London, ON – The Mustangs are on their way to the Critelli Cup semi-final after an extremely exciting 64-63 win over McMaster on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Hall.
A trio of Mustangs finished the game with double-doubles including Maddy Horst (19 pts, 10 reb), Becky Leblanc (13 pts, 14 reb) & Emma Johnson (14 pts, 12 reb).
"You could see the release of tension after a game like that, McMaster is a team who has ended Western's season a couple of time over the last couple years," said Mustangs Head Coach Nate McKibbon "We knew it was going to be a close game, we knew it was going to be a tough game and I'm extremely pleased we pulled out the win."
As would be expected from a quarterfinal playoff game, the 1st quarter was extremely tight. The Mustangs pushed the pace to an eight-point lead at one point when Maddy Horst hit a three-pointer, but McMaster would keep digging and cut that to a two-point gap by the end of the frame at 15-13.
The 2nd quarter saw the pace continue to quicken as the Mustangs would again open up an eight-point lead at the midway point when Emma Johnson made a move to the inside of the paint and laid it in. Western would hold the lead through the rest of the quarter and take a 34-29 lead into halftime.
"Last time we played McMaster we were down something like 15 really early and most Western teams I've played for have been so close to one of those comebacks and haven't been able to make the last step," said Johnson, "I think with a performance like that tonight, it shows that this group can pull it together and do what needs to be done to get the win."
Western would make an immediate statement to start the 3rd quarter as Emma Johnson dropped a three-pointer to regain the eight-point lead.
"At the beginning of the year, she (Emma Johnson) fighting her shot a little bit and trying to find some confidence," said McKibbon "Since christimas she's been on a role and she has to be over 40% or more from the three-point line in that time."
The Mustangs would again open up a double-digit lead when they took it to ten points with just over four minutes remaining on a layup from Horst. Once again McMaster wouldn't go away, only being down by three at 50-47 to finish the quarter.
The fourth quarter would bring the intensity to another level. McMaster would pull to within one point and then take the lead at 56-54 with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. Alumni Hall would come alive down the stretch and a roar was deafening when Johnson again would sink a three-pointer from the corner to take a one-point lead at 61-60 with three minutes left on the clock.
The Marauders had the final possession of the game, but the Mustangs were able to hold off the charge and take the win 64-63.
"They (McMaster) are national champions and they will remain national champions for another two weeks until someone else wins it," said McKibbon "Getting a win over a group as talented as that is huge for our confidence going forward."
Western will now host the Critelli Cup Semi-Final on Wednesday night at Alumni Hall.
Stay tuned to westernmustangs.ca and our social media channels for more information on game time and opponent.
