Loyola Wins 53rd Purple & White

53rd Annual Purple & White Champions Oakville Loyola

Runner-up Niagara Falls A.N. Myer

Consolation Champs Barrie St. Joe's 

London Free Press Article Click Here

Championship

Loyola 92 A.N. Myer 65
POG: Mike L'Africain - Loyola

Consolation Championship 

St. Joe's 58 Oakville STA 37
POG: Mark Palcibar - St. Joe's

All-Star Team

1st Team
MVP - Mike L'Africain - Loyola
Jack Daneyko - A.N. Myer
Adam Presutti - Loyola
Joe Rocca - St. Chris
Purple Heart - Greg Morrow - Banting

2nd Team
Rohan Boney - Loyola
Eric McDonald - St. Chris
Jon Ravenhorst - Northern
Chris Louis - A.N. Meyer
Mark Paclibar - St. Joe's


Championship Semi Finals

Loyola  72  St. Chris 48
POG: Mike L'Africain - Loyola

A.N. Myer 67 Northern 56
POG: Jack Daneko

Consolation Semi Finals

Oakville STA 59 Saltfleet 38
POG: ThomasMeagher - STA

St. Joe's 50 Banting 41
POG: Mark Paclibar

Other games

St. James 57 vs. Reserrection 54  4OT
POG: Keegan O'Connor - St. James

Notre Dame 61 CCH 38
POG: Nathan McCarthy - ND

North Park 53 Lourdes 42
POG: Cale McDonald - North Park

London STA 61 Newman  55
POG: Chidi Majok - STA

London Free Press Photos From Purple & White

A few pictures from the London Free Press from yesterday's action

Click Here

53rd Purple & White Results

1st Round

St. Christpoher's 54 Banting 52
Player of the game: Joe Rocca - St. Chris

Sarnia Northern 57 London CCH 55  OT
Player of the game: John Ravenhorst - Northern

Kitchener Resurrection  60 Stony Creek Saltfleet 33
Player of the game: Tyler Schneider - Resurrection

Hamilton Newman  46 Guelph Lourdes 31
Player of the game: Lucas Mancini - Newman

London STA 49  Brantford North Park 30
Player of the game: Sean Patrick - STA

Oakville Loyola 73 Barrie St. Joe's 49
Player of the game: Mike L'Africain - Loyola

Guelph St. James 58  Oakville STA 49
Player of the game: Ryan Higgins - St. James

Niagara Falls A.N. Myer 59  Burlington Notre Dame 46
Player of the game: Jack Daneyko - A.N. Myer

2nd round

Championship Side

Northern 58 vs. Resurrection 56
POG: Carter Winberg - Northern

A.N. Myer 53 vs. St. James 43
POG: Jack Daneyko - A.N. Myer

St. Chris 68 vs. Newman 56
POY: Joe Rocca - St. Chris

Loyola 89 vs.London STA 41
POG: Adam Pressutti - Loyola

Consolation Side 

Saltfleet 59  vs. CCH 50
POG: Brett Sanders - Saltfleet

Oakville STA 60 vs. Notre Dame 49
POG: Dan Thompson - STA

Banting 62 vs. Lourdes 36
POG: Greg Morrow - Banting

St. Joseph's 51 vs. North Park 25
POG: Matt Plunkett - St. Joe's

Tomorrow Round 3

Championship Semi Finals

Loyola vs. St. Chris 1:30pm Thames Hall
A.N. Myer vs. Northern 1:30pm Alumni Hall

Consolation Semi Finals

Saltfleet vs. Oakville STA
Banting vs. St. Joe's

Other games

Reserrection vs. St. James 9am Alumni Hall
CCH vs. Notre Dame 9am Thames Hall
Lourdes vs. North Park 10:30am Thames Hall
Newman vs. London STA 10:30am Alumni Hall

Championship Final 5:00pm Alumni Hall
Consolation Championship 3:30pm Alumni Hall



Keep checking back here for more updates

53rd Annual Purple & White Senior Boys Tournament Dec. 29-30 Preview

For Tournament program Click Here

One of the oldest senior boys basketball tournaments in the province will again this year see some of the best teams and players from Southwestern Ontario. Here is a breakdown of some of the teams and players to watch:

Oakville Loyola - Last year's "AAA" OFSAA Silver Medalists return a stellar team who have already won the Heinbuch Classic on Nov. 25-27 and were runners-up at the Pinky Lewis Nov. 12-14. Led by a strong nucleus of players including play maker Mike L'African (5'10 G), 3 point shooting specialist Adam Presutti (6'2 G) and athletic guard Rohan Boney (6'4 G). The Hawks are widely considered to be one of the top high-school teams in Canada.

Sarnia St. Christopher's - Purple & White Tournament Champions 1999-2000. St. Chris has got off to a nice start with a tournament championship at the Chatham Ursuline Tournament Dec. 10-11. The Cyclones are led by the dynamic backcourt of 3pt shooting specialist Joe Rocca (6'3 G- 1st Team All-Star P&W in 2009-2010) and athletic point guard Eric McDonald (6'0 G- 2nd team P&W All-Star in 2009-2010).

Oakville STA- STA returns several starters from a "AA" OFSAA Final Four team from last season. The Raiders recently won the Maple HS Blue N' Blue Invitational Tournament Dec. 9-10. Will Coulthard (6'0 G) was selected Tournament MVP and leads the Raiders with his play making ability. 3pt shooter Dan Thompson (6'0 G - 1st Team P&W All-Star in 2009-2010) also provides scoring punch.

