Windsor ON - Tonight inside the Toldo Lancer Centre felt like one of those nights where every hit, every roar, every run of momentum carried this buzzing electricity. The stakes felt bigger than a regular season meeting. Western came in undefeated and Windsor came in swinging with the same hunger. Right from the opening tip you could tell this was going to be a game that would come down to composure and heart and Western answered that call in every quarter.

Western punched first in the opening frame. Milan John settled the Mustangs right away with a smooth jumper, then cut through the paint for another strong finish that lifted the bench. Matteo Zagar attacked early for a mid range bucket and Tye Cotie controlled the boards with a sense of ownership that Windsor could not match. Western held Windsor to only nine points in the quarter and walked into the break leading sixteen to nine. It felt like they had set the tone with toughness and clarity.

The second quarter became a beautiful rhythm of execution. Imran Armstrong opened the frame with calm free throws. Then Milan sliced in for a powerful layup before stepping into a deep three that pumped life into the gym. Tye Cotie hit back to back mid range shots that showed why he has been such a steadying force. Owen Urquhart added a jumper from the elbow and Emmanuel Akot drove in with his signature hang time that made the bench rise together. Joe Baggaley Lacerte drilled a three late in the quarter that sent Western into halftime ahead thirty eight to thirty one with confidence in their stride.

The third quarter is where Western looked like a team that understood exactly who they are. They opened with inside touches for Tye Cotie who continued to dominate every rebound he touched. Zagar splashed a smooth three from the right wing. Milan finished a jumper through contact. Then Zagar buried another deep three that blew the game open. Lucas Sheets added a jumper. Western pushed the lead to as many as sixteen and the way the team moved together felt like a group in complete control. Windsor stayed alive with tough makes but Western held a fifty eight to forty eight lead entering the final stretch, still attacking and still defending with sharp focus.

And then came the fourth quarter, a roller coaster that felt almost cinematic. Windsor threw haymaker threes right away, hitting two quick triples that cut the lead and sent a jolt through the gym. The noise rose. The pressure rose with it. Western had to steady themselves and they did. Lucas Sheets answered with a composed layup that cooled the building. Emmanuel Akot attacked the lane with his floating finishes that seem to hang above the rim longer than anyone else in the game. But Windsor kept firing back. Possession after possession the margin shrunk. A deep three from Windsor tied it at sixty seven and suddenly the entire arena felt like it had frozen mid breath.

But Western never panicked. They gathered themselves and leaned on their leaders.

Zagar knocked down two enormous free throws with the calm of a veteran to tie the game again. Akot then ripped the ball loose on defence and turned it into a transition layup that put Western ahead seventy one to sixty nine. Milan followed with a clutch jumper to extend the lead. Windsor answered again but Akot rose for another smooth mid range shot that pushed Western ahead by four. Every one of his makes in that moment felt like a lifeline.

Windsor trimmed it once more, but Cotie stepped to the line with under a minute left and calmly dropped both free throws to put Western ahead seventy seven to seventy three. The defence locked in. The crowd waited for drama. And then with six seconds left Lucas Sheets delivered the knockout shot, rising into a soft jumper that fell straight through and sealed the game. Western closed it at eighty to seventy four and the bench erupted in pure relief and joy. An undefeated streak preserved. A statement win on the road. A team that showed again why they are one of the toughest groups in the conference. Undefeated. We are the Mustangs

Western Key Stats

Milan John 18 points 6 rebounds 5 assists 2 steals
Emmanuel Akot 15 points 4 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal
Matteo Zagar 14 points 5 rebounds 2 assists 1 steal
Tye Cotie 12 points 12 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal
Lucas Sheets 7 points 4 rebounds 1 assist