Western 78, Laurier 70

The Mustangs got a win over the Laurier Golden Hawks this afternoon with a 78-70 final score. " I thought a few of our guys really stepped up today. It was a good overall team effort. Hopefully we can really build on today's win" commented Coach Campbell. Andy Wedemire led the team with 24 points.

Game at a Glance:

Andy Wedemire 24pts

Garrett Olexiuk 15 pts

Ryan Barbeau 15 pts

Jason Milliquet 11 pts

Mustangs vs. Laurier Live on Webcast 3pm Saturday

Catch the Mustangs vs. Laurier live on Webcast at 3pm Saturday Jan. 30. To watch Click Here

Brad Smith Blog: Part 4

Hello again!

Back in England for part two of the season with the Crusaders, and it was bitter-sweet coming back. Good to be back and see my house mates, and team mates, but also tough to leave behind family and friends. I had such a great time at home, and it was also fun to see the old team. Found it a little weird watching the ‘stangs for the first time from the sidelines. Coach Tweedie assures me that I will get used to it, and I guess I will have to believe him for once. Have played two games since being back, won one and lost one. The first game we looked the best we have all season, having lots of different new sets to go to, we handled a decent middle-of-the pack Northumbria team quite nicely. Our second game this past weekend did not go as well. Playing the league favourites Durham at their gym (which is a 5 hour drive away) proved to be a difficult task. They play the most physical of all the teams we have faced this season, and we kept it close up to the fourth, but ran out of gas only having seven players with us. Things are looking up though with the team, we seem to be improving every week, and hopefully we can get a decent spot in the playoffs.
As sad as it is, I am missing television at home. It is prime time sports season with the NFL coming to a close, the NBA and college ball being in full swing, and I can’t even watch it. All the sports they play here is soccer, and maybe the occasional darts or snooker. I am getting used to soccer, but there is only so much I can handle, I need some variety! It is especially going to be tough not being able to watch the Olympics, hopefully the men’s hockey team can somehow win gold again. That is all for now, should get another update out again soon, but until then best of luck to the mustangs as always,
cheerio,

Brad Smith.

Mustangs down Waterloo 88-81

Story from Adele Gatto - Mustangs Athletics

Picture - Ryan Barbeau

Click Here

LONDON, Ont.- The Mustangs bounce back after a three game losing streak with a 88-81 victory over the Waterloo Warriors at Alumni Hall on Jan. 27. The first half of the game was a tight battle between the two teams as each team applied strong defensive pressure and offensive play. Warriors’ defence was not enough to hold back the Mustangs who outscored the Warriors in the first half 51-47. Mustangs had key offensive contributions in the first half from Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) with 14 points and Andrew Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) netting 11. Both went 3-4 at the foul line during the first half. The Mustangs extended their lead in the third quarter to 71-63 as they pushed through the Warriors aggressive zone defence. Despite the Warriors outscoring the Mustangs 18-17 in the fourth quarter, the Mustangs defence, led by Garrett Olexiuk's (Burlington, Ont.) six rebounds, held down the Warriors offensive play and claimed the Mustang victory. Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.), who led the way for the Mustangs with 22 points and five assists in 35 minutes of play, said ultimately the full team defensive pressure helped put a stop to the Warriors. “In the second half, we forced them to take tough shots, which was key to our success” said Barbeau. With this win the Mustangs improve to 8-7 and will travel to Wilfred Laurier on Jan.30 to take on the sixth place Golden Hawks at 3 p.m.

Western 88, Waterloo 81

Tonight the Mustangs took on the Waterloo Warriors and came out on top with a 88-81 result."I thought our bench gave us big life today. Our guys wanted it and we earned it." Coach Brad Campbell. Ryan Barbeau led the team with 22 points and 6 steals.

Game at a Glance:
Ryan Barbeau 22 pts
Andy Wedemire 18 pts
Jason Milliquet 16 pts
Garrett Olexiuk 12 pts
Marcus Barnett 10pts

Mustangs vs. Waterloo on Rogers TV

Catch the Mustangs on tape delay Wed night at 10pm on local London cable 13 as they take on the Waterloo Warriors.

Mustangs vs. Waterloo Pre-View

Pre- View for Mustangs vs. Waterloo Wed. Jan. 27 8pm Alumni Hall 
by Trent Williams - Mustangs Athletics 

Click Here 

ONDON Ont. - The Western Mustangs men's Basketball team (7-7) is looking to right the ship after dropping their last three games. They'll get that opportunity against the Waterloo Warriors (8-6) on Jan. 27 at Alumni Hall, with tip off going at 8 p.m.

The playoffs are just down the road and the team currently sits in 5th place in the OUA West division with a 7-7 record. However, with 14 points, the team is simply one win away from jumping up into 3rd place in the tight standings. The top six teams will make it into the playoffs from both the West and East division, with the top two teams getting a bye in the first round.

