LONDON, ON - In their first matchup of the week against the Laurier, the Mustangs were able to hold a steady lead, defeating the Golden Hawks by 17 points.
Tonight, the game began with Laurier winning the jump and the beginning of the Mustangs' unrelenting defense.
It was an incredibly intense game right from the start. Throughout the match, the Mustangs did an incredible job finding the open player and creating scoring plays with fast ball movement.
Western also utilised their incredibly successful full-court man-on-man defense, making it difficult for Laurier to gain many offensive rebounds, or second-chance points, holding the Golden Hawks to only three offensive rebounds throughout the first quarter.
Defence was integral to the Mustangs' win, "defensive stops are going to be huge for us if we want to go far in the playoffs. Defence leads into offence, especially for our team," said Mustangs player Jessica Morris. "Everything we do really starts on the defensive end, so we focus on that a lot," said Morris.
Heading into the second quarter, the Mustangs were up 16-12. Their defence remained just as strong this quarter, Western not giving an inch of space, making Laurier work for every point.
The Mustangs made it difficult for the Golden Hawks, especially down low in the key, consistently forcing outside shots. This contributed to Western holding what was consistently a double-digit lead over Laurier.
The third quarter remained just like the others, with the Mustangs maintaining this intense pressure on Laurier, making it difficult for them to have clear scoring chances.
The high energy from both sides remained consistent into the third quarter, with Mustangs' head coach, Nate McKibbon, saying, "We knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy, and we really had to match that." He continued, "I was really proud of the effort they put out there - it was scrappy, but I thought we matched it and in some cases exceeded it."
The Mustangs had great hustle getting back on offence after missed shots from Laurier, which contributed to them maintaining their lead from the beginning of the first quarter.
Western did a great job posting up on the defensive end and increasing pressure on the baseline. They also continued their great use of offensive screens, causing turnovers, improving their lead, and firing the crowd.
"We all love to play, and it's just so much better when you have your loved ones up in the crowd. We are really appreciative to everyone in our department and everyone within the University that's gotten us back to this point," said McKibbon. A sentiment echoed by Morris, who said, "We love having fans' support and parents' support; it's nice to play in front of people again."
The Mustangs ran away with it, ending this fast-paced game 75-58.
The Mustangs will play their next game this Saturday, February 26, against Laurier, in Waterloo at 1 pm. Fans can watch live at OUA.tv.
