The Western Mustangs finished 16-6 and in second place in the OUA West last season.
They are a talented bunch, so you could excuse the Fanshawe Falcons if they felt a little starstruck when they faced off with the Mustangs in exhibition play. Heck, even head coach Bill Carriere thought so. But by the end of the game, he was proven wrong.
“I was surprisingly impressed. I thought the girls would come out really reluctant and in awe of Western, but they were fairly confident. Other than the first three minutes, they stepped up and played hard.”
The final score, as is the case with all exhibition matches, doesn’t really matter. What matters is the team plays well. Western head coach Brian Cheng told Carriere that his team did Western a favour.
“Brian told me at the end of the game that they needed this game so they can see in the mirror what they need to do. We proved to them that hard work will win ballgames. Sure, they had a lot of talent. We worked damn hard. I think they realize that and that helps them a lot.”
The two teams played five quarters of basketball because, well, it’s preseason so why not play another? Carriere explains what his team needs to work on.
“For the most part, I would say composure. Our offense I think is getting better. If we take care of the basketball, we’re going to be a tough team to beat. If we take good shots and make good decisions, we win games, because defensively I think we’re there.”
The Falcons have a few more preseason games before opening the regular season October 25th at home against Sheridan.
