LONDON, ON - In their first of two games this weekend, the Western Mustangs and Algoma Thunderbirds clashed, with the Mustangs emerging victorious 118-77. 

The Mustangs employed consistent pressure in the paint, and did an excellent job of forcing the Thunderbirds out of the key, allowing them to create turnovers and scoring opportunities. 

Western stormed into the game with a 12-3 lead against the Thunderbirds in the opening minutes, prompting a timeout from the visiting team.

Despite relentless pressure from the Thunderbirds, the Mustangs managed to work for a comfortable 15-point lead within the first half of the first quarter. 

The Mustangs played with remarkable speed, moving the ball quickly to create space and open up the floor. Their defensive efforts were commendable, allowing them to set up effectively before their opponents could cut through. 

The first quarter ended with the Mustangs leading 32-14.

Throughout the second quarter, Western continued to display excellent defensive skills, consistently getting in between their opponents and the basket. 

Algoma sometimes struggled with communicating effectively, but they capitalized on loose ball turnovers from Western. They charged down the court to try to beat the Mustangs to the ring.

The Mustangs managed to maintain a roughly 20-point lead throughout the quarter, thanks to their ability to cleanly strip their opponents of the ball and run it back down the court. 

"Part of our goal is to try and get a little more consistent, but we are capable of putting up a lot of points very quickly," said the Mustangs' Head Coach, Brad Campbell.

Despite Algoma's attempts to double-team the shooter, they were not as effective as they needed to be to bring a stop to the Mustangs.

The second quarter ended with Western comfortably ahead, leading 54-32.

The Mustangs' scoring had slowed down a bit in the second quarter compared to their explosive first-quarter performance. However, as the game continued to progress, they did an excellent job of driving through traffic to the basket, forcing their way through a tight defense, and picking up the pace in the third.

"Going into the second quarter, we were up a bit - I think we kind of took the team softly after that, so obviously that showed," said Mustang's Guard Jerric Palma. "Coming into the third and fourth we were like, 'okay, we can't take this team lightly anymore,'" he continued. 

Algoma, although facing a steep deficit against an offensively dominating team, did not back down and continued to put up a fight. They tightened their defense in the paint, putting the Mustangs under more pressure when attempting to score in the key.

The third quarter ended with the Mustangs leading 86-55.

In the final quarter, the Mustangs entered with a commanding lead, nearing a 40-point advantage over Algoma. Western effectively double-teamed and closed out the ball handler, not allowing the Thunderbirds any easy baskets.

"We've just got to come out with even more intensity, from the start of the game, and just carry that all the way through to the fourth" said Kennedy Charles, a rookie Forward for the Mustangs. 

The Mustangs hit the 100-point mark with four minutes remaining and continued to fire off impressive shots from deep. 

The game ended with a high-paced performance from both teams, resulting in a final score of 118-77 in favor of the Mustangs. 

Looking forward, the Thunderbirds and Mustangs will face off again at Alumni Hall tomorrow afternoon, Saturday 04, at 4 p.m. Fans can purchase their tickets at WesternMustangs.ca/Tickets.