LONDON, Ont. - Following a pair of victories over the Algoma Thunderbirds this past weekend in Alumni Hall, the Western women's basketball team will continue their home stand this Friday and Saturday against the Waterloo Warriors and the Guelph Gryphons.

The Mustangs, who have struggled so far season due to an onslaught of injuries, welcomed back to former OUA All-Stars in Maddy Horst and Julia Curran, who both returned to action after being sidelined for much of the season with injuries. The return of a pair of stars for the purple and white took some of the weight off of Laura Graham's shoulders, who has been asked to lead the Mustangs on both ends of the floor in their absence.

However, while both Horst and Curran are not yet fully recovered, the revamped lineup seemed to inspire the Mustangs on the defensive end of the floor. Western locked down behind the three-point line against an Algoma team that has proven its potency from beyond the arc this season. The impressive defensive effort from the purple and white in both games against the Thunderbirds this weekend left them walking away with a pair of wins and improving their record to 3-11 on the season.

Now, Western will be looking to carry that momentum into this weekend in yet another pair of winnable games against Waterloo and Guelph. Both teams hold an identical record to Algoma at 4-10, while Waterloo will be hoping to roll out an improved offence this Friday in Alumni Hall.

The Warriors have shot an abysmal 28.8 FG% this season, good enough for last in the OUA while averaging just 53.1 points per game. In their four wins this season, Waterloo has beaten Toronto, Nipissing, Laurentian, and Guelph, all teams who sit amongst the bottom half of their respective divisions.

However, Waterloo has managed to get points up on the board by getting to the line and converting with efficiency. But, as effective as the Warriors have been at drawing fouls, it may very well prove ineffective against a Mustang team that fouls less than any other team in the province, averaging just 13.3 personal fouls per game.

On the other side of the ball, the Warriors have been an average defensive team throughout the season, which was good enough to slow down struggling offences such as the Varsity Blues or Lakers, but with Curran and Horst back in the Mustangs' lineup, Western could very well find themselves in the driver's seat if they are able to slow down point guard Kaitlyn Overeem.

Overeem has been the catalyst behind each of the Warriors' victories this season, averaging 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. However, with Horst and Graham in the lineup, the ball pressure could very well have an impact on Overeem's game, as she averages a team-high 5.8 turnovers per game for Waterloo.

The following night could very well be a more challenging matchup for the purple and white as they prepare to go up against a Guelph Gryphon team that got the best of them in their first game of the season, earning a 70-40 blowout to kick off the year.

Horst didn't play in their first meeting and the Mustangs certainly missed her maturity and decision making with the basketball, as they gave up an incredible 29 points off turnovers. Creating turnovers has been the Gryphons' identity all season long, as they sit third in the OUA in steals per game with 11.5, earning easy fast break points in the process.

On the other end of the floor, Western shot 0-10 from beyond the arc to seal the loss, as they struggled to get consistent points on the board. However, Western's rookies have evolved throughout the season, growing more confident in their role and producing accordingly, while Guelph has seemed to slip as of late, as they currently ride a seven-game losing streak.

Although many of those losses have come against some of the OUA's best in McMaster and Carleton, Guelph will be heading into Saturday struggling to find momentum against a Western team coming off two big wins against Algoma. Although, if Western hopes to walk away with a victory this Saturday, they'll have to key in on Guelph's Burke Bechard.

The sophomore guard is currently averaging 14.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game to lead the way for the Gryphons. Western struggled to hold Bechard in check in their previous meeting on either end of the floor, as she poured in a game-high 17 points, seven rebounds, and an incredible six steals for Guelph in the blowout victory. If Western hopes to come out of this weekend with a pair of wins, they'll have to take care of the basketball and limit Bechard's scoring production.

Western's meeting with Waterloo will take place this Friday, January 18 at 6:00 P.M. EST followed by their matchup with Guelph the following night at the same time. Both games will take place in Alumni Hall and fans can catch all the action live on OUA.tv.