SAULT ST. MARIE, ON - The Western Mustangs dominated the Algoma Thunderbirds in back-to-back away games, remaining undefeated in the regular season.  

The Mustangs opened the scoring for the game, only briefly trailing Algoma by one-point 60 seconds into the match, giving the Thunderbirds their only lead. 

Western made good shots and remained pretty consistent in the opening quarter, shooting 57% from the field by the end of the first 10 and giving them a 12-03 advantage after only five minutes of play. 

The height advantage the Mustangs had, being taller on average than the Thunderbirds team, contributed to their dominance in the paint, with Western pulling down twice as many rebounds as Algoma in the first quarter alone and 30 more overall. 

The Mustangs were dominant defensively throughout the game. They were shooting over 44% for the game compared to Algoma's 20%, ending the first quarter with Western in the lead 24-06. 

Opening the second quarter, Western went on a 9-0 scoring run that was broken only by a successful free throw from Algoma before the Mustangs immediately turned around and scored an additional nine unanswered points, pulling up to a 33-point lead with five remaining in the first half. 

The Mustangs asserted themselves again on offense this quarter, sinking 27 points to the Thunderbirds' 15, heading into the second half of play up 51-21. 

The Thunderbirds did not give up, opening the third quarter fighting just as hard as they were earlier in the game. Algoma was still holding a decent press, but Western was doing a great job causing turnovers to regain possession and were effectively slipping through the Thunderbirds' defense to put up more great shots. 

The Mustangs bench also stood out this game. It was truly a team effort that helped secure this dominant victory, with every player scoring at least two points on the court. 

The final score for the night was 93-40 in the Mustangs' favor.


The second game of the weekend was just as successful for the Mustangs, who continued their so far undefeated season with a 49 point victory over the Thunderbirds. 

This game opened strong once again, with both teams fighting hard after the previous night's matchup. There was much better ball movement from Algoma to begin the game, and the Thunderbirds were working hard to keep the score much tighter than it was 24 hours earlier. 

The first quarter of play was consistently close, with both teams putting their all into each possession, as the first 10 minutes of play resulted in a five point lead for the Mustangs, up 27-22. 

Despite Algoma's best efforts, and the undeniable improvement from the previous game seen in the first quarter, the Mustangs absolutely blew them out of the water in scoring throughout the second quarter. What looked like it could be a much closer game than the previous, had the Mustangs suddenly out-scoring the Thunderbirds by double digits. 

Western was making the most out of any amount of space they made for a shot on offense, and they maintained this intensity on the defensive end, making as many steals and turnovers as possible, ending the first half of this game up 51-29. 

The key to this game was once again the Mustangs' power, and fight down low for rebounds, as they pulled down a total of 53 rebounds on both ends of the court this game, compared to Algoma's 17. 

Western held possession for most of this quarter, and were making the absolute most out of each one of their possessions, capitalizing off turnovers and racking up an impressive 25 points off turnovers, and holding the Thunderbirds down to six in comparison. 

As the Mustangs headed into the final quarter of the weekend up 76-41, Algoma was still fighting hard, never once giving up or looking defeated despite the deficit. 

With a little over four minutes of play remaining, the Mustangs rode even further into the lead, doubling the Thunderbirds' score, tallying 88-44. 

Both Western and Algoma were putting their all into the game, right into the final minutes of play and continuing on like the scoreboard didn't exist, fighting hard up and down the court. 

As the time ran out, the Mustangs were once again victorious, with the final score reading 95-44.

The Mustangs return to London for their 2022 Season Home Opener, at 6 pm on Friday, November 18th against Laurentian at Alumni Hall. Fans can purchase tickets at WesternMustangs.ca/tickets.