LONDON, Ont. – The Ryerson Rams got out to a strong start on Wednesday night and didn't look back, defeating the Western Mustangs 72-51 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The loss is only Western's second defeat of the season and moves the team's record to 5-2, keeping the Mustangs in a tie for second place in the OUA West alongside the Laurier Golden Hawks. Ryerson improves to 5-1 on the year, putting the Rams into a tie for first in the OUA East with the Queen's Gaels.

Fourth-year forward Victoria Heine led the Mustangs on Wednesday night, topping the scoresheet in nearly each statistical category with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Julia Curran and Mackenzie Puklicz were next up with eight points each, also adding nine and five rebounds respectively.

Western, and Heine in particular, did an exceptional job of locking down Ryerson's star forward Sofia Paska, limiting her to single-digit points. However, Kellie Ring would step up for the Rams as she scored a game-high 20 points in her team's victory.

Ryerson took control of the game early on and ended the first quarter on a 21-3 run, forcing the Mustangs to dig themselves out of a deep hole to start the game. Western scored well in the second frame to try and cut the lead down behind Heine's eight first half points, but the Rams' long-range shooting barrage would keep the Mustangs comeback hopes at bay.

The second half was more closely contested thanks to the contribution of Jade Codinera who finished the night with seven points, but the Mustangs' first quarter scoring drought would ultimately be too much to overcome for the purple and white.

The Mustangs will be back in action this Saturday, December 3, as they will be traveling to Toronto to take on the Toronto Varsity Blues. The game is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. and fans can catch the action live on OUA.tv and CHRW Radio 94.9 FM.