The Mustangs struggled in their last game, falling 93-64 to McMaster without the support of Garrett Olexiuk (Burlington, Ont.) who sat out with a bruised knee. While preparing for the Warriors it's unsure if Olexiuk will be in the line-up.

"Garrett will be a game time decision for Wednesday." said Western Mustangs men's basketball head coach Brad Campbell.

Despite not getting desired results in the previous games, there has been some positives that Campbell has seen with his team, as well as some areas that he knows the team needs to improve upon.

"We continue to scrap and fight when things aren’t going well. We will need that more and more as we get closer to the playoffs," said Campbell. "We need to continue to work at the little things and improve on our play in the 2nd half half and 4th quarter especially"

Up against the Warriors, Campbell is looking for his team to have a much improved effort. As playoffs creep up on the Mustangs each and every game has more meaning, and it will be treaded as such.

"Waterloo is a disciplined and mature team. They have lots of senior players and will execute and play with experience. Every game from here on in has playoff implications, each will also have a playoff like atmosphere," said the fourth year coach Campbell.

After playing host to the Warriors, the Mustangs will travel to Wilfrid Laurier to take on the Golden Hawks (6-8) on Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. at the Laurier AthleticComplex. The team won't play another home game until Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. when they host the Guelph Gryphons (5-9) at Alumni Hall.

Saturday Feb. 6th - Jam the Gym

Join the Mustangs on Saturday Feb. 6th as they take on the Guelph Griffons at 3pm at Alumni Hall on Jam The Gym Day 

 

Get your FREE tickets to Feb 6, Men’s Basketball  TICKETS CLICK HERE   Promotional code:  WESTERN (all uppercase)

Please keep instructions handy to refer to when ordering

Here's how to order:

To access free tickets, to register online at: 
http://westernmustangstickets.universitytickets.com/user_pages/event.asp?id=377&cid=64

- Register as a new user (unless you have already registered)
- Select Men’s Basket Ball game VS. Guelph only 
- Enter number of adult and youth tickets required (including those 5 and under)
- Click Checkout
- When prompted enter the promotional code WESTERN  and click APPLY

- Ticket Price total will now read 0.00 and hit CHECKOUT to complete order
- You will receive an email confirmation of your order but please save the PDF of your ticket as well as printing a copy
- For questions, email mustangs@uwo.ca 

NOTE: Please do not hit BACK arrow on your browser at any time or your order will be incomplete

McMaster 93, Western 64

Our Mustangs were defeated 93-64 in yesterdays game against McMaster University. "Without Garrett today we just didnt have the interior presence we need to compete. In the 4th quarter we just ran out of gas and players." Coach Brad Campbell.

Game at a Glance:

Ryan Barbeau 24 pts!

David Harder 13 pts, 5 rbs

Andy Wedemire 10 pts

Up Next:

Western vs. Waterloo. January 27, 8pm

Mustangs vs. McMaster live on Air Saturday 3pm

Catch the Mustangs live on Radio Saturday vs the McMaster Marauders at 3pm on :

Radio Western CHRW Click Here

Or McMaster radio CFMU Click Here

Player Profile

Ryan Barbeau

Position-Point Guard
Program- Childhood and Social Institutions
Year In Program- 1
Year on Team-3
Personal Goal For the Season-Be an Oua West All-star
Team Goal For the Season- Make it back to nationals
High School and Coach- Nicholson/Jim Barbeau
Club Team- Belleville Spirits
Proudest Basketball Moment- Winning 3 Consecutive OFSAA championships
Big Role Models- Mom and Dad
Career Ambition- Help the less fortunate in any way possible and work with kids
Family Members- Jim, Elaine, Connor and Sean and dog Darby
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Helping out kids who are less fortunate in other countries.

Favourites
NBA Team/Player- NBA is brutal
Sport other than basketball- Golf
Meal- Mama's spaghetti and meatballs
Subject in school: TBA
Lucky Number-10
Movie-Legend of Bagger Vance
Musical Group/Artist- Lil Wayne/Drake

Today's London Free Press Article on Last Night's Game

By Morris Dallacosta - London Free Press

Click Here

For the second time this season, the Western men's basketball team pushed the No. 8-ranked Windsor Lancers. For the second time, the Mustangs didn't have enough push to get it done.

The Lancers beat the Mustangs 80-73 Wednesday night at Alumni Hall. It was Western's second loss in succession.

The Mustangs crawled back from as many as 11 points down to cut the lead to one late in the game. But Londoner Enrico Di Loreto hit two free throws and a three-pointer to open the lead back up and the Mustangs never threatened after that.

Mustangs coach Brad Campbell wasn't pleased with the way his club played.

"We just have to get better at the small details," Campbell said. "The box-out here, the better screen on offence there. What we aren't doing is the details on every possession. Not just the possessions at the end of the game, but the second possession of the game. That's as important as the last possession.

"What wins games are the little details. We just don't put enough possessions together with the details to beat Windsor in the last two games and Brock last Saturday."

