HAMILTON, Ont. – The Western Mustangs women’s basketball team jumped all over the McMaster Marauders in the first half of Wednesday night’s playoff game, outscoring the home team 41-25 in the first two quarters en route to a convincing 77-59 win.

BOX SCORE

With the win, the Mustangs will advance to an OUA West Semi-Final matchup against the Windsor Lancers on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m in Windsor.

Katelyn Leddy and Rebecca Moss combined to score 21 of the 41 first-half points for the Mustangs, who opened the game with a 10-0 run. A Moss three-pointer and a pair of free throws by Leddy in the final minute of the half sent the Western women into the break with a 16-point advantage. There was no looking back in the second half, as the Mustangs maintained their strong play to earn a spot in the next round of the playoffs.

Western displayed a well-balanced offensive attack on Wednesday night, as five different players finished with double-digit scoring totals. Jenny Vaughan had 16 points, six rebounds and a team-high seven assists, while Leddy had 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Moss and Lacey Knox had 13 points apiece, while Annabel Hancock finished with 11.

Taylor Chiarot struggled from the floor for the Marauders, going 6-for-19 and finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds. Elizabeth Burns also endured shooting struggles, going 3-for-14 for 13 points and eight rebounds. Hailey Milligan had 11 points and six boards for the home side.

The story of the night was the shooting woes of the hometown Marauders, who finished just 26.7% (20-for-75) overall and 18.8% (3-for-16) from three-point range. The Mustangs, meanwhile, shot 44.8% (26-for-58) overall and 40.9% from beyond the arc. Western also did a good job on the boards, matching the Marauders with 39 rebounds overall.

The Mustangs will now play an OUA West Semi-Final game on the road against the Windsor Lancers on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 7:00 p.m.