THUNDER BAY, ON - The Mustangs come up against the Thunderwolves for the first time this weekend to go 5-0 so far this regular season. 

The game opened with the Lakehead Thunderwolves gaining control from the jump. This then turned into a fast-paced back and forth, with the Mustangs losing a rebound on their end, allowing the Thunderwolves to open scoring less than a minute into the game. Almost immediately after this, Ariane Saumure opened the scoring for the Mustangs, tossing up a shot from the center of the key. The Western defense was strong right out the gate, utilizing a consistent full-court press and causing Lakehead to make rushed shots and run out the shot clock. The Mustangs then scored seven unanswered points, causing the home team's bench to call a time-out to disrupt the game flow. 

After this break, the game immediately became much more aggressive on both fronts, with both teams maintaining steady defensive pressure. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they didn't appear to be having much luck in converting their opportunities to points. Despite excellent ball movement and pressure, this difficulty in putting up points as efficiently as the Thunderwolves lead to the Mustangs beginning to trail. Although Western avoided falling too far behind, they ended the first quarter trailing 16-22.

The Mustangs held possession starting the second and quickly began scoring, with Jessica Morris adding 3 to the tally, on the quarter's first play. The solid defensive pressure that started in the first 10 minutes continued, allowing Western to make a few steals. One of which by Saumure resulted in a full-court layup, bringing the Mustangs back in the lead for the first time this quarter. At this point of the game, Madalyn Picton led the scoring for the team, making 8 of the team's 25 points. This quarter was characterized by the Mustangs' consistent defensive effort and ability to force shots continuously. The game headed to halftime with Western up 33-30. 

The third quarter continued with the Mustangs maintaining pressure against the Thunderwolves. Both teams were working hard to continue the game's intensity, which included rising tensions and physicality on both ends of the court. It was once again a very back-and-forth game in the scoring. However, Lakehead did manage to make great use of fast breaks, with Thunderwolves guard Tiffany Reynolds able to convert the majority of her points, having completed 7 of 8 from the floor. It was a relatively balanced game, with the most significant deficit for the Mustangs being only 8 points (49-41). They were able to close this gap heading into the fourth, down 46-49. 

There was intense frustration from both teams throughout the last 10 minutes of the game. The score was incredibly close, and the competitive drive from both teams resulted in a very aggressive final quarter, with both teams vying for dominance. With only 3 minutes left, Picton managed to sink a 3, which brought the Mustangs to the lead, 57-56. Western had an intense remainder of the final quarter, out-scoring the Thunderwolves to end the game 61-58. 

The Mustangs will face the Lakehead Thunderwolves once again tomorrow, at 6 pm in Thunder Bay. Fans can watch live at OUA.tv.