GUELPH, ON - With a chance to grab top spot in the OUA's Central Division on the line, the Gryphons women's basketball team dropped a disappointing 64-57 decision to the Western Mustangs at the W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre Saturday night.

Guelph (5-3) looked in position to rack up another a win when leading 45-40 early in the fourth quarter. But Western (5-3), led by fifth-year guard Caroline Wolynski, took over down the stretch, ultimately orchestrating a 24-12 run. Wolynski scored 4 of her team-high 18 points on back-to-back layups late in the fourth, helping put the game out of reach for the cold-shooting Gryphons. Guelph finished the night making just 22 of 69 field goal attempts (25.6 per cent in the second half), including just 2 of 13 from behind the arc.

The hosts had a hard time making shots from both the paint and outside, though Katherine MacTavish was her dominant self finishing the night with a game-high 19 points along with 8 rebounds. The fifth-year Waterloo, ON native entered the evening fourth in the OUA in field goal percentage (51.3 per cent) and she got off to a hot start by hitting her first four shots, including Guelph's first five points of the game. MacTavish was actually perfect shooting after two quarters, going 3-for-3 from the free throw line for 11 points in 16 first-half minutes.

She got some help inside with Vanessa Rampado chipping in 9 points and 5 rebounds, including a big three-point play late in the third quarter. Bridget Atkinson added 10 points, while Dana Van Balkom, responsible for Guelph's only two three-pointers, finished with 9 points and a game-high 6 assists.

Mackenzie Puklicz had 15 for the Mustangs but Wolynski was the key for Western. The Gryphons had a tough time handling the senior guard, who seemed to settle her team down early with a few successful drives to kickstart the offence. Wolynski had a good battle with Atkinson and it was the Guelph guard who started setting the tone in the second half by taking the ball hard to the basket. Wolynski had the final say with her definitive layups late in the game.

Guelph started out strong defensively causing a couple early shot clock violations that left Western in search of some flow. MacTavish got the Gryphons going on the offensive end with a couple buckets and a free throw, before a long Van Balkom three-pointer put Guelph up 14-6. But the Mustangs rallied and after rookie guard Laura Graham nailed a three, the Gryphons ended the first quarter up just a point at 16-15.

Notes: The Gryphons get back at it Friday, January 15 when they host the Windsor Lancers...Atkinson (5) and Van Balkom (4) combined for all 9 of Guelph's steals...The Gryphons were 0-for-6 on threes in the second half...former Western star Jenny Vaughan made her Gryphons coaching debut after having recently joined Christin Dickenson's staff as an assistant coach.