LONDON, Ont - A high scoring second frame from the Ryerson Rams proved to be too much for the Mustangs to overcome as they fell 92-64 on Friday night at Alumni Hall.

"I think we did not take care of some basic detail things we normally do." said head coach Brad Campbell, "Ryerson is too good of a team to let a lot of those detailed things slip. They took us out of some things, mentally we got a little rattled and as a result were not ourselves"

The Mustangs record now moves to 2-2, putting them in third place in the OUA West Division Standings. They follow the Windsor Lancers and Laurier Golden Hawks who both have a 3-1 record and six points in the division. The Rams victory is their fourth of the year, with their record moving to 4-1and keeping them in first place in the OUA East.

Three Mustangs hit double digits on the scoresheet, with Greg Morrow and Peter Scholtes topping the team with 17 points apiece. Anthony Spiridis follows with 11 points of his own, while Tom Filgiano led the Mustangs on the boards with eight rebounds. Rams player Adika Peter-McNeilly recorded a game-high 25 points, with teammate Ammanuel Diressa following with 21 points.

The Rams shooting success topped the Mustangs in all categories. The Rams went 100% at the free throw line and found a lot of success from beyond the arc with a 60% three-point success rate. Unfortunately for the purple and white their luck was not as good, finishing the game with an overall 41.3% field goal success rate and a 20.8 percentage from three point range.

"We didn't come out the way we needed to" said purple and white veteran Spiridis, "We prepped for them but we just came out flat and had nothing going. It's a tough pill to swallow but we've got to turn the page now."

After a few minutes of play both teams kicked their defensive guards into high gear. Matching baskets throughout the first half of the frame, the score remained tight with leads staying within one possession. Diressa made a huge impact on the Rams score recording 13 of their points in the first ten minutes. The last two baskets made by Peter-McNeilly put the Rams four points ahead of the home team, ending the first quarter up 19-15.

After starting the second frame on a 14-0 run, the Rams began to dominate the scoreboard. Aaron Best became a threat to Mustang defence, scoring his first 12 points of the game within the second frame. Despite the Mustangs attempts to lessen their deficit, the Rams full court press and double teaming became a huge obstacle, and Ryerson went on to outscore the home team 27-16 and end the first half of the game with a score of 46-31.

Western responded with a much tighter third quarter, registering 22 points compared to Ryerson's 26, but the Rams strong defence and continued success at the three point line kept the game out of reach. As the final buzzer sounded the Rams left Alumni Hall with a 92-64 victory.
"We struggled with Ryerson in transition. Our defence struggled to contain them and stop them from pushing the ball." said Campbell. "When the other team makes a lot of threes, sometimes your team loses mental focus and feels down by it. That's definitely what happened tonight."

"I don't think we were focused in this game" said Spiridis, "We're a defensive team. We thrive on playing defence and rebounding. We just have to feel comfortable and ready to practice with energy and show up on Sunday with an edge on our shoulder."

The Mustangs take on the Toronto Varsity Blues on Sunday at Alumni Hall. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. and can be watched live on OUA.tv.