sure to be tight.
