With 4.9 seconds to go, the bar on the UWO campus erupted in an almost deafening cheer as Matt Curtis drained two free throws to put the Western Mustangs up 65-64.  With the loudest two-dozen people in the world on their feet, Carleton’s superstar player Stu Turnbull would deflate the room by sinking a mid-range jumper as time expired to win the national semi-final for the Ravens.

This won’t be the most complete game summary ever because I was at the Ontario hockey championship game and only watched the last quarter with my play-by-play guy at The Spoke.  I wouldn’t have had this any other way.

The Mustangs led early on quality three-point shooting and were up by as much as 8 at one point.  The Ravens showed why they were the number one team in the country by knotting things up at 28 each by the end of the half.  The lead then proceeded to change hand over the course of the next quarter-and-a-half until Carleton picked up a five point lead.

The 8,000 strong sensed a hometown W was in the books and tried to take the arena down from the inside.  Timely defense and clutch shoot by the ‘Stangs got them back in the game.  Western finally retook the lead when, after Stu Turnbull missed a pair from the charity stripe, Matt Curtis made a pair of late free throws to put Western in front.  Just to show what he thought of Carleton’s fans’ attempts of intimidation, he winked at the fans behind the basket (which brought a big cheer in the bar).  The jubilation was short lived as Ottawa inbounded to Turnbull, he charged up the court, and hit a fade-away at the buzzer from 12-feet with Matt Curtis in his face to win the game.  The Ravens stole the win 66-65.

One fan in the bar (who led the Mustangs cheering section in there) summed it up when he stated in utter disbelief: “That just happened.”

I will say this however.  After covering football, I just assumed that no one really cares about Mustangs athletics here at the U of WO.  I thought that the mood overall is that of apathy.  Having been to a very loud and very packed Alumni Hall for the Ontario championships and watching this game at The Spoke, I couldn’t have been more wrong.