London Banting - Recently won the Cambridge "Roundball" Tournament Dec. 10-11. The Broncos are led by Greg Morrow (6'3 F) an athletic forward. Banting hopes to break through this season and represent AAA SWOSSA at the OFSAA Championships in March.

Kitchener Resurrection –  Led my 2009-10 CWOSSA MVP Andrew Mwangi (6’3 G) and point-guard Tyler Schneider (6’1), the Phoenix are currently the top ranked in team in CWOSSA and looking to secure their first ever OFSAA AAAA appearance.

A.N. Myer - Purple & White Tournament Champions in 2001-2002 & 2002-2003. Recently won the Bob Coul tournament in Niagara Falls and were runners-up at the St. Paul's Festival of Lights tournament Dec. 10-11. A deep team, the Marauders are led by versatile Jack Daneyko (6'5 F)

Other Players to watch:
Ryan Higgins 6'3 G - St. James
Sean Patrick 6'3 F - London STA
Lucas Mancini 6'3 F - Cardinal Newman

Patrick McCulloch 6'6 F - Cardinal Newman 

Mike Finoro 6'0 G - Our Lady of Lourdes
Brett Sanders 6'5 F - Saltfleet
Nathan McCarthy 6'7 F - Notre Dame
Dan Dooley 6'0 G - Notre Dame
Matt Plunkett 6'5 F - St. Joe's

Purple & White Former Champions:

2009-10 H.B. Beal (London)

2008-09 H.B. Beal (London)

2007-08 Cathedral (Hamilton)

2006-07 Cathedral (Hamilton)

2005-06 Kitchener Collegiate

2004-05 St. Thomas Aquinas (London)

2003-04 St. Clair (Sarnia)                                                                       

2002-03 A.N.Myer (Niagara Falls)                                   

2001-02 A.N.Myer (Niagara Falls)                                   

2000-01 John McGregor (Chatham)                                                       

1999-00 St. Christopher’s (Sarnia)                                   

1998-99 Strathroy CI                                                     

1997-98 Central (London)                                   

1996-97 South (London)                                                     

1995-96 Notre Dame (Welland)                                   

1994-95 St. Joseph’s (St. Thomas)                                   

1993-94 John Paul II (London)                                   

1992-93 John Paul II (London)                                   

1991-92 Timmins Vocational                                   

1990-91 Oakwood (Toronto)                                   

1989-90 Runnymede (Toronto)                 

1988-89 St. Jerome (Kitchener)                 

1987-88 A.B. Lucas (London)                 

1986-87 Northern (Sarnia)

1985-86 Runnymede (Toronto)

1984-85 Bethune (Scarborough)

1983-84 Eastern Commerce (Toronto)

1982-83 Cameron Heights (Kitchener)

1981-82 Cameron Heights (Kitchener)

1980-81 Cameron Heights (Kitchener

1979-80 F.J. Brennan (Windsor)

1978-79 Central C.I.(Sarnia)                                   

1977-78 John McGregor (Chatham)

1976-77 F.J. Brennan (Windsor)

1975-76 F.J. Brennan (Windsor)

1974-75 F.J. Brennan (Windsor)

1973-74 F.J. Brennan (Windsor)

1972-73 Huron Park (Woodstock)

1971-72 H.B. Beal (London)

1970-71 South (London)

1969-70 H.B. Beal (London)

1968-69 Westminster (London)

1967-68 Westlane (Niagara Falls)

1966-67 Kennedy C.I. (Windsor)

1965-66 Sarnia C.I. & Tech

1964-65 St. Thomas C.I. (St. Thomas)

1963-64 Kennedy C.I. (Windsor)

1962-63 Clarke Road (London)

1961-62 Central C.I. (Sarnia)

1960-61 Beck C.I. (London)

1959-60 East Elgin (Aylmer)

1958-59 East Elgin (Aylmer)

Admission
$3 Game
$5 Day Pass
$8 Tournament Pass

Happy Holidays from the Mustangs

Mustangs Visit St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Strathroy

Today the Mustangs visited Strathroy and St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School's girls and boys basketball teams.  The Mustangs represented by Coach Campbell, players Quinn Henderson, Drew Vincent and Peter Scholtes put the group through some fun drills and games. St. Vincent de Paul players also had the opportunity to take on Henderson, Vincent and Scholtes in a fun 3 on 3 contest. 

Thanks to Principal Rob Scholtes who invited us.

Mustangs Visit Masonville Public School

Members of the Mustangs, including coaches John Curcio, Kevin Barnes and players Ryan Barbeau, Adam Jespersen and Peter Scholtes, visited Masonville Public school's senior boys basketball team this afternoon. Masonville students were put through a workout and taught fundamental skills.  Thanks to Coach Matt Pearson for inviting us.

Coming Soon....

Preview for the 53rd Annual Purple & White Senior Boys Basketball Tournament Dec. 29-30.

The Matt Curtis Experience #3

Former Mustang great Matt Curtis gives us his 3rd installment of his experiences playing pro basketball in Germany for TV Werne. 

Hello All,

As I sit here, in my pre-game lobby, about to do some COD work online (waiting on Christmas for the new one) my mind wanders to all those stuck in London right now. Oh how many times I have prayed for a snow day to rescue me from an exam I wasn’t ready for, or a paper that I wrote that was the equivalent of a gr.7 book report. And that prayer has been answered for 3 straight days now for all of you. INSANELY LUCKY. You all better be out enjoying the snow, tackle football, tobogganing or towing tubes being an SUV (you know who you are) whatever it is you choose to do, go enjoy the snow. It’s one of very few times you get to act like a child and its acceptable.

