Mustangs Open OUA Season with Dominant 82–50 Road Victory Over Guelph
GUELPH, ON – The Western Mustangs women's basketball team opened its 2026–27 OUA regular season in convincing fashion Saturday evening, defeating the Guelph Gryphons 82–50 at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre. Western set the tone early with a commanding 25–2 first quarter and never looked back, building its lead to as many as 41 points in the second half to secure its first win of the season.
Western came out firing in the opening quarter, scoring the game's first 12 points while holding Guelph scoreless for over four minutes. Nicole Daly helped lead the early charge with a three-pointer and a layup, while the Mustangs' defensive pressure forced several Guelph turnovers. After the Gryphons finally got on the board, Western responded with 13 unanswered points to close the quarter. Reese Burleigh and Monique Monplaisir contributed four points each off the bench, while Emily Capretta added a three-pointer to help Western take a 25–2 lead after the first 10 minutes. Guelph struggled to find its offence, shooting just 7.1% from the field in the opening frame.
The Mustangs continued to build on their lead in the second quarter, with Sydney Cowan taking over from beyond the arc. Cowan knocked down three three-pointers in the period, including two in quick succession that extended Western's advantage to 34–7. Her third triple pushed the lead to 39–9 with just over five minutes remaining in the half. Guelph began to find some offensive rhythm, but Western continued to answer, with Sarah Harvey adding a layup in the final minute to send the Mustangs into halftime holding a comfortable 47–15 lead.
Western picked up right where it left off to begin the second half, opening the third quarter with six unanswered points. The Mustangs continued to find success inside, with Paris Alexander and Monplaisir contributing baskets as the lead grew. Annie Balfe's jumper extended Western's advantage to 40 points before Monplaisir's layup made it 57–16 with 5:05 remaining, giving the Mustangs their largest lead of the night at 41 points. Ainsley Lane also connected from beyond the arc, while Isabella Cotton added four points late in the quarter as Western entered the final frame ahead 68–28.
Guelph showed signs of life offensively in the fourth quarter, outscoring Western 22–14 behind contributions from Stephanie Galikowski and Jaden Dittmer. Despite the Gryphons' improved shooting, the Mustangs maintained a comfortable lead throughout the final 10 minutes. Daly added two layups early in the quarter, while Burleigh, Balfe and Cotton contributed down the stretch to help Western close out the 82–50 victory.
Daly led the Mustangs with a game-high 15 points, while Cowan finished with 13 points and three steals. Balfe added nine points and eight rebounds, while Harvey contributed eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Monplaisir also finished with eight points off the bench.
Western's defensive effort proved to be a major difference, as the Mustangs outscored Guelph 29–9 in points off turnovers and held a 44–16 advantage in points in the paint. The team's depth was also on display, with 35 points coming from the bench. Western shot 47.1% from the field and recorded 18 steals in the victory.
With the win, Western opens its OUA regular season with a 1–0 record, while Guelph falls to 0–2. We look to keep this energy against our first home game against Waterloo next Friday October 30th.
Western Mustangs Statistical Leaders
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Nicole Daly: 15 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
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Sydney Cowan: 13 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL
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Annie Balfe: 9 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL
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Sarah Harvey: 8 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK
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Monique Monplaisir: 8 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL
