Box Score THUNDER BAY, Ont. - In a game that saw both teams struggle to get their offense going, the Lakehead Thunderwolves pulled out a 66-48 win over the visiting Western Mustangs by virtue of their solid defense on Friday evening in OUA women's basketball action. The team now sits in third in the OUA West Division standings with a regular season record of 10-3.

As a team, the Thunderwolves locked in on defense, totalling 12 steals to Western's three and holding the visitors to 35.3% shooting accuracy from the field. Mustang top-scorer and the second-highest scorer in the CIS, veteran guard Jenny Vaughan, led her team in scoring with 16 points in what was one of the Mustangs' toughest nights on the offensive end this season.

On the other side of the court, Lakehead found itself with a brand-new weapon in their arsenal, transfer guard Jylisa Williams. The Georgia-native has previously spent time with NCAA Georgia State, the United States Army and Olds College before landing in Thunder Bay to finish her undergraduate education. Williams led the game with 25 points, adding nine rebounds and five assists in the third game of her CIS career.

With Vaughan relatively contained by the Lakehead defense, the Mustangs' starting unit never really found their groove. The bench came in hoping to spark the scoring effort but only managed to add six total shot attempts and a single field goal.

Western's effort was not statistically far from their opponents; Western's issue was simply losing too many box score battles and the slight differences eventually led to an 18-point Lakehead margin of victory. The Thunderwolves found themselves on the winning side of the totals for rebounding, assisting, and field-goal performance.

The Mustangs' effort on the glass was led by a combined 16 rebounds between veteran forwards Melissa Rondinelli and Katelyn Leddy but Lakehead was led by a game-high of 11 rebounds from forward Essa Jacobsen. Williams and back-court partner Ayse Kalken each added nine rebounds of their own as the trio nearly matched Western's total of 30 team rebounds on the night.

The Thunderwolves present themselves as a true wildcard in the OUA this season. The school boasts a strong basketball program, but the women's team has fallen behind the likes of Windsor and Carleton in Ontario's pecking order. With Williams now leading the charge for the Thunderwolves, the Mustangs find themselves in a four-team race for the OUA West Division title; with another game scheduled this weekend against Lakehead and future bouts with Laurier and Windsor the Mustangs will have plenty of chances to establish themselves against their fellow division contenders.

For now, the Mustangs focus on leaving Thunder Bay with a win. The second and final game against Lakehead will take place on Saturday, January 18 with tip-off scheduled for 6:00 p.m at the Thunderdome.