As for me, I am doing well. Basketball is going alright, we won our last game by 3, putting us at 5-5 and in 7th of 13 teams. Our league is very strange though, any team can beat anyone, much like the OUA West....except for that one year we went 13-1 and were unstoppable in the OUA West; but I digress. Team chemistry is a little bit of an issue, as guys have problems coming to practice regularly and injuries have hurt us a little as well. But all in all, the club is extremely satisfied as their goal this year was to stay in the league. And this is all but assured with our record thus far.

I have travelled to a few Christmas markets around town, in Dortmund and Koln (Cologne). They are pretty neat, with all kinds of vendors and street meat galore, Bratwurst, currywurst and all kinds of wurst. There is also this stuff called gluhwine, which is hot red wine...sounds kinda strange but in fact is very delicious. Well at least 4 mugs in it tasted delicious....

Christmas plans are unsettled as of yet. Tickets home during the holidays are expensive and since the club does not supply the ticket, it makes me think twice. I know, what kind of son would I be not to see my mother over Christmas. Buuuuuut my mom also taught me the importance of saving money, so its a double edged sword. Nonetheless, I will be doing something fun for the holidays, just unsure as to what at this point.

I remember how much I welcomed the Christmas break, more specifically my body welcomed it. I find that not to be a problem 4 months into my pro career. The strenuous 3 days of practice and one game a week just doesn’t have the same affect on your legs as the combination of BCs practices / Alumni’s floor does. That being said, I do get frustrated with things at times. Mentalities are different, most of which non-defensive, and coming from the exact opposite situation for 5 years is a hard and exasperating (i used the thesaurus) adjustment to make. But all in all things are still going really well and I am still enjoying the experience thoroughly.

And am also enjoying Dexter and can’t wait for the season finale next weekend. ALSO, refrain from facebooking/tweeting about results of the show because that is not cool. HBO isn’t offered in Germany, and I must watch it online, so don’t be a spoiler. Enjoy your snow and have a safe a happy holiday season.

glücklich schaufeln (google translate it hahaha )

Matt

Holidays Hoops Camp Dec. 20-23

The Mustangs Holiday Hoops Basketball Camps are for boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7-13. Campers will learn a variety of fundamental skills such as shooting, ball handling, passing, and defensive play. Campers will take part in daily; skill development station work, 3-on-3 games, full court games, shooting games, and basketball related development. Each camper will receive their own limited edition Western basketball and camp T-shirt.

When: Monday, December 20 - Thursday, December 23
Where: The University of Western Ontario - Western Student Recreation Centre
Times: 9am-4pm (drop-off from 8:30-9am & pick-up from 4-4:30pm)
Ages: 7-10 yrs & 11-13 yrs
Cost: $175 per child

• For more details view our Holiday Hoops Camp Information
• For registration information, see How to Register?

Mustangs 69 Queen's 56

Adam Jespersen Battles Queen's

Report by Andrew Simpson - Mustangs Athletics  


The Western Mustangs used a strong third quarter to pull away from the Queen's Gaels to win 69-56 in Kingston, Ont. on Saturday night. Andrew Wedemire led the Mustangs with 25 points and 11 rebounds and three steals. Quinn Henderson had 12 points, three rebounds and three steals. Western was even with the Gaels in the first half tied at 17 after one quarter. Queen's was up one at half 29-28 before the Mustangs pulled away outscoring Queen's 22-10 in the third quarter. With a 49-38 lead entering the fourth the Mustangs outscored the Gaels 19-15 to win 69-54. Western is now 5-3 and tied for fourth in the OUA West. The Mustangs will break for the holidays with their next regular season game at home on Jan. 5 against Windsor.

Game Day: @ Queen's 8pm

Mustangs 93 RMC 46

Adam Jespersen 27pts
Garrett Olexiuk 15pts 9rbs
Peter Scholtes 13pts 8rbs
Dillon Hamilton 12pts

Doug Hayes Tribute Video

Western Gazette Photos

Pete Scholtes vs. Ottawa U

Click the link below for Western's Student Paper - The Western Gazette- for a photo gallery from this past weekend's games.

http://www.westerngazette.ca/2010/11/23/mens-basketball-weekend-in-pictures/

Vote for the Mustangs now in the Adidas University Challenge

Click Below to vote for the Mustangs!!

http://www.adidasuniversitychallenge.ca/

Wedemire powers comeback thriller as Mustangs win 76-71 in OT

Report by Andrew Simpson - Mustangs Athletics

LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs came from 5 points down with just over one minute left to force overtime and hung on to beat the Ottawa Gee-Gees xx-xx on Saturday night at Alumni Hall.

A nice tribute to Doug Hayes, former coach, took place before the game. The game was reminiscent of the triple-overtime thriller that Hayes' team won an Ontario championship with. Donations were collected to support the Doug and Lauretta Hayes Scholarship Fund before the game.

Western is now 3-3 on the season. They will head on the road to Kingston next weekend to play RMC on Friday night and Queen's on Saturday night.

Andrew Wedemire was dominant in the second half scoring a game-high 23 points and adding 10 rebounds, none bigger than collecting an offensive board off his own foul-shot miss with 15 seconds left in overtime. Quinn Henderson added 18 points with five assists.

Each team started slow shooting poor from the field. The Mustangs held a slim 15-12 lead after one quarter after Brett Lawrence drove end-to-end and hit a running jumper at the buzzer.

The low-scoring affair continued in the second quarter as both teams were playing good defence forcing the other team to take tough shots. Ottawa was up 27-26 at the half.

Both teams turned up the tempo in the third quarter and came out hitting from the field. Andy Wedemire scored the last 8 points for the Mustangs as they took the lead 50-47 entering the final frame.

