If there was ever a time for the Western women’s basketball team to take a mulligan, it was Wednesday night at Alumni Hall against the first-place Windsor Lancers.
A monumental third quarter collapse by the Mustangs led to an 85-75 Windsor victory and deprived Western of a share of first place atop the Ontario University Athletics standings.
“They’re a good team; that’s why they’re third in the country,” Mustangs forward Katelyn Leddy said. “We gave it everything we got but we fell apart in the third quarter. It shows we […] need to improve, get back in the gym and work harder.”
In spite of the outcome, Western dictated the pace of play in the first half, dominating Windsor in the paint and forcing them to live and die by the three. Over the first two quarters, the Lancers amassed 17 three-point attempts and shot 36.6 per cent from the floor.
Leddy was a huge factor in Windsor’s struggles, leading the half with 17 points, nine rebounds and shooting 90 per cent from the charity stripe.
“Leddy had a great game,” Windsor head coach Chantal Vallee said. “We had a real hard time stopping her inside tonight.”
The first half also marked the introduction of Western’s new high profile recruit, Jacklyn Selfe. Although she showed signs of rust early on, Selfe finished the game with a respectable 11 points and three assists over 18 minutes of floor time.
While the Mustangs carried a 40-37 lead heading into halftime, the momentum quickly shifted.
Windsor rookie Miah-Marie Langlios caught fire, playing like a character out of Sega Genesis’ NBA Jam ‘95. Langlios tallied 12 points and five assists in the second half, in addition to hitting two game changing three-pointers.
“Down the stretch we made some important shots. Miah had a couple big three’s that made us look really good,” Vallee said.
Langlios’ hot hand also opened up the floor for Lancers’ veteran Jessica Clemencon, who took over in the paint with a game high 22 points and four blocked shots.
Western head coach Stephan Barrie expressed his frustration with the team’s inability to cope in the second half.
“We just have to do a better job adjusting in play. If a kid hits one at some point, you have to recognize that you have to make or do something different. Make her put it on the floor, make her pull up,” Barrie said. “That is just something that’s hard to teach — it’s somewhat ingrained. Some kids kind of have it and some don’t. Certainly once Jacklyn gets a little more game accustomed, she’s one of those kids who has it.”
Leddy agreed with her coach’s disappointment.
“[Windsor’s] posts are their strong point. We tried to double in on their posts and left shooters open and […] their shooters got hot in the third. We need to learn to adjust and get better,” Leddy said.
Overall, the Mustangs were outscored 30-16 in the third quarter, leading to a mundane and fruitless final frame.
Despite solidifying themselves as the top team in the OUA, Vallee was quick not to get ahead of herself.
“It’s not going to be easy to win this division, let me tell you that,” she said.
The Mustangs were edged 71-66 by the McMaster Marauders Saturday afternoon in Hamilton. The ‘Stangs have a date with the Waterloo Warriors Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Alumni Hall.