WATERLOO, ON - The Mustangs managed to come back and steal the lead from the Golden Hawks, leading to back-to-back wins against Laurier this week.
The Mustangs won the opening jump and opened the scoring on the game's first possession with a layup from Ariane Saumure.
Laurier was playing much more aggressively on the defensive end than we saw from them during Wednesday night's game. They held a solid full-court press, often double teaming the ball carrier right off the inbound.
The Golden Hawks are playing a much more intense defence than we saw during Wednesday night's game, and it is causing the Mustangs to work much harder down low to put up shots.
The first quarter was close, ending with a one-point difference, the Mustangs up 12-11.
Heading into the next 10 minutes, Laurier's defence did not rest. Despite holding the lead at the end of the first, the Mustangs soon dropped behind, closely trailing Laurier for the remainder of the second quarter.
Western was making some uncharacteristic turnovers during this quarter, where the Golden Hawks were more effective at crashing the boards.
The Mustangs gained back their intensity and confidence and stuck to their plan, managing to trim Laurier's lead. This Golden Hawks team is much more aggressive than we saw at Alumni earlier in the week, doing a much better job at attacking for rebounds.
The tight defence from the Golden Hawks has been instrumental in giving them the 10 point lead they had, heading into the second half of the game.
However, the Mustangs stepped up and adapted, becoming more efficient at coming down the court and setting up on offence.
Western snapped back into their A-game and brought the game back within one possession. After stepping it up and maintaining this consistent effort, they end the third quarter up once again, 48-44.
Heading into the final 10 minutes of the game, the Mustangs did a great job of crashing the offensive boards, giving them four great scoring chances on their first possession of the quarter alone.
Western's defensive pressure stepped up, forcing Laurier to make a lot of rushed shots. The Mustangs were also really effective at swinging the ball and finding the open player.
A successful three-point shot from the Golden Hawks brought Laurier within one possession of the lead with 50 seconds remaining. Still, a basket from Mustang Brett Fischer put the Mustangs ahead by 4.
Neither team gave up any room, fighting right to the final buzzer. Both teams were under incredible pressure, but the Mustangs championed once again, with a final score of 59-57.
The Mustangs will play their next game on Wednesday, March 2, against Brock, in St. Catherines at 6 pm. Fans can watch live at OUA.tv.
