LONDON, ON - In an electrifying matchup at Alumni Hall, the Western Mustangs faced off against the Laurier Golden Hawks in a highly anticipated return to London for the first time in almost two months.
The opening half of the first quarter saw the Mustangs trailing the Laurier Golden Hawks, who opened the scoring. Despite encountering challenges sinking shots due to constant pressure from Laurier, the turning point came following consecutive electric scoring plays that propelled the Mustangs into the lead by four points at the end of the first quarter.
The score stood at 24-20 in favor of the Mustangs.
The Golden Hawks continued to apply immense defensive pressure on the Mustangs, running down the shot clock. Western faced some offensive challenges but remained composed defensively.
"A lot of our focus this season has been defense, and making it better and I think for the first time this season, our offense let us down," said Brad Campbell, the Mustangs' Head Coach. "We were just playing in transition defense against a very good team, way too many times."
The game continued to be closely contested, with both teams fighting hard. Laurier, the only team in the West with a better record than the Mustangs, showcased their defensive power.
"They're first in the division and that's what we're going for, so we knew it was going to be a battle from the start," said Noah Otshudi, a Mustangs Guard.
As the first half concluded, the halftime score favored the Golden Hawks at 45-39.
The third quarter opened with high energy from the Mustangs, continuing a solid defensive approach. However, Laurier responded with poised offensive plays, extending their lead on the home side.
The Mustangs were down by 11 points with just under half of the quarter remaining. Despite trailing, Western displayed a stronger defensive finish, reducing the deficit to single digits and forcing rushed, covered shots from Laurier.
Defensive pressure persisted as the Mustangs faced challenges offensively from a powerful Laurier defense.
The quarter concluded with the Golden Hawks leading 66-56.
Tensions remained high as frustrations escalated on both sides, leading to some failed plays. The final quarter, however, appeared more promising for the Mustangs, appearing to be more in control of the game.
"We came out swinging, we gave them the best we had at the start of the quarter, it just wasn't enough to weather the storm," said Mustangs Forward, Matteo Zagar. "We've had a rivalry with [Laurier] the last few years... we did everything we could this week but it was just a tough loss."
Western closed the gap to only three points with 6:40 remaining in the quarter. The Mustangs maintained high energy into the final minutes, feeding off the crowd's energy and appearing more in control of the ball and play.
Ultimately, however, the game concluded with a final score of 91-83, with the Golden Hawks securing the victory.
Western returns to close the weekend at home with a game on Saturday, January 6, at 8 pm against the Waterloo Warriors. Fans can purchase tickets to support the Mustangs at WesternMustangs.ca/tickets or watch live at OUA.tv.
