WINDSOR, Ont – A fourth quarter comeback effort from the Mustangs fell short on Wednesday night, with the Windsor Lancers coming away with an 85-78 win at the St. Denis Centre.

The loss moves the Mustangs to 2-9 on the year, keeping them in a tie for third place with the Algoma Thunderbirds in the OUA West. Windsor tops the same standings with an updated record of 7-4, giving them a four-point lead over the second place Laurier Golden Hawks.  

Recording a game-high 24 points, Jedson Tavernier led Mustang scoring, followed by Omar Shiddo who contributed 17 points and Eric McDonald with 10. Tavernier and Eriq Jenkins led the Mustangs rebounding efforts with five boards apiece.

Luke Allin led the Lancers with 21 points, including nine coming from three-point range. Veterans Mike Rocca and Mitch Farell recorded 14 and 13 points, respectively, while teammates Tyler Persaud and Micqueel Martin contributed 11 and 10 points in the win. Farrell played a huge role in the Lancers defence with 11 rebounds to record the double-double.

The Lancers began to establish their shooting presence from the three-point line early in the game with Allin sinking two in the first frame on his way to scoring eight points in the opening 10 minutes. With Mustangs having some trouble maintaining possession, the Lancers were able to take control of the ball and take a 21-16 lead at the end of the first.

Western came out strong to start the second, going on a 10-0 run to take the lead. However, their lead didn't last long with the Lancers responding with a 9-2 run to put themselves back in front. The rest of the frame consisted of back and forth action, with the Lancers taking the lead at the end of the first half at 36-32.

Trading points for the majority of the third frame, the Lancers were able to keep themselves in front with successful three-pointers including a combined 12 points from beyond the arc from Farrell and Martin. Able to pull forward with a double-digit lead, the Lancers finished the third up by a score of 67-55.

After trailing for much of the game, the Mustangs looked to close the gap in the fourth, pulling to within five points in the final minute of play. Unfortunately for the purple and white, the Lancers were able to close things out with an 85-78 win.

The close finish sets the stage for an exciting rematch this weekend, when the Lancers head to London to take on the Mustangs on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m., and fans can tune into all the action live on OUA.tv