WATERLOO, Ont. - Western's ability to turn defence into offence proved decisive as the Mustangs pulled away in the second half to defeat the Laurier Golden Hawks 77–55 in their OUA women's basketball match-up Friday night at the Laurier Athletic Complex.
The contest doubled as a Gold Out celebration marking the Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union's Golden 50th Anniversary, with a packed gym of fans dressed in Laurier gold creating an energetic atmosphere from the opening tip.
Laurier also debuted special-edition jerseys in support of cystic fibrosis awareness through Shinerama, a cause through which the Golden Hawks community has helped raise more than $3 million.
The opening quarter was tightly contested, with both teams trading baskets and defensive stops. Western held a narrow 20–14 edge after 10 minutes, though the lead changed hands early and the score was tied once in the opening half.
Western began to separate in the second quarter by capitalizing on Laurier turnovers. The Mustangs scored nine points off turnovers in the period and edged Laurier 16–15 to take a 36–29 lead into halftime.
Laurier's manager of women's basketball operations and head coach Megan Reid said preparation was not the issue, but execution over four quarters ultimately made the difference.
"We had a great week of practices and prepped hard," Reid said. "We didn't rise to their level of intensity for all four quarters."
Laurier pushed the tempo coming out of the break and briefly narrowed the gap by attacking the paint, where the Hawks held a slight third-quarter advantage. Fourth-year guard Brittyn Graves said the team was most effective when playing fast.
"I thought we pushed the pace in transition really well," Graves said. "We had great kickouts and did a good job getting the ball into the middle."
Despite Laurier generating second-chance opportunities throughout the game, Western continued to dictate the outcome by forcing turnovers and converting them efficiently. The Mustangs finished with 29 points off turnovers compared to Laurier's seven, a margin that grew late as Laurier was held scoreless off turnovers in the fourth quarter.
Western also found consistent success inside, outscoring Laurier 30–26 in the paint, while both teams finished with four fast-break points. Neither bench contributed to the scoring, placing added emphasis on execution from the starting groups.
The Mustangs delivered the decisive blow in the third quarter, outscoring Laurier 21–14, and carried that momentum into the fourth. Laurier was limited to 25 per cent shooting in the final frame, while Western extended its lead to as many as 24 points midway through the quarter.
Sydney Cowan sparked key sequences late for Western, while Renee Armstrong led all scorers with 16 points. Emily Capretta added 14 points, and Paris Alexander chipped in 11 as the Mustangs finished with balanced scoring.
For Laurier, Kate White and Graves each recorded 14 points, while Isabella Cotton added 13. Keira Aikman led all players with 10 rebounds, and Kaileigh Rawson contributed nine points.
Reflecting on second-half adjustments, Reid said Laurier must continue to improve its adaptability.
"We need to play more creatively and adjust to their adjustments," she said.
Looking ahead, Reid emphasized the importance of sustaining focus for a full 40 minutes.
"What we do matters for four quarters," she said. "We need to sustain our focus, be better on ball screens and rotate together as a team."
Up next:
The Golden Hawks (4–9) host the Windsor Lancers (11–3) on Saturday, January 17 for their Shoot for the Cure game. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the Laurier Athletic Complex and tickets are availabe at tickets.laurierathletics.com
