TORONTO, Ont. - The Ryerson Rams continue their successful year with another consecutive win, with the Western Mustangs coming up short in a 46-84 loss.
With the loss, the Mustangs' record is updated to 5-4 on the year as they maintain third place in the OUA West. The Rams remain flawless this season with a record of 9-0, passing Carleton as they move to first in the OUA East.
Forward Julian Walker continues to show promise in only his second year, as his 10 points led the scoring efforts for the purple and white. Eriq Jenkins and Alex Coote were also helpful, scoring 7 points apiece. Jenkins led the rebounding efforts, with his 8 boards being the game-high.
JV Mukama showed off his proficiency as one the OUA's top scorers with 26 points, and was joined by teammate Myles Charvis's 18 points as they led the offence of the Rams.
Right from tip-off, Ryerson played with an immediate ferocity to give themselves an early lead, prompted by a 13-0 to begin play. In combination with the tough defence, the Mustangs struggled to keep up with such an intense scoring pace; eventual frustration settling in to only further put Western behind. Giving themselves a healthy lead, the purple and white trailed 7-27 at the end of the first quarter.
The Rams kept their foot pressed firmly on the gas, not even slowing down a beat as they rolled into the second quarter. Despite several defensive changes and various substitutions by head coach Brad Campbell, Western's attempts were in vain as Ryerson shot an absurd 72% from the field in first half. The continued shooting troubles did not help to remedy the situation, and with the first two periods of play over, the Mustangs lagged behind at 19-51.
With the large gap Ryerson had created for themselves, the rest of the game was smooth sailing. Western's improved offence wasn't enough to mount any sort of comeback, and the Rams walked away with the 46-84 win.
The Mustangs will be back in action this Friday November 30, where they face off against the Nippising Lakers for their first meeting of the season. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:00 P.M. EST and fans can catch the action live on OUA.tv.