Ottawa and Western traded baskets throughout the frame with a Louis Gauthier dunk making it a five point Ottawa lead with 1:19 left at 61-56. Western would battle back, getting to the foul line to make it 61-60 Ottawa with 33 seconds left. After a foul shot with 5 seconds left made it 62-60 Ottawa, the Mustangs would score on the final buzzer as Wedemire tipped it in to force overtime.

The Mustangs took the lead in overtime playing tight defence and Ottawa could never hold on as each team traded foul shots in the final few minutes.

Game Day: Mustangs vs. Ottawa U. 7pm Alumni hall

Doug Hayes Tribute Game. Celebration begins at 7pm.

www.westernconnect.ca/hayes_award

Game Day: Mustangs vs. Carleton 8pm Alumni Hall

Can't make the game? Catch it live on SSN Canada

http://www.ssncanada.ca/game/2072/

Tough weekend ahead as No. 9 Mustangs host No. 1 Carleton and Ottawa

Report by Andrew Simpson - Mustangs Athletics

LONDON, Ont. - The No. 9 Western Mustangs have been up and down so far this season getting off to a 2-2 start. The Mustangs have beat Laurentian and Ryerson but dropped a heartbreaker to York and suffered a blowout to Toronto.

Andy Wedemire has been a consistent force down in the paint averaging 16.5 points and 9.5 rebounds through four games. As a whole though, Western has struggled from the field shooting 38% from the floor on the season.

The Mustangs will have to regroup this week as they face the number one ranked team in the nation, the 4-0 Carleton Ravens, on Friday night. Carleton has been dominant through four games averaging over 91 points per game while holding opponents under 70 per game. Western will have to shut down Tyson Hinz, who is averaging over 22 points per game.

On Saturday evening, the Mustangs will pay tribute to former coach Doug Hayes as they host Ottawa. Johnny Berhanemeskel leads the Gee-Gees scoring over 20 points per game. Ottawa has gotten off to a slow 1-3 start, losing to Brock, Laurier and Waterloo.

Western will tip-off against Carleton at 8 p.m. on Friday night and the tribute to Doug Hayes will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday night before the men play host to Ottawa. Both games will be at Alumni Hall. Student admission is free with proof of Student ID card. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

Hayes to be honoured at basketball fundraiser against Ottawa

Doug Hayes Leads Mustangs Huddle in '87 

Andrew Simpson- Mustangs Athletics 

LONDON, Ont. - When the Western Mustangs men and women's basketball teams host Ottawa on Nov. 20 the game will be about more than just basketball, it will be about honouring a man who helped build the basketball programs at Western.

That weekend the Mustangs and their fans will honour Doug Hayes with an appreciation night for all of the countless contributions, both tangible and intangible, he made to students, the program and the school during his time with Western. The official tribute will take place at 7 p.m.

Funds will be collected to be donated to the Doug and Lauretta Hayes Scholarship Fund at the game that evening or donations can be made online.

Hayes was a long time coach with the Mustangs, first as an assistant with the football team and then becoming head coach of the women's basketball team. He led them to three straight Ontario championships, the only three in their history.

Hayes then became coach of the men's basketball program for 17 years, ending his coaching career with back-to-back Wilson Cups as Ontario champions. He shifted his focus from coaching to devote his time for administration as the men's athletic co-ordinator and chairperson of intercollegiate athletics. 

The entire time he was coaching he was still teaching a full course load in Kinesiology and continued to volunteer in the classroom for over a decade after his retirement as Professor Emeritus.

Hayes cannot be quantified purely by the multiple championships and accomplishments during his time with Western. His contribution extends much deeper than that making lasting personal connections with his students, peers and athletes.

When I asked friends and colleagues of Doug about what qualities would best define him, the answers were uniform in that he had a zest for life and a love for helping others.

"The thing I remember most about Doug was his joy for living," friend and colleague Earl Noble reminisced. "This was evident in his humour, his long-held friendships and his love of family."

"In everything he did from coaching to teaching to friendship, Doug always went the extra mile."

Craig Boydell, former basketball coach at Western and friend of Doug's, reiterated these points.

"Doug brought his special humour, warmth, balanced perspective and sense of celebration to everything he touched," Boydell said. "He could command and direct, but he also listened and facilitated. He was driven to achieve in some very competitive arenas, but he was comfortable in his own skin and helped others around him be comfortable in theirs."

Director of Sports and Recreation Services for the Mustangs, Therese Quigley, had the unique honour of being both taught by Doug and then later as a colleague. She remembers Doug's outstanding qualities and how he may be gone but is most certainly not forgotten.

"We will miss Doug, he was a wonderful friend, colleague and mentor to so many of us," Quigley said. "But he taught us well and his legacy will live on through the lives of so many that he touched in his career."

Join us at Alumni hall on Nov. 20 as the Western Mustangs' family and fans celebrate Doug Hayes' life and career as the Mustangs host the Ottawa Gee-Gees in OUA basketball action. The women will tip-off at 5 p.m. with the tribute to Hayes taking place at 7 p.m. before the men's game gets underway.

Tickets can be purchased at www.westernmustangs.ca and student admission is free with their Student ID card.

Mustangs Holiday Hoops Camp

Click Here for On-Line Info

The Mustang Holiday Hoops Basketball Camps are for boys and girls of all skill levels between the ages of 7-13. Campers will learn a variety of fundamental skills such as shooting, ball handling, passing, and defensive play. Campers will take part in daily; skill development station work, 3-on-3 games, full court games, shooting games, and basketball related development. Each camper will receive their own limited edition Western basketball and camp T-shirt.

