Gryphon basketball men start slow in loss to X-Men
GUELPH – A slow start proved costly for the Guelph Gryphons as they were topped 81-74 by the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in OUA preseason men’s basketball play Sunday at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
StFX grabbed an 18-point lead in the first quarter as they held the Gryphs to seven points. Guelph narrowed the gap to 11 points (40-29) by halftime and to six (56-50) by the end of the third quarter.
St. Francis Xavier X-Men 81 Guelph Gryphons 74
The Gryphs did close the gap to two points (58-56) early in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t net the equalizer.
While StFX shot 67 percent in the opening quarter, the Gryphs shot six percent as Emmanuel Ansah hit the team’s lone field goal. They took 18 shots including nine from three-point range.
For the game the Gryphs shot 37 percent on field goals, 35 percent on three-pointers and 67 percent on free throws. They also had 33 rebounds, nine steals, 18 turnovers, 22 points in the paint, 11 points off turnovers, six second-chance points, two fast-break points and 18 points from the bench.
The X-Men shot 45 percent on field goals, 30 percent on three-pointers and 85 percent on free throws and also had 32 rebounds, 13 steals, 13 turnovers, 36 points in the paint, 20 points off turnovers, four second-chance points, no fast-break points and 27 points from the bench.
Keenan Dowell led the Gryphs with 19 points while Khalid Ismail had 15 and Viktoras Nausedas and Dezayne Mingo each had 11. Nausedas grabbed 10 rebounds while Jalen Mason had three assists and Ansah and Mingo each had two steals.
Antoine Vernon had 19 points for StFX while Dondre Reddick had 16, Gatluak James had 14 and Avan Nava had 11. David Muenkat had nine rebounds and three assists while Vernon had five steals and Michael Utsalo had the game’s only block.
The loss was the first of the preseason for the Gryphons who had won their previous two games, both against Ontario college squads.
StFX has won four of their five preseason matches including two of three against OUA teams having earlier beaten the Laurier Golden Hawks 94-87 and lost 85-73 to the McMaster Marauders.
The Gryphs are to complete their preseason Thursday with a 7 p.m. game against the Mount Royal Cougars at the GGAC.
Guelph’s regular season is to start Nov. 4 with a game in Thunder Bay against the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Gryphon basketball men start slow in loss to X-Men
GUELPH – A slow start proved costly for the Guelph Gryphons as they were topped 81-74 by the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in OUA preseason men’s basketball play Sunday at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
StFX grabbed an 18-point lead in the first quarter as they held the Gryphs to seven points. Guelph narrowed the gap to 11 points (40-29) by halftime and to six (56-50) by the end of the third quarter.
St. Francis Xavier X-Men 81
Guelph Gryphons 74
The Gryphs did close the gap to two points (58-56) early in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t net the equalizer.
While StFX shot 67 percent in the opening quarter, the Gryphs shot six percent as Emmanuel Ansah hit the team’s lone field goal. They took 18 shots including nine from three-point range.
For the game the Gryphs shot 37 percent on field goals, 35 percent on three-pointers and 67 percent on free throws. They also had 33 rebounds, nine steals, 18 turnovers, 22 points in the paint, 11 points off turnovers, six second-chance points, two fast-break points and 18 points from the bench.
The X-Men shot 45 percent on field goals, 30 percent on three-pointers and 85 percent on free throws and also had 32 rebounds, 13 steals, 13 turnovers, 36 points in the paint, 20 points off turnovers, four second-chance points, no fast-break points and 27 points from the bench.
Keenan Dowell led the Gryphs with 19 points while Khalid Ismail had 15 and Viktoras Nausedas and Dezayne Mingo each had 11. Nausedas grabbed 10 rebounds while Jalen Mason had three assists and Ansah and Mingo each had two steals.
Antoine Vernon had 19 points for StFX while Dondre Reddick had 16, Gatluak James had 14 and Avan Nava had 11. David Muenkat had nine rebounds and three assists while Vernon had five steals and Michael Utsalo had the game’s only block.
The loss was the first of the preseason for the Gryphons who had won their previous two games, both against Ontario college squads.
StFX has won four of their five preseason matches including two of three against OUA teams having earlier beaten the Laurier Golden Hawks 94-87 and lost 85-73 to the McMaster Marauders.
The Gryphs are to complete their preseason Thursday with a 7 p.m. game against the Mount Royal Cougars at the GGAC.
Guelph’s regular season is to start Nov. 4 with a game in Thunder Bay against the Lakehead Thunderwolves.
- Guelph Sports Journal