THUNDER BAY, Ont. - Following a pair of blowout victories over the Waterloo Warriors and Guelph Gryphons this past weekend in Alumni Hall, the Western men's basketball team will be back on the road for a pair of weekend meetings with the Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay.

The two wins secured the Mustangs' position atop the OUA West division standings, as they now boast an impressive 12-4 record and further separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Western's first win came in a 95-81 affair against Waterloo where Omar Shiddo led the way with 19 points and was supported by five other Mustangs who scored in double figures on the night. Shiddo once again led the purple and white the following night with a game-high 19 points against the Gryphons to lift the Mustangs to the 72-53 win over a competitive Guelph team.

However, the Mustangs will now face the challenge of heading back on the road after a lengthy homestand. Luckily, Western will be going up against a Lakehead team that's struggled to string together consistent wins to this point in the season.

The Thunderwolves currently sit in eighth place in the OUA West division standings with a 4-12 record and a 2-6 record at home thus far. Lakehead's offence has played at one of the fastest paces in the province, but its tendency to run the floor, unfortunately, hasn't resulted in better shot selection. Lakehead is currently ranked near the bottom of the league in both FG% and 3PT% while their assist numbers leave a lot to be desired. That being said, the team has managed to put up a middling 76.1 points per game and has limited their turnovers to a respectable degree throughout their most recent games. However, it's been the team's inability to knock down shots with consistency down the stretch that's left their season with a lot to be desired thus far.

But despite their inconsistency on offence, the Thunderwolves' defence has been impressively steady heading into this weekend. Boasting one of the most potent interior defences in their division, Lakehead has proven themselves as a shot-blocking team and the percentages back up these high shot blocking numbers, as they've held opponents to just 40.6 FG% and 29.5 3PT% through 16 games this season.

However, as impressive as Lakehead's shot blocking has been, Western will be entering this weekend as one of the most potent defensive teams in the province. The Mustangs are ranked No. 1 in the OUA in creating turnovers and have held opponents to a mere 72.7 points per game, making this weekend a true challenge for a Thunderwolves team that's struggled to score against less aggressive defences.

The games are scheduled to tip off at 6:00 P.M. EST on both Friday and Saturday evening in Thunder Bay and fans can catch all the action live on OUA.tv.