When: Monday, December 20 - Thursday, December 23
Where: The University of Western Ontario - Western Student Recreation Centre
Times: 9am-4pm (drop-off from 8:30-9am & pick-up from 4-4:30pm)
Ages: 7-10 yrs & 11-13 yrs
Cost: $175 per child

• For more details view our Holiday Hoops Camp Information
• For registration information, see How to Register?

The Matt Curtis Experience #3

Former Mustang great Matt Curtis gives us his 3rd update on his experience playing pro basketball in Germany

Hello Hello,

Today is a great day. Reason being, the sun is out. First time I have seen the sun in about a week. It has been rainy and overcast and windy. All that annoying fall weather wrapped into one. Apparently I should get used to it because it gets like this a lot over here. Didn’t think I’d ever say this, but Id rather it just snow.

I was able to catch the games this weekend on Mustangs TV. Good win Friday and…yea Saturday was a rough one. But those bumps in the road happen, just got to stay focused and keep getting better.

I think we have only played on game since I last wrote, although Im probably wrong. We lost our last league game in Dorsten by about 10. We had 8 guys. We had a couple guys sick and a few in school unable to miss tests or something. But one of our other main guys went down with a hamstring injury in the first couple minutes and we were fighting uphill the rest of the game. We don’t have a regular season game until the 27th, but we have our second cup game on the 20th. Apparently what they do is throw every team in a hat and pick out the match ups at random. So by the luck of the draw, we drew a lower league team. So hopefully we will move on in the cup process.

Had an off weekend this past weekend and was able to do a little sight seeing. Went to Hannover, which was just under 2 hours away. Saw some cool old buildings, tight tiny cobble stone streets and Döner Kebabs….all things pretty much standard on any euro sight seeing trips. Also was able to check out a ProA (2.Bundesliga) game featuring a fellow canuck, Stu Turnbull. I know I know…it was hard for me too so stop cursing at me. It’s been 2 years now so I figured I’d say hello. I admit it was definitely strange talking to someone who was your nemesis for 5 years, but now we are in the same boat ( although his is a yacht and mine is a canoe) so figured I would get his input and advice.

All in all, besides ‘the ridiculous athletes’ (in a BC voice) I was not all that impressed with the level of play. Not a whole lot of team defence being played and a lot of isolated 1 on 1 situations. That is something that I have seen a lot, guys wanting to move up and thinking going 1 on 5 is the best way to do it. Needless to say, Stu’s team put up 91 pts and lost by 10…Go figure

Anyways, I better get going, missed a lovely evening of HBO programming to catch up on, I hope it was lovely and if it wasn’t don’t say a word. Hope everyone is doing well and good luck to the Stangs on the upcoming weekend.

Cheers

Matt

U of T 92 Mustangs 64

Game Day: U of T 8pm Alumni Hall

Catch the game live on SSN Canada at http://www.ssncanada.ca/game/2014/ at 8pm

Also on Rogers TV Cable 13 in London 8pm

Strong second half on both ends of the court give Mustangs easy 88-57 win

Game Report By Andrew Simpson Mustangs Athletics

LONDON, Ont. - The Western would use a stellar second half to rout the Ryerson Rams 88-57 in their home opener Friday night at Alumni Hall.

Holding a slim three-point lead at half the Mustangs would outscore the Rams 56-28 in the second half. Western played excellent defence throughout the game forcing Ryerson to go 3-of-29 from three-point range on the game.

With the win the Mustangs improved to 2-1 on the season with a game against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday night at 8 p.m.

Ryan Barbeau would lead the Mustangs with 19 points and five assists in only 17 minutes of action. Andrew Wedemire, Adam Jespersen, and Garrett Olexiuk would clean up the paint with 16, 13 and 10 points respectively. In total, ten Mustangs would get on board scoring two or more points. 

Ryerson would come out with scrappy defence forcing the Mustangs to make mistakes on offence and pushing the tempo with fast breaks. Both teams would struggle shooting and the Mustangs would hold a slim 15-14 lead after the first quarter.

Ryerson and Western would trade baskets throughout the second quarter with no team able to put together a run. At half the Mustangs would be shooting a low 32% to the Rams 40% and would hold a small 32-29 lead.

The Mustangs would open up their lead in the third quarter breaking the Rams zone by hitting a number of three-point shots. The Rams would show full-court press to cut the lead back down 7 but a run to end the quarter would have the Mustangs up 62-45 after three.

The fourth quarter would turn interesting with two bench players on Ryerson called for technicals and then Ryerson's coach getting a techinical and ejected. The Mustangs would ignore the distractions and just keep playing tight defence and hitting their shots to increase the lead. Western would have their biggest lead of the game at the end as they finished the game out 88-57.

Tonight's Game Live Blog

Click Link

http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php?option=com_altcaster&task=siteviewaltcast&altcast_code=01db4dde8b&height=550&width=470" target=

Mustangs vs. Ryerson Fri. Nov. 12 8pm

OUA Season Preview

A little late but just found this OUA season preview done by the OUA. Mustangs on pages 68-71.

Click Here for on-line preview

Wedemire, Barbeau look to get Mustangs on track in home opening weekend

Andrew Simpson- Mustangs Athletics

On line Click Here

LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs will look to get back on track after a rocky road weekend to start the season. Western defeated Laurentian 76-60 in Sudbury, Ont. before suffering a heart-breaking loss at York 72-70.