These Mustangs ride a trio of players hard -- Garrett Olexiuk, Ryan Barbeau and Andrew Wedemire. When those guys aren't playing well, the Mustangs are in trouble, and when a team like Windsor shows up with all its depth, especially big men inside, the matchup problems begin.

"Windsor's strength is they have a lot of athleticism and a lot of talent and a lot of depth. They keep running it at you," Campbell said. "They can rotate guys in and still be athletic. With our lack of depth sometimes, it's tough for us to handle some of those situation."

Di Loreto led the Lancers with 20 points. Nigel Johnson-Tyghter had 19 and Isaac Kuon added 13.

Barbeau had 19 for the Mustangs with Olexiuk hitting for 17 and Wedemire 11.

Di Loreto was supposed to head to Central Connecticut University on a scholarship, but the Beal grad said the situation wasn't what he was promised it would be. He opted for Windsor.

"They've been recruiting me since Grade 9," he said. "I really like the atmosphere they have there and I like their style of play."

Di Loreto obviously enjoyed his return to London.

"It was fun playing here in front of all my family and friends," he said with a big smile.

As for the Mustangs, they've fallen to fourth in the OUA West.

"We've got a lot of young guys a lot of new guys and I wouldn't say our style of play is easy to pick up right away," Campbell said. "We have to start seeing some improvements with what we are doing and hopefully we can pull it together."

The Mustangs play at McMaster this weekend. Ex-Mustang Keenan Jeppesen is playing for the Marauders, who are two points behind Western in the standings.

Lancers edge Mustangs 80-73

From Andy Watson Mustangs Athletics 

Click here 

LONDON, Ont. - Londoner and Windsor Lancers freshman guard Enrico Diloreto nailed a clutch three-pointer with 36 seconds left, and hit a pair of key free-throws with a minute remaining as Windsor defeated the Western Mustangs men's basketball team 80-73 at Alumni Hall on Jan. 20.

The Lancers led from start to finish and by as much as 11 points.

Diloreto (London, Ont.) led Windsor with 20 points to lift the Lancers to a 10-3 record to solidify their spot in second place in the OUA West. Western falls to fourth place in the OUA West with a 7-6 record.

Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) had a double-double with 19 points an 10 assists, but he also had nine turnovers. Garrett Olexiuk (Burlington, Ont.) added 17 points and nine rebounds.

Barbeau was solid in transition for the Mustangs, creating havoc for the Windsor defence.Andrew Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) added 11 points and seven rebounds, along with an admirable ability to pick up fouls in the first half on seemingly every possession.

The Lancers led 40-37 at the half, but Western was on their heels throughout the game, falling behind and then putting a run together to keep it close.

The teams combined for 42 turnovers - 21 a piece.

Windsor, nationally ranked No. 8 in Canada, led by as much as 10 in the third quarter, but Western clawed back within five points, as the Lancers led 59-54 after the third quarter.

Western came within two points of the lead with just over four minutes left on the clock, with several strong defensive stands.

A fastbreak basket from Olexiuk pulled Western within two points again with 2:34 left and the Lancers leading 73-71.

But the Mustangs only scored two points in the final two and a half minutes, despite getting opportunities.

Next Western travels to play at McMaster at Burridge Gymnasium on Saturday Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. 

The Marauders were 80-72 winners over Wilfrid Laurier on Jan. 20, while Waterloo defeated Brock 86-67 in Wednesday's other OUA men's basketball game.

The next Mustangs home game is on Wednesday Jan. 27 when the Waterloo Warriors visit Alumni Hall at 6 p.m.

OUA WEST STANDINGS
West 
1. Lakehead 10-2
2. Windsor 10-3
3. Waterloo 8-5 
4. Western 7-6 
5. McMaster 6-6
6. Brock 5-8
7. Laurier 5-7
8. Guelph 4-8

Mustangs vs. Lancers Tonight on CHRW 94.9FM

If you can't attend the game live at Alumni Hall tune in on CHRW 94.9 FM at 8pm as the Mustangs take on the Windsor Lancers. 

CHRW Website Click Here 

Mustangs Get Ready for Lancers On Wednesday Night

By Trent Williams - Mustangs Athletics 

Click Here 

LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs (7-5 T-3rd OUA West) men's basketball team are looking to get back in the win column this Wednesday Jan. 20 as they host the Windsor Lancers (9-3, 2nd OUA west) at 8 p.m. at Alumni Hall.

The team is coming off a disappointing loss at the hands of the Brock Badgers, where a late colapse ultimately led to their demise in the 85-80 loss last Saturday.

Heading into this next game against the Lancers though, the team is fresh and ready to right the wrongs.

"As a group when things are not going well, we need to keep focused and execute," said Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell.

The team already is out for revenge, as they dropped a tight game 77-72 earlier this year against the nationally ranked Lancers back on Jan. 6th.

The Mustangs will likely look to the usual sources for the majority of their scoring. Andrew Wedemire(Sarnia, Ont.) has been on fire as of late, and is averaging 19.92 points per game this season, good enough for fourth best in the league. Meanwhile, Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) is having a great season as well, his 15 point-per-game average is good enough for 15th in league soring.

According to Campbell, the team will be prepared to be on their heels, as the Lancers like to push the pace of the game.

"Windsor is very athletic and likes to play an up tempo style, while playing lots of their players," said the fourth year coach. "Our ability to score against their pressure will be key."

After the battle with the Lancers, the Mustangs will travel to take on the McMaster Marauders (6-6) who are hot on the tails of the Mustangs in the West division. Tip off for that game goes Saturday Jan. 23rd at 3 p.m. at McMaster's Burridge gym.

London High School Standout Commits to the Mustangs

Peter Scholtes of Oakridge High School in London has committed to the Mustangs for September 2010. Scholtes a versatile 6'5 forward has size, skill and athleticism to contribute right away at the CIS level. "Our program is very excited about Pete's decision. He is an outstanding player, person and student who will be a key player for our program for years to come" said Coach Campbell. Scholtes is known for his ability to play both inside and out and is a tough defender who likes to rebound. "Peter has an outstanding all-around game for his size" Coach Campbell added.

Scholtes has led Oakridge, where he is coached by Mustang's assistant coach John Curcio, to two straight SWOSSA AAA Championships and thus two straight OFSAA AAA Tournaments. This season Peter will be looking to led his squad to a third.

"I'm excited and can't wait for it to start" said Scholtes. "I look forward to playing basketball for a Program that competes at the national level and where I can do it in front of my friends and family."

Alumni Day: Alumni vs Alumni Game

Photo- Current Mustangs with Past Mustangs at Saturday's Alumni vs Alumni Game

Alumni vs Alumni Game

As most would expect the annual Alumni Day Alumni vs Alumni game was not a defensive battle.  The White team, lead by current grad Matt Curtis, held the lead at halftime with deadly 3pt shooting and good half court offense (even Jon Dingle had 2-3's).  In the 3rd quarter the Purple Team began to make their surge in the full court with several transition baskets which gave them the lead. Long distance bombs by Mike Lynch (Former OUA West league scoring champ)and fast break buckets by Former CIS Player of the Year Andy Kwiatkowski (scored 26 and was selected the game's MVP) was too much for the White team.  Highlights of the game included one-one one battles between Rick Odegaard and Doug Morton, Pod Armstrong's abuse of the officials as well as several Brzozowicz missed open lay-ups. 

Thanks for all Alumni and friends who attended

White Team 97

Rick Odegaard

Jon Dingle

Jon Pensa

Steve King

Pete Schmidt

Colin LaForme

Pod Armstrong

Matt Curtis

Mark Porte

Coaches: Jason Milliquet, Brett Lawrence

Purple Team 106

Nigel Ralwins

Kurt Weiland

Mike Lynch

Doug Morton

Andy Kwiatkowski - MVP

Al Paron

Alex Brzozowicz

Jim Grozelle

Matt Tweedie

Coaches: Ryan Brabeau , Marcus Barnett

Fourth-quarter lapse costs Mustangs victory

Andy- Watson - Mustangs Athletics

web article click here

LONDON, Ont. - It was a tale of two Western Mustangs teams on Jan. 16 at Alumni Hall.At times, the Mustangs men's basketball team looked like a squad that could return to the CIS men's basketball national championships. At others, their inconsistency made it look like even making the playoffs would be a tough accomplishment.The Mustangs were outscored 31-11 in the fourth quarter, losing 85-80 against the young, feisty Brock Badgers at Alumni Hall on Jan. 16.Western falls to 7-5 in the highly competitive OUA West, while Brock improves to 5-7, tied for sixth in the division.Andrew Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) was brilliant for Western, leading his squad with a game-high 27 points and 18 rebounds on 10-for-15 shooting, including a perfect 7/7 showing at the free-throw line. He added six assists and a steal.Badgers rookie Clinton Springer-Williams (London, Ont.) was a monster for Brock, scoring a team-high 23 points adding four rebounds and a steal. Brock's Andrew Ferguson hit three of his eight three-point attempts to finish with 18 points and nine boards, four on the offensive glass.The Mustangs were perfect from the charity stripe on all 16 attempts, but shot a dismal 33% from field - 8% from three-point land - in the second half. By contrast, the Mustangs shot 53% from the field in the opening half, including 42% from three-point range.Taking a 17-point lead into the halftime break, the Mustangs played well enough to keep a 15-point lead entering the fourth quarter.Two Badgers in foul trouble, Didi Mukendi (St. Catharines, Ont.) and Andrew Cicuttini (Dundas, Ont.) both picked up their fourth personals in the third quarter - Mukendi with 7:30 left - and were forced to the bench.Brock responded well to the adversity.Holding the Mustangs offence to just two points through the first seven minutes of the fourth, the Badgers made things tough for Mustangs leading scorer Wedemire, double- and triple-teaming him in the post.Humber College transfer Mike Cruickshank (Toronto) gave Brock its first lead since the first minutes of the game at 72-71, hitting a jumper with 3:50 left. Then a Marcus Barnett (Hampton, Va.) inbound pass went off Wedemire and Western was forced to foul Springer-Williams. Springer-Williams hit both from the line to make it 74-71 and complete a 20-2 Brock run.Brock's full-court pressure and doubling on Wedemire made it difficult for the Mustangs to establish any rhythm on offence.Barnett hit three treys for the Mustangs in the game, all coming at key times in the game. He finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. Garrett Olexiuk (Burlington, Ont.) quietly put up 20 points and added six boards.The Mustangs host the nationally ranked Windsor Lancers (9-3) on Jan.

Article in Guelph Mercury on last night's game

Click Here

Western 68, Guelph 65

Tonight our Western Mustangs took on the Guelph Gryphons and defeated them in the end with a close 68-65 victory. The Mustangs struggled in the first half, "We played probably our worst basketball of the year tonight in the first half. We battled alot more in the second half and that was the difference. Clutch three pointers by Garrett and Ryan late in the game lead us to victory. " Coach Brad Campbell.

Game at a Glance:

Andy Wedemire 22pts

Ryan Barbeau 20 pts

Garrett Olexiuk 9 pts, 7 rbs

Game article from Mustangs Athletics: 

Wedemire, Barbeau clutch combining for 42 points in victory over Gryphons

Jan. 13: Western 68 Guelph 65

By Andy Watson

GUELPH, Ont. - Ryan Barbeau hit a clutch three-pointer and scored another from the free-throw line, and Andy Wedemire made a thrilling block in the final seconds to lift Western's men's basketball team to a 68-65 win over the host Gryphons at the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre on Jan. 13.

The Mustangs improve to 7-4 with the win, moving into a tie for third place in the OUA West, while Guelph falls to 3-8, putting their playoff hopes into jeopardy.

Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) led the Mustangs with 22 points, while Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) added 20. Garrett Olexiuk (Burlington, Ont.) added nine points in a game which saw a lot of physical play, particularly in the post for Olexiuk and fellow forwards.

The host Gryphons led 6-0 before Wedemire scored the Mustangs first points from the charity stripe. Guelph extended their lead to 9-2, and just when it seemed it could not get worse for Western, forward David Harder (Copenhagen, Denmark) took a bruising elbow to the nose and was forced to leave the game.

Minutes later, in a moment which left both teams anxious, Guelph senior Jay Mott, who had just returned to lineup after concussion problems, and Wedemire collided with both players on the ground and needing assistance from their respective training staffs.

Brett Lawrence (Welland, Ont.) hit a three at the first-quarter buzzer to tie the game at 17, capping an 11-0 Western run.

The Mustangs fell behind by eight points to start the second quarter and played from behind for much of the game.

Guelph continued to lead 35-27 at the half, despite Wedemire's game-best 11 points in limited playing time in the first half.

The Mustangs opened up the third quarter on a 21-7 run but Michael Petrella (Brantford, Ont.) and Dan McCarthy (Guelph, Ont.) nailed back-to-back threes with two minutes left in the period to tie it at 48.

Western led 53-51 after three quarters.

Trailing 62-60 with two and a half minutes remaining, Western's shooting woes continued, with three misses on one possession and struggles at the free-throw line.

Jason Milliquet (Sarnia, Ont.) tied the game with just over 1:30 left, as Guelph's Adam Bering (Tecumseh, Ont.) could not get close with four personal fouls.

Jonathan Moscatelli (Toronto) hit two of his team-high 19 points to give Guelph the lead again at 64-62 with just a minute left, but Barbeau's trey gave Western a 65-64 lead with 37 seconds, forcing the Gryphons to take their final timeout.

McCarthy was blocked by Wedemire as Guelph had a set play to isolate the forward. However, Wedemire had good position and timed the extension of his arms perfectly to make the stop.

Guelph was forced to foul, and Barbeau scored one of his free-throws to make it a two-point game.

With 20 seconds left, Guelph surged up the court, and Wedemire looked to have made another key block, this time on Petrella, but he was deemed to have made contact. Petrella scored one at the line to pull Guelph within one point, trailing 66-65.

Milliquet was fouled on the inbounds after a Western timeout and scored both of his free-throw attempts, extending the lead to three points at 68-65

Petrella missed a three-point attempt, contested by two Western defenders, at the buzzer.

Western's next home game is on Saturday Jan. 16 against the Brock Badgers at 3 p.m. at Alumni Hall.

 

Mustangs vs. Guelph Pre-View

From Trent Williams Mustangs Athletics: 

form article click here 

LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs (6-4, T-3rd OUA West) take on a heated rival in their next challenge of the regular season, as the team will travel to take on the Guelph Gryphons (3-7, 8th place OUA West) on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m at the W.F. Mitchell Athletic Centre.

WATCH GAMES LIVE AT WWW.SSNCANADA.CA 

The Mustangs are 5-1 in their last six games played, and are fresh off a victory over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. Meanwhile, the Gryphons have dropped two straight.

Despite recent struggles, the game will be no walk in the park for the Mustangs, according to Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell.

“Guelph always plays physical and defends well. You have to be ready for a physical battle every time you play Guelph,” said Campbell. 

As each team nears the mid-point of the regular season, there begins to be some parity in the league standings. Though Guelph does sit in the basement of the OUA West division, it does not mean that the Mustangs are going to take the game lightly.

“Guelph may be at the bottom of the standings right now, but they are a very capable team and are still in the playoff hunt,” said Campbell. “Guelph is a traditional rival of ours and therefore no motivation is ever needed when Western plays Guelph.”

Campbell said that the biggest thing his team will need to focus on will be keeping Guelph's top scoring threats contained. 

“Keeping Guelph’s shooters Jay Mott (Burlington, Ont.) and Jonathan Moscetelli (Toronto) in check by limiting their looks (will be the key to winning).” 

Western will be back at home on Saturday, Jan. 16 when they take on the Brock Badgers at 3 p.m. at Alumni Hall.

Mustangs vs. Guelph live on SSN Canada

Catch the Mustangs vs. the Guelph Griffons SSN Canada live at 8pm Wed Jan. 13. 

www.ssncanada.ca 

Alumni Day Sat. Jan. 16th - Update

Alumni Day Schedule for Saturday Jan. 16th

• 11:30am - Alumni vs Alumni Game (Thames Hall)

• 3pm - Mustangs vs. Brock

• 5:15pm- Post game reception and announcemnt of 2010 inductees into the Mustangs Backcourt Club Hall of Honour. Location - London Tap House

For London Tap House website Clike Here

Alumni who wish to play in the Alumni vs. Alumni game contact Matt Tweedie at tweeds25@hotmail.com

Mustangs 80 GoldenHawks 77

Today the Mustangs defeated the Laurier Goldenhawks in a close game 80-77. Andy Wedemire led the team with 26 points, 9 rbs.

Game at a Glance:

Andy Wedemire: 26pts 9 rbs

Garrett Olexiuk: 17 pts 11 rbs

Ryan Barbeau: 15 pts - (pictured right) 

Up Next:

Western vs. Guelph, January 13th 8 pm

Article from Andy Watson Mustangs Athletics 

LONDON, Ont. - The Western Mustangs sustained a late surge and outlasted the Laurier Golden Hawks 80-77 at Alumni Hall on Jan. 9. 

The Mustangs (6-4, T-2nd OUA West) held the advantage throughout most of the game in part to strong performances from Andrew Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) with 26 points and Garrett Olexiuk (Burlington, Ont.) and Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) with 17 and 15 points respectively.

Olexiuk and Barbeau teamed up on the final Hawks possession to force Max Allin (Chatham, Ont.) and Jesse MacDonald (Brantford, Ont.) to turn over the ball playing two-man ball, looking for a play to tie the game.

Allin led the way for the Golden Hawks (4-6, 6th OUA West) netting 23 and grabbing 16 rebounds while MacDonald added 20 points.

The Golden Hawks cut an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit and took the lead 77-76 with one minute left. A driving layup by Barbeau put the Mustangs ahead 78-77 and following a missed jumper by MacDonald, the Hawks were forced to foul with time running low.

Barbeau hit both foul shots to give Western a 80-77 lead with 13.8 seconds left. 

A missed three-point attempt at the buzzer by Allin ended Laurier's comeback attempt. 

Each team came out playing hard and aggressive trading baskets throughout the first quarter, with the Mustangs holding a slight advantage on the scoreboard for the majority of the quarter.

Both teams were playing well defensively with each team having to earn their baskets. The physical play was evidenced by the 1st quarter ending with Wedemire in a scrum with Evan Schwantz (Guelph, Ont.) on the defensive boards, earning him a pair of foul shots with no time left in the frame, giving the Mustangs a slight 21-18 advantage.

Laurier's offense looked flat in the second quarter and the Mustangs took advantage, distributing the ball well and getting to the line 14 times in the quarter and taking a 42-36 lead into halftime. 

Each team came out hot at the start of the third quarter, putting on a long distance clinic, with each team hitting a trio of threes, including a pair from Jason Milliquet(Sarnia, Ont.). 

Hard defence from Laurier in the quarter forced Western to miss some shots. The Hawks took advantage of the cold-shooting Mustangs, cutting into their lead. 

But Wedemire's repeated trips to the line kept the Mustangs ahead 65-62 after three quarters of play.
In the fourth, the Golden Hawks cut the lead to one point to start the quarter, before Western scored six points on consecutive trips down the floor from Olexiuk and a big three-pointer from Barbeau to push the lead back to 74-66 in favour of Western.

