There's no easing into the 2011 portion of the OUA women's basketball schedule for the No. 1-ranked Windsor Lancers.

 

The Lancers are in London tonight where they'll face the fifth-ranked Western Mustangs (6 p.m.) in a showdown for first place in the league's West Division.

 

Each team is 7-1 heading into the tip.

“We're starting with the big bang,” Windsor coach Chantal Vallee said.

“It's one of the biggest games against our strongest rivals in the league.

“It's going to be a grinding game.”

The Lancers head into the second half with a full roster after injury and illness often left them with just eight healthy players for most of the pre-Christmas schedule.

Fourth-year guard Emily Abbott saw action in just two games before being sidelined by mono and rookie guard Jocelyn LaRocque played just one OUA game before cracking a bone in her leg.

“Before she was injured in October, I thought she was one of our best players,” Vallee said of LaRocque.

“I'm hoping she'll become an important player in our rotation.”

Abbott had “a fantastic Christmas tournament,” Vallee said.

"She's such a great leader and she's developed her game to where she's not trying to do too much.

“She's found her niche and she's right back to where she left off a year ago.”

While Vallee was able to get everyone minutes in Windsor's own Holiday Classic tournament last week, she'll shorten the bench and refine a rotation from here on out.

“We're getting into the OUA West which is the significant part of our schedule,” Vallee said.

“I think now we have to go and play our best and establish roles.”

While the Lancers are eager to grab every OUA victory they can in the New Year, they also have bigger fish to fry.

As hosts of the 2011 CIS nationals, they are automatically in the championship tournament March 18-20.

“We're in a fortunate situation,” Vallee said.

"We have another two months to really prepare our team for that and these games are stepping stones. We have to keep the big picture in mind and our focus is on how we're going to be the best team in March.”