Hamlton, ON - On a cold November night in Burridge Gym, Western walked into a building that wanted to swallow them whole. McMaster came in hungry for their second win of the season, their home crowd buzzing with hope, but the Mustangs carried this quiet steadiness, almost like a pulse under the floorboards, ready to rise when the moment called for it.

The game opened in chaos. Shots were flying from both sides, bodies crashing into the paint, and the ball seemed allergic to settling. McMaster struck first with Urosevic's confident three, and the gym roared behind her. Western worked for their looks, but early jumpers from Armstrong and Alexander rimmed out, leaving the Mustangs fighting uphill. 

Still, there were sparks. Joosten hit a smooth jumper to settle things. Capretta attacked fearlessly. Van Heeswyk battled for rebounds like the glass belonged only to her. But McMaster kept answering with tough finishes from Frankovic and Scott, and Western ended the quarter down twenty five to eighteen. It looked like a dangerous hole, but the Mustangs didn't blink. They simply walked to the bench like a group plotting the next twenty five minutes. 

As the second quarter started you could feel the shift coming. It started quietly, almost like a hum beneath the game. Armstrong found her rhythm first. She buried a three from the wing that sliced the deficit, then she glided to the rim with this slow hang in the air as if time paused for her. Western kept grinding, possession by possession. 

Capretta pushed inside for tough buckets. Lane came in with instant fire, chasing rebounds and attacking space. But every time Western closed the gap, McMaster managed to keep it just far enough away with mid range jumpers and free throws. Still, Western walked into halftime down only forty six to thirty eight, and the entire feeling in the gym had changed. McMaster looked relieved. Western looked ready. 

After halftime, then came the storm. The greatest quarter they played all night. 

Armstrong opened the floodgate with a three that snapped through the net with this sharp confidence. Then she hit another, right in rhythm, and suddenly the game tightened to a single possession. The entire pace changed. Western started moving quicker, thinking quicker, defending with this hunger that made McMaster visibly rattled. 

Cowan jumped lanes, turning steals into fast attacks. Capretta sliced through defenders for finishes. Van Heeswyk muscled in a layup. Lane hit a massive three that sent the Mustang bench into a wave. And through all of it, Armstrong kept striking, refusing to let the energy slip. The quarter felt like a punch Western kept throwing over and over. Every loose ball was theirs. Every rebound seemed to fall gently into their hands. McMaster looked overwhelmed, losing the composure they had early. Western outscored them twenty nine to twelve in those ten minutes, flipping the entire night upside down and taking a sixty seven to fifty eight lead into the fourth. 

The last quarter felt like Western guarding something sacred. They played with patience, maturity, and this almost serene confidence.  Van Heeswyk scored inside again to stretch the lead. Lane attacked the paint with purpose. McMaster hit a few jumpers to keep themselves alive, but every time they tried to build momentum, Western shut the door. 

Armstrong kept puncturing the defense with calm drives. Alexander stepped up with a dagger three from the left side that pushed the lead to eleven and smothered the last bit of McMaster's hope. Western's defense tightened. Rebounds were secured. Steals were snatched violently out of the air. 

In the final minutes, the Mustangs simply controlled everything. They closed the game with poise, strength, and that same steady pulse they carried from the opening tip. When the buzzer sounded, Western stood on top with an 84-71 victory, a win built on heart, toughness, and a third quarter eruption that changed the night. 

KEY STATS
Renée Armstrong - 30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists 
Emily Capretta - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 assist 
Paris Alexander - 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 assist 
Natalie Van Heeswyk - 7 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists 
Sydney Cowan - 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists