The disappointment from a blowout loss, can reveal a tremendous amount about a team. In particular, losing to a team that served as a litmus test for the progress made by your team. The Western Mustangs’ Women’s basketball team, could potentially show a lack of confidence. Perhaps, even a general disbelief of how good they really have been in the 2017/2018 regular season, has seeped it’s way into the minds of Brian Cheng’s squad. This past weekend, the Mustangs faced a powerful McMaster Marauders team, which was 1st in the OUA west division standings, and winners of 11 straight before facing their visitors from London, Ontario. McMaster rolled the Mustangs and took their lunch money, in a massacre in Hamilton, 66-44. Wednesday, the Brock Badgers were going to challenge the resolve of Western in a different fashion. It was also Seniors’ night for both the Women’s and Men’s basketball teams in purple and white. In between the 2 games, a ceremony honouring players that were in their final year of eligibility, were each player was presented with a bouquet of flowers, a framed photo of themselves, a framed jersey donning the number they played with, followed by numerous photo ops. A distracting night for both teams, that promised to be charged with emotions, and a long delay. The Badgers entered Alumni Hall, prior to their tilt versus the Mustangs, with a less than spectacular 6-16 record, on a 4 game losing skid, and holding a position of 7th place in the OUA West division standings. Western, should only worry about playing down to their competition in this game. Confidence, or a lack thereof, should not be an issue, especially for a team fighting to climb the standings, and improve their playoff seeding with a win, separating themselves from Guelph for 4th place.
Listen to Interviews
Prior to the game, Brock Head Coach Ashley MacSporran, spoke about her keys to the game simply being to gain game experience. The Badgers are a very young team, that has suffered a tremendous amount of injuries, reducing the roster down to 6 players in January at one point. Despite all of their hardships, MacSporran has her squad hooping hard every single time they step on the court. Brock may be able to take some solace from a victory in the 1st game of the season over Western, but not much, as both teams have since gone in very different directions in the division standings. Nevertheless, the Mustangs were looking to send a message, and that was there was going to be no mercy shown whatsoever. Message sent, as Western began the game with an explosion only matched by the pyrotechnics used pregame above the baskets of an NBA game. .The Mustangs began the quarter on a 14-0 run, running rampant all over the young, inexperienced Badgers. Western’s ferocious defense was the ignition of the offensive firepower showed in the opening frame by the host side. Of course, the player that lit the match starting the whole fire, was 5th year guard, team leader, Mackenzie Puklicz. Only fitting that on a night dedicated to Seniors, that Puklicz, a Senior to be honoured later, would rise above the rest to score 10 points in the 1st quarter, leading the Mustangs to a 24-5 lead after the opening 10 minutes of the game. To their credit, Brock kept trying to get into the game, chipping away at the lead, but it was like they were cutting down a forest of trees, one by one, equipped with a switch blade as their only tool, it was futile. Western killed every attempt at a comeback with timely 3 point shooting, and clutch baskets, mainly from a suddenly scoring machine in guard Maddy Horst. Horst awakened to score basket after basket, a bit out of her usual role of intensity and smothering coverage on defense. At halftime, the Mustangs led the Badgers 39-27.
Turnovers, active hands, producing fast breaks, was how Western destroyed any confidence Brock had. The Mustangs showed the Badgers why they were ranked 5th in the OUA in steals with 10.8 per game. Western’s duo of Maddy Horst and Mackenzie Puklicz were like 2 wild Mustangs, that had been released from captivity. The open, fast paced direction of the game suited the 2 of them just fine. Pucklicz and Horst were running all over the court, and the defense of Western suffocated Brock, who almost went the entire 3rd without a bucket. The Mustangs outscored the Badgers 22-8 in the quarter, and never looked back. The 4th quarter was a formality to finish the game. Western whooped Brock to the tune of 71-45. The electrically charged attack of the Mustangs’ offense was primarily provided by Puklicz’s 24 points, and Maddy Horst’s 19 points. Puklicz would have more than likely sniffed the 30 point mark, had she not suffered an injury from an elbow to the nose. Puklicz, despite bleeding for several minutes, was helped to her feet and exited the court to a round of applause by both teams and fans, no doubt there was a sigh of relief on the Western bench as well.
On Seniors’ night, Western honoured Mackenzie Puklicz, Victoria Heine, and Alex VanHeeswyk, for what was their last regular season game representing the Mustangs, ever. Of note was the class of the university to honour VanHeeswyk, who was injured all season, but included in the celebration of her contribution to the team during her tenure as a player. The win, puts Western into the 4th place in the OUA West division standings, and sets the table for the biggest game of the season, the last game on the regular season schedule against the team they are currently battling for 4th, the Guelph Gryphons. The Mustangs travel to Guelph Saturday, to face the Gryphons and fight it out for 4 quarters, and when the final buzzer has gone, hopefully emerge with the 4th place seeding that both teams equally desire and deserve.
