LONDON, ON -  In an action-packed matchup at Alumni Hall, the Western Mustangs faced off against the Algoma Thunderbirds, in which the Mustangs secured the 82-31 win. 

The Mustangs displayed their offensive agility throughout the match, starting right at the jump,  as they swiftly picked up loose balls and drove toward the basket. 

Western was relentless in their defensive efforts, effectively closing out against the Thunderbirds. MacKeely Shantz opened the scoring for the Mustangs with a two-pointer, closely followed by another basket from Emily Capretta. 

The home team wasted no time taking control of the game, scoring the opening 8 points in the first three minutes. 

They were quick to crowd the rebounder and prevent any shot attempts. Western did an excellent job of creating space and finding open lanes to drive to the basket, resulting in a 12-2 lead with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

The Thunderbirds pressed the Mustangs back, but Western maintained their intensity, moving the ball efficiently down to their offensive end. The Mustangs also effectively drew fouls, as the first quarter ended with a score of 18-10 in favor of Western.

The second quarter opened with the Mustangs continuing their strong performance, scoring 5 points in the opening minute of play. 

They maintained a healthy 10-point lead over the Thunderbirds. Despite missing key components of their team, Algoma did not back down and put up a brave fight against the Mustangs. 

With five minutes remaining in the half, the Mustangs extended their lead to 34-18. Algoma turned up the pressure and kept forcing the Mustangs to shoot from further out in the field. 

Western aggressively stole the ball on defense several times and powered down the court for easy layups. The Mustangs had almost doubled their first-quarter point total by halftime, securing a dominant lead,45-24.

"We've been focused on more of a team-based defence" said Mustangs' Forward, Morgan Tamminga, "[this game] really gave us an opportunity to play with a bunch of different people and try out some differences on offense and defence," she continued. 
 
The Mustangs continued to hold a commanding two-fold lead throughout the third quarter. While the Thunderbirds struggled to keep pace, they never backed down. 

The third quarter ended with the score at 61-29 in favor of Western.

The final period of play saw Western's lead continue to grow, as they extended it to nearly 40 points in the opening minutes, leading 70-31. 

"It's just sort of re-focusing and making sure we are taking care of the little details... there were stretches there where you saw what we've been building towards," said Mustangs' Head Coach, Nate McKibbon. 

The Thunderbirds, to their credit, continued to compete despite the wide margin, showcasing their tenacity as Western continued to extend their lead toward 50 points in the final 20 minutes of play.

"I think today was a win we needed to have under our belt just to boost some confidence, coming off of Tuesday... it's still early for us," mentioned Sam Cowan, a Wing player on the team.

Both squads worked tirelessly until the end, with the Mustangs emerging victorious with a final score of 82-31.

These teams will face each other again tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, November 04, at 2 p.m. at Alumni Hall. Fans can purchase tickets at WesternMustangs.ca/Tickets.