- London, Ontario Alumni Hall felt different the second you walked in because this was not just another Saturday tip. This was a playoff afternoon, a season on the line, and every possession carried that extra weight that makes the building louder and the silences sharper. Western came in 17 and 6, Toronto came in 12 and 11, and the whole day kept swinging between belief and heartbreak until the very end.

First Quarter

Western took the first few minutes to settle into the pace, trading baskets while Toronto leaned into Nigel Hylton's downhill pressure. But the moment Western really felt like Western came off pure energy. Kennedy Charles jumped a passing lane for a steal, and in transition Lucas Sheets buried a three that gave the Mustangs their first lead of the game and brought the crowd fully into it. That spark turned into another jolt when Emmanuel Akot stepped into a big three of his own, the kind that makes the bench pop and the floor feel lighter.

Toronto kept answering, steady and composed, and Hylton's control of the paint combined with early rebounding pressure kept them in front. Isaiah Young gave Western a lift late in the quarter with a confident bucket right near the end, and after ten minutes Western trailed 22-24, but the energy in the building felt like it was building toward something bigger.

Second Quarter

The second quarter was where the game tilted and where the climb later became so steep. Toronto's Nathan Bureau opened the quarter by drilling the first deep three of the period, and suddenly the Blues started playing with that confident rhythm that makes everything look easy. Hylton then hit a wing three that pushed the gap and put Western down nine.

Tye Cotie answered quickly with a strong layup to stop the bleeding, but Toronto kept coming. Bureau hit another clean three to stretch it to ten, then not even a minute later he hit one from the exact same spot again. You could feel momentum fully sliding to the visitors. Late in the half Western was down 11 and searching for control, but the rebounding numbers told the real story.

Toronto had 23 boards going into halftime, nearly half of those offensive. Those extra possessions were loud. Hylton had 17 at the break. Bureau had 16. Western went into the locker room trailing 31-47 knowing the first conversation had to be about physicality, finishing possessions, and turning this semifinal around with energy.

Third Quarter

The first sign of that plan was visible before the ball was even live. Imran Armstrong was the first one out after halftime, practicing threes with purpose, locked in. It felt like foreshadowing when he knocked down the first three of the quarter and suddenly the building started to believe again.

Then came the moment that flipped the entire temperature inside Alumni Hall. Matteo Zagar rose and absolutely posterized his defender with a thunderous dunk that made everyone jump to their feet at once. It was not just two points. It was belief surging back through the building.

Right after that came another wave. Milan John jumped a passing lane for a steal and finished in transition. Akot hit another three. The deficit that felt overwhelming at halftime suddenly shrank into single digits late in the third. Western kept throwing punches. Akot earned an and one that made the crowd even louder. Tye Cotie followed with another and one of his own. For a stretch, it felt like Western had Toronto exactly where they wanted them.

But playoff basketball demands composure. Toronto never fully panicked. They made just enough shots and leaned on their rebounding edge to slow the surge. Even after Western poured in 30 in the quarter, they still trailed 61-75 heading into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

Western came out of the break the same way they had all season, with force. Zagar opened aggressively again, attacking the rim and setting the tone physically. The Mustangs began stacking stops, and when their defense forced a shot clock violation, the noise inside Alumni Hall felt like it might carry the team the rest of the way.

For a moment, the comeback felt real in your chest, not just on the scoreboard. Western was making the exact stops they needed and finding just enough offense to keep the pressure alive. But the game kept snapping back to the details. Toronto's rebounding continued to save possessions. Western had to work for every shot while Toronto found free throws and timely finishes to protect the cushion.

With 2:48 left and the Blues up 11, everything needed to go right from there. Every stop. Every rebound. Every finish. Western kept pushing, kept defending, kept believing. The margin shrank, the noise rose, and for a moment the pressure felt like it had fully shifted. But playoff games punish even the smallest gap, and Toronto's rebounding and late free throws steadied them just enough to close it out.

What made this one hurt was not just the final score, but how close it felt to flipping. Western trailed by 16 at halftime and by as many as 18 in the third quarter. And yet, they never let the rope snap. Zagar's poster dunk ignited a 30 point third quarter surge. John's steal to layup tightened the margin. Akot and Cotie battled through contact for and ones that shook the building. In the fourth, the Mustangs cut it to seven and forced defensive stops that made Alumni Hall rise again. For a stretch, the comeback was not hope, it was happening. But playoff games are decided in inches, in rebounds, in one extra possession. Western erased double digits in the second half and pushed until the final horn, and while the scoreboard read 76-86, the fight in those final minutes told the real story of who this group was.

After the game, head coach Brad Campbell spoke the way a coach speaks when he is proud of his group but still feeling the sting. He called them "an excellent group" and "super high character guys," and even in disappointment said they "should hold their head high" for what they built this season. He acknowledged how raw the moment is right after the final buzzer, saying "nothing really I'm going to tell these guys that's really going to sink in after something like that," and that perspective would come with time and reflection. And when he looked at what he hopes lasts beyond this loss, he kept it simple and honest, saying he hoped they "enjoyed their time in the purple and white" and would remember the bond they built together.

Western Top Five Game Leaders
Milan John 15 Points 2 Rebounds 2 Assists 1 Steal
Owen Urquhart 12 Points 2 Rebounds 3 Assists 1 Steal
Lucas Sheets 11 Points 2 Rebounds 3 Assists 1 Steal 1 Block
Matteo Zagar 10 Points 11 Rebounds 1 Block
Emmanuel Akot 10 Points 4 Rebounds 1 Assist