THUNDER BAY, Ont. - Fourth-year guard Mackenzie Puklicz led all scorers with 27 points to push the Western Mustangs to a 76-71 victory over the Lakehead Timberwolves on Friday evening.

With the win, the Mustangs keep their unblemished record through their first three weeks of the season with a 4-0 start. The Timberwolves' loss will put them at 1-3 on the season, as they will drop to third place in the OUA Central Division.

Puklicz, who is leading the nation in scoring with 27 points-per-game, did not miss a beat in her final game of the team's three-game road trip. Her ability to control the game was on full display as she shot 66% from the field while locking things down on the defensive end of the floor with five steals.

Two other Mustangs scored in double digits in the win, as Sam Loucks and Julia Curran each chipped in 13 points to help with the scoring effort for the purple and white. Western point guard Laura Graham was also made an impact for the team, facilitating the offence with six assists and forcing three turnovers in 36 minutes.

The Timberwolves' offence was sparked by their second unit, which was led by Nikki Ylagan who came off of the bench to lead the team with 18 points and five assists in the loss.

The first quarter was closely contested to start the game, but the Mustangs extended their lead in the second frame. The Timberwolves switched to a zone defence for the majority of the second quarter, allowing Curran and Victoria Heine to punish the Lakehead defence on the boards.

The team went into halftime with a 13-point lead, but the Timberwolves would turn up the intensity in the third, creating turnovers and outscoring the Mustangs 18-10 heading into the fourth.

Despite the strong run by Lakehead, the game would ultimately be decided on the boards, as Western dominated the glass against the Timberwolves, outscoring them 25-5 in second chance points. Two clutch free throws from Puklicz would once again seal the game for the Mustangs, giving them the five-point victory.

The Mustangs will back in action this Wednesday, November 23 as they will return home to take on the 3-1 Laurier Golden Hawks. The game is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. and fans can catch the action live on OUA.tv.