LONDON, Ont. – Despite a game-high 23 points from Julia Curran the Ottawa Gee-Gees edged out the Western Mustangs 53-50 in front of more than 1,100 fans at Alumni Hall on Friday afternoon in a Mustangs School Day Game, presented by Winmar.

"We faced a team that has a trademark of playing hard and we needed to play just as hard. I thought we did that at times, but there were critical moments where we lost focus and we lost discipline," said Mustangs head coach Brian Cheng. "We have to be focused on the details and the execution of those details. We have to do that for forty minutes and I thought we did it for thirty-five, and thirty-five isn't good enough against this team, unfortunately."

"We have to focus on executing the details. When we play sloppy, it leads to turnovers and that's extra possessions for the opponent," added Curran, repeating her coach's emphasis on disciplined play.

With the loss, the Mustangs will move to a 5-8 on the season and they remain tied with the Waterloo Warriors for third place in the OUA West. The Gee-Gees' victory will extend their winning streak to three games as they improve to 10-3 this season, continuing to chase Carleton's division-leading 11-1 record.

After being held to 10 points in the team's previous game against Windsor, Curran stormed back with seven rebounds and a pair of steals to go along with a game-high 23-point performance.

One other Mustang managed to put up double-figures in the contest, as fifth-year guard Meredith McLeod put up ten points and five rebounds to compliment Curran.

Ottawa also had a pair of players hit double digits, with Jennifer Crowe and Melina Wishart both scoring 15 in the win. The duo also led the team's rebounding efforts, recording six and five boards respectively.

The first quarter began with Ottawa starting a small-ball lineup composed for five guards, creating a mismatch for Western forwards Julia Curran and Victoria Heine. The afternoon game against the Gee-Gees marked Heine's first return to regular season action since December 3 after being sidelined with an injury.

"She brings a lot of leadership. She brings so much energy and she's obviously one of our key players so it was good to have her back on the court," said Curran.

Despite the size mismatch, Western found themselves out-rebounded in the first quarter and went into the second quarter facing a 14-13 deficit.

The second quarter was just as closely contested as the Mustangs began to take advantage of the height differential and fueled their offence by attacking the paint. Despite their efforts, Ottawa continued their constant pressure on the perimeter, causing turnovers and leading to 31-25 Gee-Gees advantage to end the first half.

Both defences proved to be stifling throughout the third quarter as neither side could put together consistent offensive runs. Curran, despite facing double-teams, helped keep the Mustangs in the game by staying aggressive and converting her free throw opportunities, going 8-10 in the game. A pair of three-pointers courtesy of Curran and third-year guard Sam Loucks would bring the Mustangs within one point to end the third quarter, as the Mustangs trailed 42-41 entering the final frame.

Western trailed by three early in the fourth quarter, but a deep three-pointer from Laura Graham would tie the game at 44-44. Strong perimeter defence was a consistent bright-spot for the purple and white, as the Gee-Gees went 0-6 from beyond the arc in the second half. A string of offensive rebounds from Curran and suffocating interior defence from Heine would keep the game tight, but ultimately Ottawa's Melina Wishart would knock down a jump shot to regain a one-point lead over the Mustangs late in the contest. A pair of free throws from the Gee-Gees would seal the three-point victory.

"She's one of the bright young stars of the OUA. We're very fortunate to have her and we're exciting to watch her grow and develop each and every game," commented Cheng, praising his second-year forward.

The Mustangs will be back in action tomorrow, January 28, when they will host the red-hot Carleton Ravens in their first meeting of the season. The game is set to begin at 6 p.m. and fans can catch the action live on OUA.tv.