THUNDER BAY, Ont. - It's been a hard-fought season for the Western Mustangs women's basketball team, who came into Lakehead hoping to win their OUA preliminary game and move ahead in the playoffs. And like all season, the Mustangs fought hard against the Thunderwolves. Maddy Horst's speed, Caroline Wolynski's finesse, and Mackenzie Puklicz's accuracy helped keep the purple and white going strong. But the offensive dominance of Lakehead's Jylisa Williams proved to be the x-factor of the game, as the Mustangs' OUA season ended with a 71-54 loss at the Thunderdome, Wednesday night.
 
Maddy Horst led the Mustangs with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Mackenzie Puklicz followed with 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and Caroline Wolynski rounded things off with 9 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
 
For the Thunderwolves, Williams carried her team with 42 points, adding a bonus on to her record 548 in the regular season.
 
The Thunderwolves came out swinging early, going up 15-4 after the first five minutes of play in the first quarter. Wolynski's jump shot at the 3:30 mark, though, started an 8-0 run for the Mustangs that helped them to get within three points of the lead by quarter's end, 19-16.
 
In the February 14 game against the Thunderwolves, the Mustangs had trouble getting the ball up after being swarmed by strong defensive pressure. These troubles didn't seem to rear their head in the second quarter, as Western took the lead early in the second quarter from a Puklicz jumper. The Stangs capitalized on Lakehead's cautious defense, sticking with the home team in a back-and-forth battle. On the other side of the court, the Stangs tried their best to stick to Williams who was having trouble getting her shots to fall, which included a rare couple misses at the free throw line after a Horst foul. But this aggressive take on Williams would have negative consequences for Western in the last minutes of the quarter. Julia Tennant and Victoria Heine fouled Williams on good back-to-back jumpers, leading to extra points on each shot. This helped the Thunderwolves pull up to 37-30 at the half.
 
Still, Lakehead had trouble breaking away with their lead early in the third quarter, as they tried time and time again to sink a three to get ahead comfortably. Their five missed attempts from deep in the zone helped the Mustangs keep pace, trailing by only three at the three minute mark. And that's when Lakehead turned it on, going on a 12-0 run that was capped by the eventual three point shot they desperately wanted, taking a 60-45 heading into the 4th.
 
The fourth frame started with Meredith McLeod landing awkwardly on her ankle. She was helped off the floor and sat out the rest of the game. The Mustangs struggled to get good looks after the play, being limited to only nine points in the last quarter. With around four minutes left to play, Lakehead took their starters out with a 71-51 lead. Wolynski would throw a few more onto that score, but the Mustangs season came to a close with a 71-54 loss.
 
The Thunderwolves will advance to the OUA Quarterfinal Round when they head to McMaster to play the Marauders this Saturday at 1:00 p.m.