TORONTO – A 21-point first quarter gave the Ryerson Rams a lead they wouldn't relinquish, as they defeated the Western Mustangs 83-64 in an OUA Quarterfinal on Saturday evening at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
 
With their win the Rams advance to the OUA Final Four, which will be hosted next week by the University of Ottawa. Ryerson will square off with Windsor in their semi-final, with the winner facing the winner of the Ottawa-McMaster semi-final.
 
Third-years Victoria Heine and Mackenzie Puklicz tied for the Mustangs scoring lead with 16 points on the night, while Caroline Wolynski added 13 in her final game as a Mustang.
 
On the other end of the court, four Rams scored double-digits, with Silvana Jez and Mariah Keneca Pingue-Giles leading the way with 22 and 21 points respectively.
 
Ryerson took control early on Saturday, getting out to a 8-0 lead and keeping the Mustangs off the board until almost five minutes into the first quarter. Ryerson continued to control the play in the first, ending the opening 10 minutes with a 21-6 lead.  
 
Following the Rams' big first quarter lead, the Mustangs fought hard to get back in the second quarter, out-rebounding their opponents 10-5. The Rams still held the edge on the scoreboard however, recording 22 points compared to 17 for Western, to take a 43-23 lead into the half.
 
The halftime break proved to be what the Mustangs needed, as when they returned to the floor Western proceeded to have their best quarter of the match. They outscored the Rams 20 to 15, with eight of those points coming from success at the free throw line. Western edged closer to the Rams, cutting their lead to 58-43.
 
With ten minutes on the clock, the Mustangs kept the Rams on their toes. Their hustle allowed them to get within nine points of the Rams, but unfortunately that was as close as things would get, with Ryerson taking an 83-64 win.