Alumni Hall

Western vs Carleton November 29 75 to 66

There was a different kind of charge in Alumni Hall tonight, a kind of rolling confidence that carried over from last night's victory and settled into the building before anyone even took a seat. Western started strong with last night's win still humming in the air, and from the second the ball went up you could feel their intention. It took almost no time for the gym to erupt. Four back to back threes shared between Capretta, Armstrong, Cowan, and then Armstrong again turned the first ninety seconds into a flash of pure electricity. It felt like the entire team shared one heartbeat. A huge burst of twelve to two in the first two minutes of play set the game going strong, the kind of start that doesn't just ignite the scoreboard but shakes the confidence of the opponent. Then Daly stepped in with another three. Then Cowan followed with one of her own. Another two threes from Daly and Cowan pushed the game to twenty points in only the first half of the quarter. Western was capitalizing with threes at a blistering pace, SIX in the first quarter alone, and the crowd could barely keep up with the pace of the celebration. But Carleton had good work in the paint so far, getting more points on the fast break and refusing to let the game tilt too far. Western went up by eleven with their six threes halfway through the half, but Carleton showed their dominance by going right back at them, ending the run and pulling within one at twenty two to twenty one. The quarter ended with the feeling that both teams had shown their best punches early, and the rest of the night would be a test of who could keep swinging. After the game Coach Nate said, "we took a lot of confidence from yesterday's buzzer beater and it carried right into this start because shots felt good and the momentum was still in our legs."

Second Quarter
Everything tightened in this stretch. Western's offense kept flowing, and Cowan took over the rhythm of the game with the kind of calm edge that separates scorers from leaders. She attacked with purpose, she hit with confidence, and she carried the flow exactly when Western needed someone to hold the line. Cowan finished the first half with nineteen points, really carrying and bringing the entire offensive energy with her. When told after the game that she had nineteen by halftime she smiled and said, "my teammates and coaches trusting me with the ball gives me confidence and the adrenaline and the passes they give me let me keep going." Armstrong continued to make the game feel fast, smooth, and controlled all at once. Alexander glided through lanes with the kind of balance that makes defenders hesitate for a half-second too long. But still, Carleton kept answering. Especially number eleven from Carleton, who had one of the strongest halves of any player on the floor. Her playmaking, her threes, her ability to command the pace kept Carleton from ever slipping out of reach. Western had the firepower, but Carleton had the steadiness. By halftime it was thirty nine to thirty eight, the kind of number that doesn't just keep the game alive but announces that the next twenty minutes will be nothing short of a battle. Coach Nate said, "two games in two days always test your legs but the team stayed connected and found answers even when the pace got heavy."

Third Quarter
This game vs Carleton, just like the last, tightened into the kind of contest where every point feels like a negotiation, and every possession stretches the nerves a little thinner. Each team kept trading point for point, not straying away from a single two point difference no matter how many times one side tried to break away. Then Cowan shifted the energy with an and one in the third, a strong, physical finish that told everyone she wasn't slowing down. After that, the quarter took on a wild rhythm, and the highlight came right at the horn when Alexander hit a crazy hook shot that made the crowd rise up in disbelief. It felt impossible, off balance and floating, but the second it dropped, her teammates burst with momentum. It was a moment that showed exactly how tight, how emotional, and how competitive this matchup had become. Paris said afterward, "once I get into the game I feel hyped by the bench and the people on the court and when I want the ball I go get it with full energy." Then came the shot that changed the entire feel of the night. A strong three from Alexander off a perfect pass from Armstrong set the Mustangs up fifty eight to fifty four, putting Carleton into a shaky timeout. You could feel the panic creeping in on the Carleton side, their body language shifting, their communication dropping just slightly. It was the kind of momentum swing that doesn't just tilt the scoreboard but alters the emotional weight of the entire game. Coach Nate said, "moments like that happen because of depth and togetherness and because players off the bench defend like crazy and celebrate every possession."

Fourth Quarter
After that timeout Western never looked back. You could see Carleton losing their gas. Their legs didn't pop the same way. Their recoveries slowed. Their confidence looked just a little thinner. Western sensed it immediately and pushed even harder. With every layup Carleton managed in the fourth, Western responded with either an and one or a deep three to humble them, resetting the momentum with authority every single time. Armstrong kept the tempo alive, Cowan kept attacking, Alexander kept hitting her moments, and the entire team began to stretch the lead toward ten before finally controlling the game outright. Carleton showed so much heart, especially number eleven who continued to shine with her playmaking and her shooting, but Western's resilience, shot making, and sheer belief were louder. And once Western reached that final stretch, they closed with maturity and force. The rhythm was theirs. The night was theirs. The win was theirs. Coach Nate said, "the shot Sid hit the night before gave them belief that carried through all the tired moments today." Sydney added, "recovery was all about rest and stretching and knowing this was their last game before the break so they had to empty everything they had."

Western walked out with a powerful seventy five to sixty six victory, sealing another statement performance and showing once again that when they lock in, when their shooters heat up, and when their stars carry the pulse, they can overwhelm anyone in front of them.

Key Stats
Sydney Cowan 26 points 3 rebounds 3 assists
Renée Armstrong 20 points 14 rebounds 4 assists
Paris Alexander 16 points 8 rebounds 4 assists
Emily Capretta 6 points 2 rebounds 3 assists
Catie Joosten  7 rebounds 2 assists