The Algoma University Thunderbirds are gearing up for a pivotal weekend in Ontario University Athletics (OUA) basketball action as both the men’s and women’s programs travel to southwestern Ontario for back-to-back matchups. On November 7th, the Thunderbirds will face off against the Western Mustangs in London, followed by a November 8th showdown in Windsor against the Lancers.
Women’s program looks to rebound (0-3), currently sitting sixth in the OUA West Division, enters the weekend looking to bounce back from a tough 71–41 road loss to the Guelph Gryphons. Their first test comes Friday evening with a 6:00 p.m. tipoff against the fifth-place Western Mustangs (2-2).
Leading the charge for Algoma is veteran Sadie Grawbarger, who has been a consistent presence on the court with 38 points and 106 minutes played through three games. Supporting her efforts are Mercedes Mazzuca, who has contributed 22 points in 61 minutes, and Riya Donnelly, who has added 20 points across 78 minutes of play.
Sadie Grawbarger? She’s been absolutely fantastic. I’m so proud of her and her development. The biggest thing with her is she stays mentally engaged for four minutes. This happens in practice as well. Nothing gets to her. At the beginning of her career here she was relying on pure athleticism, now we are seeing a player whose skill set and basketball IQ has caught up to her athleticism, which is a scary combo. It is really a reflection of the purposeful work she puts in from April to September to grow her game and her body. She still has room to go to reach her ultimate peak, but in my opinion she’s turned herself into one of the most versatile players in our league, we can’t say enough positive things about what she has done here and she deserves all the credit in the world for doing things the right way and sticking with it,” said Algoma women’s coach Katie Hamilton.
Western, meanwhile, brings a balanced attack led by Sydney Cowan, who has racked up 62 points and 107 minutes in four games. Rene Armstrong has also been a standout with 52 points in 102 minutes, while Emily Capretta rounds out the top trio with 42 points and 93 minutes played.
Thunderbird women’s coach Hamilton told Saultsports that “we’ve been proud of our defensive execution so far this season. Other than a few lapses, we’ve felt we’ve gone in and executed defensively well. We need to clean up our rebounding which has been a consistent achilles heel of ours and we obviously need to find a way to score the ball. Our focus this week in prep has been to offensively play inside out, rather than just relying on shooting from the perimeter. We are hoping this translates to on court performance this weekend.”
On Saturday, the Thunderbirds head further south to take on the first-place Windsor Lancers (3-1), a team that has shown early dominance in the OUA West. Leading Windsor’s charge is Kali Grootenboer, who has posted 67 points and logged 101 minutes in four games. Julia Chiarot has been equally impactful with 52 points in 107 minutes, and Leah Tate adds depth with 46 points over 99 minutes.
Algoma women will need to bring their best defensive effort and capitalize on scoring opportunities to challenge Windsor’s high-powered offense. With a young but determined roster, the Thunderbirds are focused on growth and resilience as they navigate a tough early-season schedule.
“Our first stop half court defensive has actually been quite good. We just can’t allow teams to have three or four possessions off of offensive rebounds. We clean up our rebounding and our defense looks even better. It’s something we really need to focus on and buy into as a group. I think we have a very strong and experienced team and leadership group. They are focused, they understand the process and the rollercoaster of a season. They really attack each week ready to go and battle the weekend ahead. They know if we do the things we are supposed to do, we can compete with every team in this league, but we have to stay focused and execute for forty minutes of play, said Hamilton.
Thunderbirds Men’s Basketball Set for Tough Road Tests Against Western and Windsor
The Algoma Thunderbirds men’s basketball team is preparing for a challenging weekend on the road after a 87 – 56 loss in Guelph to the Lancers on October 31st as they head into back-to-back contests against two formidable OUA West Division opponents. On November 7th, the Thunderbirds will face the undefeated Western Mustangs (4-0) in London, followed by a November 8th matchup in Windsor against the fourth-place Lancers (2-2).
Thunderbirds seek breakthrough as Algoma enters the weekend looking to gain traction in the early stages of the 2025–2026 season. Leading the charge is Oliver Kristoffersen, who has been a consistent offensive presence with 47 points over 80 minutes in three games. Logan Whitmell has added 23 points in 59 minutes, while Bing Deng has contributed 22 points across four games and 58 minutes of play.
The Thunderbirds will need to bring their best effort to compete with Western’s high-powered offense. The Mustangs are led by Milan John, who has racked up an impressive 93 points in 125 minutes over four games. Matteo Zagar follows closely with 63 points and 126 minutes, while Emmanuel Akot rounds out the top trio with 52 points in 97 minutes.
Windsor Awaits after the Thunderbirds clash in London, Algoma travels to Windsor to take on the Lancers, who sit fourth in the division with a 2-2 record. Windsor’s offense is anchored by Luke Grace, who has tallied 77 points in 106 minutes through four games. Supporting him are Yohann Sam with 46 points in 97 minutes and Bronson Chambers, who has posted 45 points in 98 minutes.
This weekend presents a significant opportunity for the Thunderbird men to gain momentum and test themselves against some of the top teams in the division. With standout performances from key players and a commitment to improving each game, Algoma’s squads are poised to make the most of their road trip.
Stay tuned to Saultsports for updates and coverage as the Thunderbirds take flight in London and Windsor.
