Western Falls To Windsor 74-93

If you were sitting inside Alumni Hall that night you could feel it in your chest. The kind of game where the noise rises before the ball even leaves the ref's hand. Purple everywhere. The band is steady. The crowd is ready to believe.

Windsor answered that belief immediately.

First quarter
The opening minutes felt fast and sharp. Windsor hit an early three and followed it with confident movement that never looked rushed. Western took a breath and answered. Renee Armstrong stepped into a three that lifted the entire building. Sydney Cowan followed with one of her own and suddenly the noise was back. Emily Capretta knocked one down too and for a moment it felt like the game was settling into a rhythm. Inside the paint bodies collided possession after possession. Western fought for rebounds. Windsor stayed composed. Kali Grootenboer kept finding space inside and Leah Tate stretched the floor in a way that forced Western to chase. When the quarter ended Windsor led 26 19 but the game already felt heavier than the score.

Second quarter
This was where Western showed who they were. The defense locked in. Hands were everywhere. Natalie Van Heeswyk began to own the paint finishing through contact like it was muscle memory. Paris Alexander attacked the rim with purpose drawing defenders and opening lanes. Armstrong controlled the game with calm strength choosing when to score and when to create. The crowd believed again. Every stop felt louder. Every basket felt earned. But Windsor refused to let the game turn. Every time Western pulled closer a quiet answer came from the other end. At halftime it was 48 41 Windsor and the feeling in the stands was not defeat. It was frustration mixed with hope. Western was right there.

Third quarter
The second half began with a spark that shook the building. Paris Alexander buried a three and suddenly it was 48 44. People were on their feet. The next few minutes were chaos in the best way. Steals. Blocks. Loose balls. Western had chances. Good looks. Clean moments. But the rim was unforgiving. Windsor made them pay. Three pointers fell one after another stretching the floor and pulling the lead wider even though the effort never dipped. Western kept battling inside. Capretta flew in for rebounds. Joosten erased shots at the rim. Armstrong refused to stop attacking. Still Windsor carried a 69 59 lead into the fourth.

Fourth quarter
Western came out swinging again. Rachel Daly hit a smooth jumper to open the quarter and the crowd tried to will something magical into existence. The defense forced turnovers. Arms waved. Feet stomped. But Windsor turned the night into a shooting clinic. Every Western basket was answered by a deep three that felt like it sucked the air out of the building for a second before the crowd rose again. Western never stopped. Van Heeswyk kept finishing inside. Armstrong kept driving and defending with fire. Capretta kept making plays on both ends. But Windsor had too many answers. When the buzzer sounded the score read 93 74.

What the scoreboard does not tell you
Western played with heart the entire night. Forty two points in the paint. Eighteen offensive rebounds. Thirteen blocks. Sixteen steals. That is effort. That is toughness. The difference came from the three point line where Windsor simply could not miss. Fifteen threes changed the game.

This was not a night of folding. It was a night of standing tall against a team that shot lights out. Anyone who watched knows how hard Western fought. The crowd felt it. The bench felt it. And the game lived in the building long after the lights dimmed.