The Mustangs currently are ranked sixth in the nation after the 1-1 weekend as they get to host Ryerson and Toronto in familiar territory at Alumni Hall this weekend.
Ryerson also sports a 1-1 record after beating McMaster at home before getting blown out by Lakehead. They will play Western at 8 p.m. on Friday night following the women's game.
Toronto started the season 2-0 winning against Lakehead by 15 and getting a three-point win over McMaster.
Andy Wedemire has lead the Mustangs so far averaging 19 points a game with point guard Ryan Barbeau running the offence and netting 17 points per game so far.
The Mustangs will host the Ryerson Rams at 8 p.m. on Friday night and the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday night, also at 8 p.m. Both games will be at Alumni Hall and admission is free for students with their student ID card.

Mustangs Move to #7 In This Week's CIS Top Ten Poll

Click Here for CIS Top Ten Press Release

York 72 Mustangs 70

Andy Watson - Mustangs Athletics

York Lions point guard David Tyndale drained the game-winning jumper with 1.7 seconds left to defeat the nationally No. 6 ranked Western Mustangs 72-70 at the Tait McKenzie Centre.

In what was an incredibly intense affair from start to finish, Tyndale’s game winning heroics provided a fitting finish.

Following a foul on Western with four seconds left on the clock, York’s final play was perfectly executed with Tyndale catching the inbounds pass and bringing the ball across the key before launching the jumper over the outstretched arm of the defender.

There was plenty of physical play going on between both teams as Tyndale and Western point guard Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) fought each other endlessly during each possession. At the end of the night, Tyndale finished with a solid 14 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Barbeau tallied 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.

"We played without intensity and had too many defensive lapses throughout the game," said Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell. "York made some clutch shots down the stretch to seal the win."

Forward Adam Jespersen missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer and was held to eight points on 3-for-13 shooting.

The score remained close throughout with the Mustangs proving their standing as a nationally ranked squad as their defence clamped down on the Lions offence for multiple stretches.

The Mustangs (1-1) found most of their baskets off of easy opportunities during fast breaks. Fifth-year veteran Andy Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) was the recipient of a lot of these chances as he rolled to 20 points on an efficient 9-of-17 from the field.

Western held the lead at the half by a score of 40-33.

Led by the steady hand of Tyndale, the Lions stole the momentum in the second half, piling up offensive rebounds and easy scores which led to both teams being knotted up at 48 points heading into the fourth.

The back and forth play continued into the fourth. Every time the Lions drained a shot, the Mustangs would strike back. This continued right up to the closing seconds, when Tyndale scored the final basket of the game after a Marcus Barnett foul.

Game Day: @ York 8pm - Live on SSN

Click Here to watch the game live on SSN

details to follow....

Western 76 Laurentian 60

Andy Watson - Mustangs Athletics 


A 20-point lead at the half was too much for the Laurentian Voyageurs to overcome, as No. 6 Western won its first game of the regular season, 76-60, at Ben Avery Gymnasium in Sudbury, Ont., on Friday night.

Andy Wedemire had an 18-point, 13-rebound performance to lead the Mustangs. Ryan Barbeau had a game-high 19 points along with four assists and a steal, while rookie Peter Scholtes added 16 points in his OUA debut.

Building a 44-24 halftime lead, Laurentian made a game of it in the second half as the Mustangs ran into foul trouble.

The Voyageurs cut the lead to 62-50 after the third quarter.

And on the first possession off the fourth quarter, they reduced the margin to 10 points after a controversial possession call went in Laurientian's favour.

But Wedemire took over, restoring Western's commanding lead, scoring basket after basket to stretch the lead to 69-52 and put a nail in the Voyageurs' coffin.

Western held the host Voyageurs scoreless for the next five and a half minutes and held on to win by 16 points.

The Mustangs led 74-52 before they got into foul trouble and allowed Laurentian to go on a brief run to close out the game.

Western plays at York (0-1) on Saturday night at 8 p.m. Watch live at www.ssncanada.ca.

Game Day: @ Laurentian 8pm

Can't make it to Sudbury? Watch live on SSN Canada
Click here for live feed.

Article In Today's London Free Press

Click Here for Article

Mustang men add strength, depth

Basketball

By MORRIS DALLA COSTA THE LONDON FREE PRESS

Last Updated: November 4, 2010 8:24pm

Last year was a difficult one for Brad Campbell and his Western Mustangs’ men’s basketball team. While he had a core of good players, no matter what he did, he simply didn’t have enough — not enough depth, flexibility or size. Judging by the 6-0 exhibition record and a No. 6 national preseason ranking that might have changed this year.

“We’re much improved from last year,” Campbell said. “Our returning players are a year older. We had an outstanding recruiting class from last year that gives us depth. This year compared to last year, we’re much more physical.”

The biggest problem to begin the season is a slew of injuries that has kept as many as seven Mustangs off the court at the same time. “We’re getting healthy. At the start of October, we had a three-day period where five guys went down with mostly ankles,” Campbell said. We were down to six guys who could practise for two weeks. For two weeks, we did nothing but those six guys working on fundamentals and shooting and non-live contact stuff. We are two weeks behind where we want to be but at least we have guys starting to play.”

Last year, the Mustangs rode Andrew Wedemire, Garrett Olexiuk, Marcus Barnett and Ryan Barbeau for a lot of minutes. All four will be back but there are strong additions Campbell will likely start six-foot-six Wedemire, six-foot-eight Adam Jespersen, six-foot-five Peter Scholtes, along with Barnett and Barbeau at the guard position. First forward off the bench will be six-foot-seven Olexiuk. The addition of guard Quinn Henderson and Beal’s Nathan DiLoreto gives the Mustangs an added dimension of strength.

Olexiuk had surgery last April when he tore up a knee playing a pickup game. He is now ready to play regularly. Sholtes and Jespersen are Londoners.

Jespersen played at Beal and came by way of University of Hawaii. He’s a big man who can score and handle the ball. He practised with the Mustangs last year as he sat out his transfer year.