The Mustangs run sent Laurier scrambling, forcing a time out from the Golden Hawks which changed the momentum. The Hawks went on a 9-0 run out of the huddle to take the lead 75-74 with a minute and a half remaining. 

Each team traded buckets before the Mustangs were able to take advantage and seal the victory. 

Western returns to the road on Jan. 13 to visit the Guelph Gryphons at 8 p.m. at the W.P. Mitchell Athletic Centre, while the Mustangs' next home game is on Saturday Jan. 16 on Alumni Day as Western hosts Brock.

Mustang vs. Golden Hawks live on Rogers TV

If you can't make the game at Alumni Hall catch the Mustangs vs. the Laurier Golden Hawks live on Local London Rogers TV channel 13 this Saturday at 3pm.

Mustangs Fall to Windsor 77-72 in Tight Battle

From Andy Watson - Mustangs Athletics

For website click here 

WINDSOR, Ont. - The Windsor Lancers got hot from three-point land in the second hal to comeback to defeat the Western Mustangs 77-72 in a battle for second place in the OUA West at the St. Denis Centre on Jan. 6.

The Lancers hit eight of their 12 successful three-pointers in the second half, including three from Issac Kuon who had 15 points in a monster second half.

Andy Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) and Garrett Olexiuk (Burlington, Ont.) led the Mustangs in scoring 20 points each, while guard Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.) notched 13 points. Marcus Barnett pulled down 11 boards and added two points.

Kuon led the host Lancers with 23 points, while freshman Josh Collins chipped in with 18 points. Nigel Tyghter-Johnson nearly had a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.

"I thought we played well enough to win," said Western Mustangs head coach Bradley Campbell. "We had a few defensive laspses in the fourth quarter that cost us (the game)."

Western (5-4) opened up with a methodical 6-4 lead, playing a solid zone defence against the Lancers (7-2) in a low-scoring start. Windsor took its first lead of the game midway through the opening quarter at 7-6 on a three from Kuon. The hot shooting guard had several momentum-changing shots in the game.

Western led 20-14 after the first quarter and stretched the lead to nine points midway through the second. 

Tyghter-Johnson scored four points late for Windsor to pull them within three points and the Mustangs continued to lead, 35-32 at the half

Kuon gave Windsor their second lead of game with a three-pointer early in the third quarter.

The Lancers extended the lead to eight before Western went on an eight-point run to tie the game at 43.

Another three from Andre Smyth, who had seven points to start the second half after a scoreless opening half, gave the Lancers the lead again 46-44 in what became a physical game. He finished with eight points but ran into foul trouble.

The Lancers led 51-49 after three quarters and opened up a nine-point lead early in the fourth as Western went on a cold shooting lapse.

Barbeau and Wedemire led the Mustangs comeback charge and Wedemire scored despite being doubled in the point and hit the "and-one" from the free-throw line to give Western a 66-64 lead with just under three minutes left.

But the Lancers rode the hot shooting of Kuon and Collins from outside to come back.

Trailing 74-70 with Barbeau trying to inbound, referees assessed Western with a five-second violation the in-bound attempt which sealed the win for Windsor. 

The Mustangs host the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks (4-5) on Jan. 9 at Alumni Hall at 3 p.m.

Player Profile

Brett Lawrence

#5

Player Position: Shooting Guard

Academic program: Political Science

Year in Program: 3rd

Year on Team: 4th

Personal goal for this season: To make the team goal happen

Team goal for this season: Make it to nationals

High School & Coach: Notre Dame / Mike Rao

Club Team: Ancaster Magic

Proudest Basketball Moment: Going to nationals 2 years in a row, and winning Ontario Catholic Championship

Biggest Role Model: My dad

Career Ambition: Become a teacher

Family Members: Mother Deborah, Father Mark, Sister Ashley

Where do you see yourself in 10 years: Working

Favourites

NBA team/Player: Celtics / Ray Allen (Jesus Shuttlesworth)

Sport Other Than Basketball: Football

Meal: Bacon and Eggs

Subject in School: Business

Lucky Number: 5

Movie: Gladiator
Musical Group/ Artist: Jay-z and The Boss

Mustangs vs. Windsor live on SSN

Check out the Mustangs on-line on SSN live at 8pm Wed. Jan. 6. a they take on the Windsor Lancers. 

www.ssncanada.ca 

Mustangs Defeat RIT 79-65

To see Western Mustangs Athletics story on this game click here

Andrew Wedemire led the way for the Mustangs as they defeated the RIT Tigers 79-65 Sunday afternoon. "We were able to work on a few things and get some more of the holiday rust off before league play begins on Wednesday vs Windsor" said Coach Campbell. "Our bench gave us a big lift today".  

David Harder - pictured right 

Andy Watson - Mustangs Athletics 

1/3/2010 5:28:55 PM

LONDON, Ont. -  The game wrapped up much like it started, with Western Mustangs forwardAndy Wedemire (Sarnia, Ont.) controlling the game. The senior forward fought through early foul trouble, scoring a game-high 19 points, adding eight rebounds in a 79-65 exhibition win over the Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.) Tigers at Alumni Hall on Jan. 3.

