LONDON, Ont. – The men's basketball team won 81-76 in their first match against the Queen's Gaels in their seventh regular season game on Friday evening. The tough win will bring the Mustangs to 5-2 and the Gaels to 3-4.
 
If the first few minutes were any indication, the game was to be fast in pace and tight in score. The Mustangs hovered below 10 points with Queen's behind them by a mere basket for the majority of the first quarter. Aaron Tennant put in a powerful dunk to kick off the match with Nikola Farkic following up with three points. The Gaels overtook the 'Stangs at the 3:00 mark, a three-pointer by Cole Syllas putting them in the lead and kick-starting their momentum. Quinton Gray put up 4 points for the Yellow and Blue and was soon followed by Brickenden, Keefe, and Syllas. The end of the first quarter promised for a low-scoring match as the Gaels closed it with a 20-9 lead.
 
The second quarter provided the Mustangs with an opportunity to catch up. Eriq Jenkins put in 8 points for the Purple and White, and as the margin began to shrink, the Gaels picked up the intensity, resulting in 5 points-worth of foul shots for the 'Stangs. With a cruel dunk, Ukasha Khan brought the Mustangs to 36 points as the first half came to a close with Queen's in the lead by 1 point.
 
The back-and-forth of the match continued into its second half. Foul shots became more prominent for both the Mustangs and Gaels as the teams hovered within 2 points of each other. For every shot the Yellow landed, the Purple made space to retaliate. The hostility rising, the Mustangs hovered at 58 with the Gaels at 60 as tension spiked and those in the stands rallied.
 
The Mustangs discovered their second wind at the start of the fourth quarter. Shiddo put them back in the lead with a three-pointer sent almost from half-court and, riding the momentum, allowed Farkic and Jenkins to follow up with 4 more points. Maintaining their careful lead, plays became smoother as Tennant landed two lay-ups within five seconds and pushed the Mustangs passed their stubborn four-point lead. With 1:22 left in the game, the Gaels sat just 5 points behind. Attempting to run the clock, the 'Stangs tried to slow their pace but the Gaels would not let up and continued to force a quick ball.  With 14 seconds remaining, Shiddo regained possession and brought the game to its end, the Mustangs taking the W 81-76.
 
The Mustangs will be returning to the court on Saturday, November 16^th as they take on Ontario Tech University in Alumni Hall. The game is scheduled to begin at 8.00 P.M EST.