“He’s a big, power forward in the post and gives us a great physical presence,” Campbell said. “He can play on the perimeter. He’s very versatile.

With him and Wedemire playing high/low, they will be very difficult to play.”

For Jespersen’s part, he’s happy to be able to call Western home for the next four years.

“I was pretty excited after high school to go to Hawaii but the situation wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Jespersen said. “I finally came back to London and back to Western. I know I can be here for the next four years and not have to worry about it.

“At Hawaii, I was so homesick and the overall experience wasn’t what I thought. The traveling . . . I would miss three weeks for classes at a time. It wasn’t quite for me.”

Men’s basketball

Season openers: at Laurentian, Friday 8 p.m.; at York, Saturday 8 p.m.

Home opener: vs. Ryerson, Nov. 12 8 p.m.

Key returnees: Ryan Barbeau, Andrew Wedemire, Garrett Olexiuk

Key additions: Adam Jespersen, Peter Scholtes, Quinn Henderson

Big Man On Campus Blog With 2010-11 OUA Predictions

Click Here for Greg Layson's Blog (Big Man On Campus) and his 2010-11 OUA All-Stars and winner predictions

Western Gazette Article On Mustangs

Click Here for Article

Mustang men ready for rebound season

November 3, 2010
By Kaitlyn McGrath

Nineteen points.That was what it took to bring an abrupt end to the Mustangs men’s basketball season last year.

“That was a low point of probably most of our careers here,” fourth-year point guard Ryan Barbeau recalled. “We definitely thought we were going to do a lot better than lose in the first round of the playoffs.”

It wasn’t the end they had imagined. An upset loss to Laurier at home, the end to their drive for another showing at the national level – it’s no wonder they hope to rebound this season.

“I think that this year we have a lot more depth,” Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell said. “We have more guys we can throw in and play and therefore I don’t think we’ll get worn down as much as the season rolls on.”

That increased depth has helped in the preseason, where the Mustangs have managed to maintain an undefeated record despite suffering from several injuries, according to Campbell.

“For about a two week period we were down to about six or seven players that could actually practice,” he said. “[When] we got healthy enough and we got some guys back that were going to make a difference and basically were in a situation where we started to play games.”

The Mustangs welcome back several veterans, including Barbeau, Andy Wedemire and Garrett Olexiuk, who will make his much–anticipated return this Friday after resting for the entire preseason. For a team that is also welcoming several rookies, having experienced players to lean on will be the key to their success.

“Those are three leaders, they are the most veteran guys we have on our team and they’re proven players in our league,” Campbell said. “Those are the three guys that are the voice in the locker room, on the court and the guys that the rest of our team have to follow.”

And as the team’s starting point guard, Barbeau is up to the challenge.

“We just need to show the younger guys what we do and how to play within our system,” he said about his role as a team leader. “Just lead by example in terms of playing hard at games and practice.”

But it shouldn’t take too long for the rookies to adapt to the Mustangs game, as they are one of the best recruiting classes Western has seen in recent years. Joining the squad are guards Nathan DiLoreto, Andrew Vincent and Quinn Henderson and forward Peter Scholtes.

And if the preseason is any indication, it appears the rookies are adjusting just fine, especially Scholtes and Henderson who have already managed to make significant contributions to the team, according to Campbell.

“Both are very versatile, can shoot the ball and are intelligent players,” he said about his new players. “They are playing major minutes right now and we need both of them to contribute.”

Also making his Mustangs debut is transfer student Adam Jespersen, who brings both his size and skill to improve the Mustangs inside game.

“We have the inside game, we’ve got enough veteran leadership and we have a good enough bench to be able to compete with the best teams in the country,” Campbell said.

And the players feel the exact same way, striving for nothing less than winning this season.

“I just want to get back to the nationals championships,” Barbeau said.

The number six nationally ranked Mustangs begin their 2010-11 season with the toughest road trip of the year, playing Laurentian on Friday night, then travelling to Toronto to take on the York Lions. The Mustangs will make their home court debut on Nov. 12.

Mustangs 2010-11 Preview From www.westernmustangs.ca



Adam Jespersen vs. UQAM

 Story by Andrew Simpson - Mustangs Athletics

LONDON, Ont. - The No. 6 Western Mustangs capped a perfect pre-season beating UQAM 83-74 on Sunday afternoon. The Mustangs went 6-0 during their exhibition schedule beating Memorial, Algoma, Queen's, Mcgill and UPEI.

Western perservered through their exhibition schedules despite suffering a number of minor injuries. Head coach Brad Campbell acknowledged that the injuries set the Mustangs back.

"We're pleased with the record, but we feel we are a little behind where we want to be," Campbell said. "We had several injuries that limited what we could do in our practices."

Despite the minor setbacks, the new additions to the Mustangs' squad are meshing well together. Adam Jespersen, a London, Ont. native, has transferred from Hawaii and combined with forward Andy Wedemire has created a powerful front-court tandem. Campbell said he is pleased with Jespersen's integration into the Mustangs, stating that he "provides a very physical presence and plays with an edge."

Jespersen was not the only new face on the Mustangs this season. The recruiting class was one of the best in the province with Peter Scholtes (London, Ont.), Nathan DiLoreto (London, Ont.), Andrew Vincent (Timmins, Ont.) and Quinn Henderson (Dundas, Ont.)

Scholtes has cracked the starting lineup in the exhibition games and Henderson has been excellent contributing off the bench during the pre-season.

"Our recruiting class was very good," Campbell said. "Scholtes and Quinn have had great games, we are going to need them to contribute for us this season."

With Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) running the show at the point, Marcus Barnett (Hampton, Virginia) at the two guard, the starting five of Jespersen, Wedemire, Scholtes, Barnett and Barbeau will be formidable for any opponent this season. Added to the mix will be Garrett Olexiuk, of Burlington, Ont., who has rested this pre-season to be ready for the regular season.

Campbell said he believes in his squad's talent and how they will match up in the OUA this season.

"The OUA conference as a whole is the best top to bottom, it's gonna be a war," Campbell said. "We've got the make up and the pieces to be one of the top teams in the conference and even the nation."

"We think we have a great shot at winning the OUA West".

The Mustangs will take their confident squad on the road to start the season heading to Sudbury, Ont. to face Laurentian on Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.. They will then face the York Lions on the road on Nov. 6. at 8 p.m.

Western will get to return to the cozy confines of Alumni Hall the following weekend as they face Ryerson in their home opener on Nov. 12 and Toronto on Nov. 13. Both games will follow the women's basketball games and tip-off at 8 p.m.

 
Click Here for article at http://www.westernmustangs.ca/

Mustangs Begin at #6 In Official CIS Top Ten

Click Here To See Top Ten

Mustangs Move to #4 in Cishoops.ca Top Ten

The Western Mustangs move up this week in CIS Basketball Blog cishoops.ca's National Basketball Rankings.

Click Here for Top Ten

Western 83 UQAM 74

In a physical affair which had many fouls the Mustangs got tremendous performances from:
Ryan Barbeau 16pts 4 rbs 7 assts 4 stls
Adam Jespersen 16 pts 17 rbs. 4 assts 2 stls
Andy Wedemire 21pts 5 rbs
Peter Scholtes 11 pts
Marcus Barnett 14 pts 5 rbs

"We didn't play well but did enough to get the win. We will need to be better this week as league play begins. " Said Coach Campbell. 


Game report from Andrew Simpson - Mustangs Athletics 


LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs finished their exhibition schedule with a 83-74 win against the UQAM Citadins Sunday afternoon in Alumni Hall.

UQAM stayed close for three quarters with the Mustangs but the inside presence of Adam Jespersen (16 pts, 17 reb) and Andy Wedemire (21 pts, 5 reb) was too much for the Citadins to handle. In total Western had a balanced attack with all five starters in double digits with Marcus Barnett adding 14, Ryan Barbeau 16 and Pete Scholtes having 11 points.

Western finished the preseason with a perfect 5-0 record. The Mustangs will start their regular season on the road on Nov. 5 travelling to Sudbury to face Laurentian. They will then play at York on Nov. 6 before making their home debut against Ryerson on Nov. 12. That game will be at Alumni Hall at 8 p.m.

UQAM started the game in a full-court press and used their quick, aggressive play to hang tough with the Mustangs. Western was able to break the press and led by a slim margin 22-18 after the first quarter.

The battle continued in the second quarter with both teams trading baskets throughout. After a Barbeau steal and layup and a jumper to end the half the Mustangs would have the slight advantage 41-37 at half.

The Mustangs came out stronger in the second half and a thunderous Wedemire two handed slam would extend the lead to seven at 56-49. The lead would stay at seven at the end of three quarters as Western led 63-56.

With the Citadins in foul trouble they could not mount a comeback as Western had their largest lead of the game 77-64 with four minutes remaining. Western would hold on for the victory trading foul shots to end the game 83-74.

Game Day: UQAM 2pm Alumni Hall

Game details to follow......

Mustangs vs. UQAM Sunday Oct. 31st 2pm

Marcus Barnett

By Andrew Simpson - Mustangs Athletics

LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs will get their last exhibition tune-up this weekend against the UQAM Citadins. The Mustangs will host UQAM at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Alumni Hall.
The Mustangs are coming off a successful trip to Montreal for the McGill Redmen Classic tournament. Western went 3-0 there winning games against Queen's, McGill and UPEI. The Mustangs easily handled the Queen's Gaels 102-75 with Andy Wedemire netting 25 points and Quinn Henderson adding 24. Host McGill proved to be a greater challenge with the Mustangs edging the Redmen 72-67. Western then disposed of UPEI 87-69 in their final game of the tournament.
Prior to this tournament the Mustangs were 2-0 against other CIS and college opponents having defeated Memorial 82-59 and Algoma 85-55. With those wins Western is a perfect 5-0 in the pre-season, their only blemish being a non-conference defeat in August against the powerhouse Kentucky Wildcats.
The Mustangs will be on the road to start the regular season heading to Laurentian on Nov. 5 and then to York on Nov. 6. They will then begin a four game homestand playing Ryerson at on Nov. 12 and Toronto on Nov. 13. Both games will tip-off at 8 p.m. in Alumni Hall.

Doug Hayes Memorial Game Sat. Nov. 20 7pm

Click To Donate to the Doug & Lauretta Men's Basketball Award 

On September 25th the University and the community lost a beloved coach, professor and friend, Doug Hayes, who began his career at Western in 1969.

A special tribute celebrating his many contributions and achievements as a Mustangs coach, teacher, mentor and administrator will be held during a basketball conference doubleheader against Ottawa on the evening of November 20.

The women's game will start at 5:00 pm after which there will be a tribute celebrating Doug's many accomplishments including a video presentation of his career. The men's game will follow along with some special events at half-time.

In addition to celebrating Doug through this event we will also be attempting to honour him permanently by fundraising for the Doug and Lauretta Hayes Mustangs Men's Basketball Award. Doug felt strongly about this award as it recognizes excellence in the classroom and on the court.

Our goal is to raise enough money so that this award can honour Doug and his family in perpetuity. For those of you who wish to make a contribution to this fund online please