Box Score

Western enjoyed a 12-point run over a six-minute period in the second quarter to lead by 14 points at the half, 42-28. Wedemire, who picked up two fouls before the midway part of the first quarter, played just nine minutes in the opening half, scored Western's first six points and when on the floor was quite effective.

The Mustangs led 62-42 after the third quarter, but R.I.T. pulled within eight points midway through the fourth quarter thanks to five straight points from Scott Young (Almond, N.Y.) - a trey under pressure and a jumper. Young finished with a team high 12 points but was the only player on R.I.T. in double-digit scoring.

The Tigers bench played very well in the second half, giving them a major lift in the fourth quarter, but Western staved off the run when Wedemire checked back into the game. Along with guard Ryan Barbeau (Belleville, Ont.), Wedemire scored key baskets to stop the R.I.T. run.

The host Mustangs held a 14-2 advantage scoring points in the paint in the opening half, and they outscored the Tigers 24-6 in the paint for the entire game.

Western's David Harder (Copenhagen, Denmark) was solid with 15 points and seven boards, while Garrett Olexiuk (Burlington, Ont.) added 13 points  and eight rebounds. Barbeau finished with seven points and six assists, along with a steal, while Marcus Barnett (Hampton, Va.) had 11 points. Brendan Harder (Oneonta, N.Y.) added 10 boards for the Tigers.

The Mustangs (5-3, T-3rd OUA West) travel to play at Windsor on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. before returning home to Alumni Hall to host Wilfrid Laurier at 3 p.m. on Jan. 9.

London H.B. Beal Wins 52nd Annual Purple & White

Congratulations to the H.B. Beal Raiders who won their 2nd consecutive Purple & White Championship (3rd in school history 71-72, 08-09, 09-10)in an exciting final vs. Sarnia St. Christopher's. Chevan Miller-Bennett was named tournament MVP and Trent Roberts a 1st Team All-Star.   

52nd Annual Purple & White All-Star Team 

1st Team

MVP - Chevan Miller-Bennett London H.B. Beal 

Trent Roberts London H.B. Beal 

Joe Rocca Sarnia St. Christopher's

Travis Turnbull Tecumseh St. Anne 

Dan Thompson Oakville STA 

2nd Team 

Eric McDonald Sarnia St. Christopher's 

Quinn Henderson Dundas Parkside 

Luke Lund Sarnia Northern 

Cody Mazza-Anthony Hamilton Bishop Ryan 

Peter Scholtes London Oakridge  

Purple & White Round 3 Scores

Round 3 Scores

Dundas Parkside 47 (Quinn Henderson 20, Kyle Giedraitis 10)

Brantford North Park 37 (Dave Eves 19) 

London Source for Sports player of the Game: Quinn Henderson 

London Westminster 55 (Alex Kravic 23)

London Banting 41 (Harris Syed 14, Greg Morrow 10)

London Source for Sports player of the Game: Alex Kravic 

London Oakridge 47 (Peter Scholtes 23, Mike Shalaby 12)

Ottawa Ashbury 39 (Jean Pierre-Charles 17)

London Source for Sports player of the Game: Peter Scholtes 

Cambridge Southwood 38 (Brian Doran 18)

London STA 35 (Chidi Majok 14) 

London Source for Sports player of the Game: Brian Doran 

Consolation Semi- Finals

Hamilton Bishop Ryan 53 (Will Laufs 16, Cody Mazza-Anthony 14) 

Stoney Creek Orchard Park 36 (Golotic 10)

London Source for Sports player of the Game: Cody Mazza-Anthony

Windsor Riverside 45 (Nick Tufegdzich 12, Ratko Repac 12)

Sarnia Northern 68 ( Jon Ravenhorst 23, Luke Lund 12)

London Source for Sports player of the Game: Jon Ravenhorst

Championship Semi- Finals

London H.B. Beal 51 (Trent Roberts 18, Nathan Diloreto 17, Chevan Miller- Bennett 10)

Oakville STA 38 

London Source for Sports player of the Game: Nathan Diloretto 

Sarnia St. Christopher's  OT 

Tecumeh St. Anne

London Source for Sports Player of the Game:

Consolation Final 

Sarnia Northern 61 (Jon Ravenhorst 20, Luke Lund 17, Jared Dally 14) 

Hamilton Bishop Ryan 49 (Cody Mazza-Anthony 17, Zach Lazar 12)

London Source For Sports Player of the Game: Jon Ravenhorst

Championship Final 

London H.B. Beal 45 (Chevan Miller-Bennett 15, Nathan Diloreto 11)

Sarnia St. Christopher's 44 (Joe Rocca 17, Matt Cinjau 13) 

London Source For Sports Player of the Game: Chevan Miller-Bennett