LONDON, Ont. - After splitting a pair of games this past weekend on the road against the Toronto Varsity Blues and the Ryerson Rams, the Western men's basketball team will be back on the road to take on the Nipissing Lakers before traveling for a meeting with the Laurentian Voyageurs for their first meeting of the season.
Western will be entering Friday's game against Nipissing with a respectable 5-4 record on the season after getting the best of Toronto in a 79-73 matchup and falling to the Ryerson Rams the following night by a 72-39 margin. The Mustangs' record puts them in third place in the OUA West division, as they sit just below the Brock Badgers who hold an identical 5-4 record on the season.
The Mustangs' offence was sparked by the incredible scoring display of shooting guard Omar Shiddo against the Varsity Blues. Shiddo put up a game-high 31 points to lead the way for the purple and white, while Eriq Jenkins led the way defensively as per usual with four steals on the evening. The Mustangs struggled to shoot efficiently throughout the evening, despite Shiddo's scoring output, but it was their defence that proved to be the difference maker on the evening. Western forced Toronto into low quality shots all night long, holding their opponent to 5/23 shooting from beyond the arc to hold off the Varsity Blues down the stretch.
However, the following evening proved to be quite the different story, as Western found themselves going up against the Ryerson Rams, a perennially elite OUA opponent. The Rams' defence smothered the Mustangs' perimeter guards, as Western's shooters never found their footing against the length and quickness of the opposing guards, leading to the blowout loss.
But Western will be looking to shake off their previous loss as they look forward to a Nipissing team which has struggled to this point of the season. The Lakers have struggled to score the ball all season long, putting up just 73.9 points per game on 37.9 FG%. With senior guard Marcus Lewis standing as the team's only go-to scorer, the Mustangs will likely match Jenkins up with him defensively in an attempt to limit his scoring output. If Western can get back to the electric free-flowing offence that they began the season with, they'll likely be able to take advantage of a Nipissing defence which has been pedestrian at best.
The following evening will see Western go up against one of the brightest individual stars the country has to offer in Laurentian's Kadre Gray. Gray leads the province in both points and assists per game, averaging an incredible 32.4 points per game and 7.5 assists per game on an efficient 47.4 FG%. Gray found success against the purple and white last season, posting an efficient 24 points and nine rebounds in their only meeting, but it was the fact that three other Voyageurs scored in double-figures that ultimately led to the Laurentian victory. Laurentian currently sits in fifth place in the OUA East division standings with a 4-4 record, but if the purple and white once again let Gray's teammates score in bunches, they may very well see a similar outcome in this year's matchup.
The Mustangs' individual talent has been clear through their first nine games of the regular season, but inconsistent shooting nights have left the purple and white with room to improve. If Western is able to space the floor on both Friday and Saturday and hold's Gray's teammates in check, they may very well see themselves ending their road trip with a pair of wins to move up the division standings.
