LONDON, Ont. - Third-year guard Maddy Horst dropped in a team-high twelve points to go along with a pair of steals in the Mustangs' 71-48 loss to the OUA East-leading Carleton Ravens on Saturday evening in the Ravens Nest.

Two other Mustangs scored double-digits on Saturday for the purple and white, as Mackenzie Puklicz racked up ten points, seven rebounds, and three steals on the night, while Julia Curran posted yet another double-double with ten points and ten rebounds in the loss.

With the loss, the Mustangs will drop to 3-4 on the season, as they sit tied for fifth in the OUA West division standings alongside Guelph and Brock. The Ravens' win will propel them to a perfect 7-0 on the season, remaining undefeated and sitting atop the OUA East division standings.

The Mustangs' defence came out of the gate with intensity to start the first quarter, forcing a series of turnovers to disrupt the Raven's offensive flow. On the other side of the ball, Western looked to attack the paint behind the initial scoring of Curran. However, both defences would begin to step up their intensity late in the frame, as both Western and Carleton faced scoring droughts near the end of the quarter. Neither team would find their footing on offence through the first ten minutes of action, as Western went into the second with a slim 12-10 advantage.

The Carleton offence quickly found its rhythm to start the second quarter, as offensive rebounding and strong ball-movement spread the Western defence thin as they went on a short run mid-way through the quarter. The Mustangs would temporarily weather the storm, but eventually the Ravens' scoring barrage, led by Elizabeth LeBlanc, would be too much for the purple and white to overcome in the frame. While the Ravens found their shooting stroke late in the half, the Mustangs continued to struggle up until the halftime buzzer, shooting 9-29 on field goals and 0-6 from beyond the arc through the first 20 minutes. Following a 22-6 run in the second quarter, the Ravens went into halftime with a 32-18 lead.

Foul trouble and turnovers continued to plague to purple and white through the third quarter, as Laura Graham was forced to sit just minutes into the third after picking up her fourth foul on the night. The Ravens continued to find success penetrating the Mustangs' defence and scoring in the paint, as they built their lead behind high-percentage looks. Puklicz remained aggressive throughout the quarter, continuing to look to score despite the deficit, as she helped carry the scoring load for the purple and white throughout the frame. However, the Ravens would continue their own defensive intensity throughout the quarter and head into the fourth with a 56-32 lead.

The Mustangs began the quarter on an 8-0 run, finding some momentum coming out of the break, but the Ravens quickly countered with a run of their own, maintaining a comfortable margin. Carleton's effort refused to waiver in the final frame despite their big lead, as they continued to dive on the floor for every loose ball and attack the offensive boards. The persistent effort from the Ravens would ultimately be rewarded, as they cruised to a 71-48 victory over the purple and white for their seventh consecutive victory of the season.

The Mustangs will be back in action this Friday, November 24, where they will travel to Toronto to take on the York Lions in their first meeting of the season. The game is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. and fans can catch the action live at OUA.tv.