LONDON, ON - As the Western Mustangs returned home to London after the road trip in Ottawa, they faced off against the Lakehead Thunderwolves, ultimately sending them home win-less, as the Mustangs earned a nine point victory.
The Mustangs earned the opening possession of the game. Still, after some initial disruptions and delayed play to start the first quarter, Lakehead scored on their first possession of the night. This was immediately returned with a score by Saumure, opening her 24-point night.
Both teams worked incredibly hard defensively, with the Mustangs again placing intense one-on-one pressure on their opponent, resulting in several turnovers.
Lakehead also maintained close defensive pressure on the Mustangs, making it difficult for them to put up shots.
However, the Mustangs were working hard to maintain control of the game. Despite the intense pressure, Western did not rush their passes or shots, slowing down play when bringing the ball off the inbound.
Western was having some trouble sinking the shots they were putting up in the first quarter, only sinking two of their seven shots, compared to Lakehead scoring twice as well, at four of seven, with 2:30 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Mustangs were able to close the gap to hold the game within two points in less than a minute, bringing the game within a possession.
"This is a tough week. We've got two good teams coming in," said Mustangs Head Coach Nate McKibbon. "We didn't necessarily start how we wanted to, but it was nice to see some moments of the type of basketball we're capable of."
Lakehead was holding close on defense throughout the quarter, causing several turnovers on the Mustangs. The score was tied twice throughout the first quarter. Still, the Mustangs couldn't take the lead until the second quarter, as the first 10 minutes of play ended with Western trailing 22-19.
Western opened the second quarter with greater intensity than the first, bringing the game back up to a tie and having caused several turnovers on Lakehead in the opening minutes.
The Mustangs were holding tight and moving to find the open man on defense, causing Lakehead to rush their shots and passes under heavy pressure.
When the Mustangs gained the lead in the second quarter, they didn't give it up, holding the lead until well into the fourth quarter.
Western was consistently double-teaming the opposition on defense and placing immense pressure, tiring out the Thunderwolves and allowing the Mustangs to pull further into the lead.
The Mustangs dominated in the second quarter, shutting down Lakehead throughout, and outscored the Thunderwolves 26-15, giving them the lead at half-time, up 45-37.
As the second half opened, there was much more physicality right from the first possession. The Mustangs pulled ahead with a 13-point lead to open the quarter, having scored nine points to begin the quarter.
There was a large crowd in attendance, and their energy in response to the team's successes only fired the team up even more.
"I know that I love it cause the second we get on a run, just hearing the crowd, it just helps you to keep going," said Mustang Brett Fischer.
Since the Mustangs had picked up the lead in the second quarter, they had held onto it right through the third quarter, as the team headed into the game's final quarter up 63-56.
Western was fighting hard on the drive, making the most of every possession, pulling down almost twice as many offensive rebounds as Lakehead to put back up for second-chance points.
Both teams remained incredibly physical throughout the final quarter of play. By the last minutes of the fourth quarter, Lakehead had managed to bring the game back within four points.
"We kind of go by a next-play mentality," said Mustangs Forward Sarah Harvey. "When things don't go our way, we are looking to readjust and just learn from our mistakes," she continued.
With three minutes remaining in the game, the Mustangs appeared much more in control, slowing down passes and setting up steady plays to make the most of every possession.
Western held the lead for most of the game, and as the game ended, the Mustangs had pulled ahead to secure the 81-72 victory.
The Mustangs' next game is tomorrow night, Saturday, December 03, at 6pm against the Guelph Gryphons at Alumni Hall. Fans can purchase tickets at WesternMustangs.ca/tickets or stream the game live at OUA.tv.
