WATERLOO, Ont - A 31-point lead at the half helped drive the Mustangs to their second victory of the season over the Laurier Golden Hawks with a final score of 80-61 on Saturday afternoon at the Athletic Complex.
 
Caroline Wolynski returned to the court today to score a game-high 32 points to add to the Mustang victory. MacKenzie Puclickz and first-year, Julia Curran, followed their teammate with 20 and 10 points, respectively. Curran continued to show her skills in her first year in the OUA by grabbing five rebounds and going 100% at the free point line.
 
The Mustangs shooting was a key part of their play against the Golden Hawks, going 89.5% at the free throw line and 42.6% field goal success. Four Laurier players recorded double digits for their team with Nicole Morrison topping the team with 13 points and teammate Kaitlyn Schnook with 12 points. 
 
The Mustangs took the lead right off the tip, keeping themselves distant from their fighting opponents. The strong pairing of Curran and Horst combined for five defensive rebounds allowing the Mustangs to keep possession of the ball for the majority of the first frame.
 
The Golden Hawks struggled to keep their offence strong as the Mustang defence totaled five steals for the first 20 minutes. The purple and white shot an impressive 57.1% at the three-point line in the first half, with the help of Wolynski who went 2-3 at the arc. She went on to score 22 points in the first frame, with Puclickz following close behind with 14 points of her own. After outshooting the Golden Hawks 26-8 in the second frame, the Mustangs took a large lead of 31 points to end the half with a score of 50-19.
 
The Golden Hawks came back strong in the last half of the game, determined to diminish the large deficit of the Mustangs. With the help of Nicole Morrison sinking eight points in the third frame, the Golden Hawks were able to outshoot the Mustangs 29-13, for the first time in the game.
 
After lessening their deficit to 15 points, the Mustangs began to fight back. Within minutes of the last frame, Western brought their lead back up to 20 points. Curran and Wolynski's active presence in the last frame allowed the Mustangs to answer each of Laurier's points with a few of their own. The early lead proved too large for the Golden Hawks to keep up, and the Mustangs walked away with an 80-61 victory.
 
The Mustangs continue their season on Friday, November 13 against the Windsor Lancers at the St. Denis Centre. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. and can be watched live at OUA.tv.