Box Score LONDON, ON - In a close home opener, the Western Mustangs faced off against the Windsor Lancers in a hard-fought battle that ultimately resulted in the Lancers winning 64-51. 

The game began with Windsor winning the jump and claiming the opening points, putting the Mustangs on the defensive. 

While the Mustangs missed a shot on their opening possession, they quickly regrouped and tightened their defensive play. 

The Lancers took an early lead, scoring 10-6. Still, the Mustangs remained relentless, putting intense pressure on their opponents throughout the quarter. 

A well-executed jumper from Emily Capretta brought the Mustangs within a point with just one minute remaining in the first quarter. The Mustangs' tight man-to-man defense, coupled with their ability to disrupt their opponents' passing lanes, showed their determination to stay in the game. 

"It just starts with working hard - just in practice, and we're always competing," said Capretta, "they fuel the fire and we just play and work hard on the court." 

The first quarter ended with a score of 12-9 in favor of the Windsor Lancers, as the Mustangs fought hard not to fall far behind.
The second quarter saw both teams playing tight, aggressive defense throughout. 

The Mustangs, while trailing in the game so far, displayed a solid defensive effort, making it difficult for the Lancers to find open shots or drive into the key. 

Sam Vidovic for the Mustangs showcased relentless defensive pressure, disrupting inbound passes and getting in the face of her opponents. 

The Mustangs remained strong defensively, effectively switching to cover open players and playing cleanly. Despite Capretta's impressive 10 points in the first half, Western still trailed at 33-20 at halftime.

Western opened the second half with a three-point score from MacKeely Shantz, signaling a solid start to the third quarter. 

"When you're down you get that fuel inside of you that's just like 'go, go, go,' and we had a great talk with the whole team at halftime... I felt like I could really get out there and use my minutes, and opportunities to help the team" said Shantz on her contribution to the impressive comeback during the quarter.

The Mustangs' defensive intensity continued as they held the Lancers to the same score since the end of the previous half, narrowing the deficit to six points. 

The Lancers maintained intense pressure, but Western remained resilient. The bench's energy fueled the on-court intensity, resulting in an incredible defensive effort. 

The Mustangs' strong plays and cohesive performance frustrated their opponents, causing rushed decisions and turnovers in the home team's favor. Drawing fouls and driving hard to the basket, the Mustangs brought the game back within two points, trailing just at 36-38.

The final quarter began with the Mustangs displaying remarkable communication and teamwork on the court. Their unrelenting intensity was evident as they continued to fight for a win. 

"This is a really good group of young women that play for us, I know they have a lot of pride in the product they put on the floor and I fully expected them to come out and fight," said the Mustangs' Head Coach, Nate McKibbon. 

The Lancers managed to pull ahead by ten points in the first four minutes, but the Mustangs refused to back down. They consistently found open lanes to score, driving through traffic with determination.

 Ultimately, the game concluded with a score of 64-51 in favor of the Windsor Lancers.

 The Mustangs will look to build on this as they continue their season, with their next matchup coming this Friday, November 03 against the Algoma Thunderbirds at 6 p.m. at Alumni Hall. Tickets are on sale at WesternMustangs.ca/Tickets.