LONDON, Ont – Maddy Horst played the hero on Friday night, sinking a three pointer with five seconds remaining to give the Mustangs the lead before Western closed out a 64-60 win over the Windsor Lancers at the St. Denis Centre.
 
The victory in Windsor marks the Mustangs third in a row, placing them in first in the OUA West Division, while the Lancers drop to second place with a 2-1 record.
 
Not only did the win give Western sole possession of first place, it was also the first time the purple and white had toppled the five-time defending CIS Champions since January 5, 2011, when the Mustangs claimed a 57-54 victory at Alumni Hall. 
 
Three Mustang veterans record double digits in the contest, with Caroline Wolynski and Mackenzie Puklicz scoring 16 and 14 points, respectively. Horst, scored 11 points, while also adding six assists and going 100% at the free throw and three-point lines. Julia Curran led the Mustangs with 11 rebounds, followed close behind by Victoria Heine with nine.
 
Four Lancers recorded double digits on their own scoresheet, with Kaylee Anagnostopoulos sinking 17 points. Cheyanne Roger led the Windsor rebounding effort with 13 boards, while teammate Emily Prevost made 10 on her own.
 
Fittingly for a game that ended with a virtual buzzer beater, the contest was close right from the start, with both sides trading points in the opening 10 minutes. The Mustangs held a slight lead for a majority of play, ending the tight scoring first frame with a score of 16-11.
 
Western slowly increased their lead in the second quarter, which was highlighted by a game-high 16-point advantage late in the frame after a basket from Horst. Outscoring their opponents 25-17, the Mustangs ended the second frame up 41-28.
 
The Lancers refused to back down at home court, coming out of the gate with all eyes on the ball. After doubling their defence on key Mustangs such as Puclickz and Wolynski, the Lancers went on a 8-0 run to start the frame and get themselves closer in the contest. Andrea Kiss played a huge part for the Lancers in the third quarter, scoring half of their 16 points and grabbing four rebounds. The Lancer's tough defence paid off as they went on to triple their opponents' score and decrease their deficit to just one point at the end of the frame, sending the game into the final quarter with Western up 47-46.
 
The stage was set for a thrilling fourth quarter of play. Each team answered each of their opponents' baskets with one of their own, keeping the audiences eyes going back and forth on the court. With the score tied at 53-53 with a little over five minutes remaining, the final minutes would feature three different lead changes.
 
Up 60-57 with less than a minute to play, Puklicz picked up a clutch two points with 34 seconds remaining to bring the Mustangs within one. A missed shot on the Lancers next possession set the stage for Horst's last minute heroics, hitting her first and only three of the game to turn the tables on the Lancers and put Western in front by two with five seconds left. After a pair of missed free throws by the home team Curran hit the Mustangs final shot of the game, sending the visitors away with a big 64-60 win.
 
The Mustangs will now look to extend their winning streak back at home against the Ryerson Rams on Friday, November 20 at Alumni Hall. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. and can be watched live on OUA.tv.