TORONTO, Ont. – The women's basketball team made a triumphant return to the court Friday evening with a 70-57 win over the University of Toronto Varsity Blue's. Following an 82-59 loss to the Blue's the season prior, the win will extend the Mustangs' current season record to 12-1 and drop the Blue's down to 2-9.  
 
The Varsity Blue's were first to make it on the board Friday evening with a three-pointer from guard Ellen Ougrinov. Elizabeth Leblanc of the Purple and White immediately brought it back to kick off the intense back-and-forth that would ensue for the remainder of the match. With steady growth from both teams throughout the quarter, Nada Radonjic pulled UFT ahead with a clean three-pointer just prior to Maddy Horst's buzzer-beating basket.
 
With a 19-16 lead, it didn't take the Varsity Blue's long to lose their hold over the Mustangs. The start of the second quarter allowed Western to gain the momentum needed to carry them into the second half of the game. Both Julia Curran and Horst were quick to put up points, but while the rest of the Blue's floundered to make baskets, forwards Sarah Bennett and Radonjic managed to pull through to keep UFT in the match. From far outside the three, both Emma Johnson and Horst delivered baskets that would secure the Mustangs' lead as they brought the first half to a close.
 
The third quarter was where the Purple and White would thrive. Simple basketball seemed to rule in their favour as UFT continued to lose their grip on the game, allowing the Mustangs to enter the fourth quarter with more than a 10-point lead – the widest margin of the game thus far. What the Varsity Blue's failed to gain in their free-throw opportunities Ougrinov made up for in three-pointers. The guard's 14 points kept the Blue's close in score, but the baskets Curran and Horst continued to hit ultimately shut Toronto out of the win.
 
The Mustangs will return to the court tomorrow afternoon, Saturday the 11^th, as they turn to face-off against the Ryerson University Rams. The game is scheduled to begin at 12:00 P.M. in Toronto.