GUELPH, Ont. – The Mustangs won their 11^th consecutive game of the season 64-60 against the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday afternoon. The win will bring the women to an impressive season record of 11-1 and the Gryphons down to 5-5 as the first half of their season comes to a close.
 
The first quarter of the match began with a slow start before the Mustangs picked up their pace and established a ten-point lead. The Gryphons worked to get past their defense but struggled to win offensive rebounds and fell behind on the scoreboard because of it.  Emma Johnson led the Purple and White with 8 points, followed by Maddy Horst who pulled the score up to 19-11 before the start of the second quarter.
 
The Mustangs continued to set-up plays and take advantage of the opportunities Guelph provided them. While a strong defense allowed them to pre-emptively shut down points and retain possession, Gryphon Modupe Okeowo kept her team in the fight by being the lead scorer on the court with 10 points. The Mustangs held a 13-point lead going into the second half where Guelph would then return to the court with renewed vigor.
 
Burke Bechard and Okeowo opened up the second half with 7 points that brought the Gryphons back into the game. With two free-throws from MacKeely Shantz, the Gryphons cut the Mustangs' lead down to 2 points and held it steady for Natalie Vigna to close the quarter with a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
 
At twice the pace as the start of the match, the fourth quarter saw a spike in intensity from both teams as a back-and-forth of points ensued. The Mustangs maintained their lead by a hairsbreadth as the Gryphons held tight, but an additional 3-pointer from Johnson acted as a boost of confidence and allowed the Mustangs to lock in their lead. With a final score of 64-60, the Mustangs secured their final win of 2019 against a very real potential playoff competitor.  
 
The women's basketball team will be returning to the court after the Winter Break on Friday, January 10^th. They'll face off against the Varsity Blue's at the University of Toronto for what will hopefully be their 12^th consecutive win of the 2019-20 season.