The Mustangs will return to Alumni Hall this Wednesday evening where they will host the Waterloo Warriors before heading back on the road to take on the Windsor Lancers in Windsor this Saturday afternoon. After escaping with a pair of tight road wins against the Algoma Thunderbirds this past weekend, the Mustangs are in sole possession of second place in the OUA West division with an 11-7 record on the season, continuing to chase the 16-2 Brock Badgers.

In their first matchup against the Thunderbirds, the Mustangs locked down the interior well on the defensive end, allowing Algoma to shoot just 37.9 percent from the field in the game. However, Western's perimeter defence proved to be especially porous in the second half, as Algoma shot 41.7 percent from beyond the arc in the second half, allowing the Thunderbirds to shoot their way back into the game from distance. Ultimately, a pair of 24-point performances from Omar Shiddo and Marko Kovac would be enough to propel the Mustangs to victory as they walked away with an 89-80 win.

The following night proved to be an even more closely contest matchup between the two teams, as both sides put up an offensive exhibition on the evening. The Thunderbirds once again shot the lights out from downtown, pouring in points from beyond the arc while dominating the Mustangs on the boards throughout the game. Algoma would force Western into a fourth quarter comeback before the Mustangs would take control in the eventual overtime period, highlighted by a 27-point performance from Kovac, as the purple and white ended the weekend undefeated and escaped with a 95-91 victory.


Western vs. Waterloo – Wednesday, January 31 at 8:00 p.m. - Tune in live on OUA.tv and Radio Western 94.9 FM

The Warriors will enter Alumni Hall for their second meeting of the season against the Mustangs after falling 69-62 to Western in their previous matchup in late October. It was a low scoring affair for both teams, and the game slowed down even more in the second half until veteran guard Alex Coote scored all eight of his points in the final 10 minutes of the game to will the Mustangs to a close victory. Henry Tan and Jedson Tavernier led the way for the purple and white on the offensive end throughout the night, putting up ten points each.

It's been a respectable season for the Warriors so far, as the team currently holds a playoff spot with a 7-11 record, to put them at fifth place in the OUA West division. Waterloo has racked up wins by understanding their strengths and playing towards them. They haven't proven themselves as a long-range threat on offence, but also sit last in attempts per game in the entire country, shooting only 17 per game on a decent percentage. Consistent scoring has been tough to come by at times, as the Warriors put up just 77 points per game while allowing opponents to score 86.3 points per contest. Overall, Waterloo has put up a decent record to this point in the season, but have no real strengths either, giving Western a prime opportunity to secure their second-place positioning with a win this Wednesday.

The Warriors will be led by veteran guards Daniel Dooley and Taylor Boers. Dooley is currently averaging 12.6 points per game for Waterloo while shooting an efficient 50.3 percent from the field. Boers has also averaged double-digit points to this point of the season, putting up 10.8 points per game to help shoulder the scoring load for the Warriors.


Western at Windsor– Wednesday, February at 3 at 4:00 p.m. - Watch live on OUA.tv

Western will be back on the road for their second and final meeting of the season against the Windsor Lancers after earning a 93-78 victory in their matchup this past November. It was a balanced scoring effort for the purple and white in the previous meeting, as four Mustangs scored in double figures with Tan leading the way with 17 points and seven assists on the night. Kovac went off against his former team, putting up 14 points to go along with six rebounds and four steals, putting in work on both ends of the floor to help lead the Mustangs in the blowout win.

The Lancers have had a solid season to this point in the year, holding a 9-9 record, good enough for fourth place in the OUA West division; looking to overtake the Laurier Golden Hawks for third place with a win over the Mustangs. Windsor's success has mainly come from their potency from beyond the arc, as the team ranks first in the nation in both threes made and threes attempted while hitting 34.3 percent of their shots from long range.

Their ability to shoot the basketball from distance is what's allowed the Lancers offence to become top ten in the country in total points, but their middling record can be explained by their poor defence. Windsor has struggled to slow opponents down on the other end of the floor, allowing 86.3 points per game while sitting as one of the worst teams in the league in terms of blocked shots, allowing opponents to score with ease on the inside.

Windsor will be led by guard Mike Rocca who is averaging 16.8 points per game to go along with 7.6 rebounds and five assists per game. Rocca not only leads the way on offence for the Lancers but is one of the team's only reliable perimeter defenders, averaging 1.4 steals per game while constantly harassing opposing point guards with relentless pressure. Marcus Jones and Lucas Orlita have also been productive for the Lancers' offence this season, averaging 13.4 and 13.1 points per game, respectively.