After five consecutive wins, the Brock Badgers men’s basketball team fell to the third-ranked Western Mustangs on Nov. 15 in blowout fashion.
Coming off their second straight win of the season against the fourth-ranked TMU Bold, followed by a tight victory against the Windsor Lancers, the Badgers had all the confidence in the world heading into Saturday’s game. Things weren’t going to be easy, however, as Western came into the game as the last remaining undefeated team in the OUA. Head Coach Brad Campbell and his squad have been on a tear since the beginning of the season, having won 12 consecutive games, dating back to the pre-season on Oct. 1.
For Brock, this was a chance to make a statement. The Badgers surprised many around the league with their hot start to the season, and historically, they’ve had Western’s number. Not too long ago, Badger guard Anthony Heys hit a game-winning three-pointer, stealing the game from the Mustangs in London on Nov. 27, 2024.
To begin the game, it was no surprise that Campbell had his team set up in a zone defence. After all, numerous teams this season — including TMU — have run a zone in an attempt to exploit the Badgers’ subpar three-point shooting, a shot that teams have chosen to live with. It looked as though the Badgers came prepared, as Michael Okeke started the game off with a corner three, a shot the wing is no stranger to taking. The Badger senior often finds himself taking multiple catch-and-shoot corner threes a game. Unfortunately, this sign of hope would soon be forgotten.
The Mustangs were locked in on the defensive end from the jump: playing the passing lanes, covering space with their length and making Brock shoot contested jump shots while forcing turnovers. Despite the occasional play of steady ball movement, the Badger guards couldn’t seem to figure out Western’s zone. Not only did this lead to multiple fast-break opportunities for the Mustangs, but it also gave them the confidence they needed on the other end of the court.
Though the Mustang defence was the highlight of the game, their offence was almost as impressive. Lucas Sheets got off to a blazing start, getting whatever he wanted at the rim, attacking downhill against the Brock big men. Sheets finished with 18 points on the night, while shooting 50 per cent from beyond the arc.
After Sheets cooled down in the middle of the first, guards Milan John and Imran Armstrong began their torching of the Badgers with high-level shooting. John lived in the midrange, attacking to the elbow, before either pulling up for a jump shot or making a crafty finish at the rim. The Badgers had no answer for John, who finished with 15 points.
As for Armstrong, he set the tone for the Mustangs from three-point land. After some early shots, he put a spark through the rest of his team. Capped off by a deep shot, the Western guard was taking advantage of some weak closeouts from his defenders. More importantly, he was playing the point guard role to a tee. Armstrong’s passing out of different coverages was on full display that night. Hitting his teammates off the pick and roll, fast breaks and the drive, he got all the Mustang players involved, finishing with 10 assists.
Fast forward to the end of the first half, Western led 43-31. Although Brock had played some of their sloppiest basketball of the season to that point, the game wasn’t fully out of reach.
Midway through the third quarter, however, Brock’s chance of any comeback was slipping away by the minute. Their offence just wasn’t clicking. To make matters worse, the Mustangs capitalized, scoring 22 points off the Badgers’ 22 turnovers — a number that is too high if you want any chance of winning a game in the OUA.
The Mustang guards continued to torch the Badgers, along with their big man, Tye Cotie, who was creating havoc on the glass. Cotie’s performance will be overlooked because of his teammates; however, he was vital to his team’s success in closing out possessions and protecting the paint.
Western held Brock to just 20 points in the second half, including just eight points in the final frame. Considering Western’s ability to put the ball in the basket, they become almost unbeatable when their defence plays like it did in this game against Brock.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Mustangs walked away victorious, taking the game 80-51.
After the game, Armstrong commented on his team’s preparation for the game and the keys to victory.
“We knew coming in it was going to be a good game […] it wasn’t going to be easy coming into this kind of environment, so we stayed together and executed our offence.”
When asked about his team’s defensive scheme, the London native spoke about their ability to stay connected and consistent.
“Just crowd the shooters, make them feel uncomfortable, make them drive, and once we get into rotation, we trust our defence to get the stop and get those rebounds and push it in transition […] our zone really worked out today and we’re really taking pride in that.”
In a game where Western held such a strong lead throughout, the team’s chemistry was on full display. Armstrong spoke about who his favourite teammates are to play with this year.
“Everybody […] my dog Tiny [John], Mateo, Lucas, those guys are for sure my guys.”
—-
Western improves to 8-0 on the season, while Brock falls to 5-2, holding a close second place in the OUA Central Division. These two teams continue their season on the road with critical games for both teams looming.