Gryphs drop heartbreaker to Laurier in home opener
GUELPH – The Guelph Gryphons suffered a heartbreaking 92-91 loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks in their OUA men’s basketball home opener Friday night in a rocking Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
After clawing their way back from a 13-point deficit late in the third quarter, the Gryphs went ahead late in the fourth quarter. The hosts went ahead by five with less than a minute and a half to go, but the Golden Hawks wouldn’t give in.
Laurier Golden Hawks 92 Guelph Gryphons 91
Ethan Passley hit a three-pointer for Laurier to cut the gap to two points with 46 seconds to go. Then KJ Massela tied it when he sank two free throws with 37 seconds to go, but then he was called for a foul with 18 seconds to play and Dylan McFee sank both to put the Gryphs ahead by two again.
Taye Donald of the Golden Hawks was fouled with five seconds to go and he sank both to put Laurier ahead by one.
The Gryphs called a timeout to set up a play and it worked as Jalen Mason quickly hit a jumper with just less than four seconds to go to put Guelph back in the lead.
As it turned out, that play unfolded too quickly. Laurier called a timeout to design a response and get the ball in Gryphon territory. The play got the ball to Jahmyah Brown Jeffer after the throw-in and he put a shot up from just inside the arc. As the buzzer sounded, the shot swished through the hoop to give Laurier the win.
Emmanuel Ansah led the Gryphs with 24 points while Rasheed Weekes had 14 and Khalil Ismail added 12. Ansah had eight rebounds while Weekes had seven. Ismail, Keenan Dowell and McFee each had three assists and Mason had five steals.
Passley had a game-high 28 points for Laurier while Donald had 18, Majok Deng had 12 and Brown Jeffer had 10. Brown Jeffer and Ben Stevens each had six rebounds while Donald had six assists and three steals.
The Gryphs shot 47 percent on field goals, 33 on three-pointers and 85 percent on free throws (17 of 20) while the Golden Hawks shot 49 percent on field goals, 45 percent on three-pointers and 81 percent on free throws.
The Gryphs also scored 21 points off turnovers, eight on second chances and had 52 points from their bench. Laurier had 18 points off turnovers, six on second chances and 51 from their bench.
The Gryphs are one of three winless teams in the West Division. Windsor Lancers lead the six-team division at 4-0 while Laurier’s at 3-2 and the Western Mustangs are at 2-2. The Gryphs are at 0-2, Waterloo Warriors are at 0-3 and the Algoma Thunderbirds are at 0-4.
As is the case in the women’s league, the men’s league also has the teams divided into three six-team divisions this season and teams are to play their division mates twice each during the regular season and every other team once each.
The Gryphs and Golden Hawks are to play again Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Laurier and the Gryphs are to battle the York Lions (1-3) next Saturday at 3 p.m. at the GGAC.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Gryphs drop heartbreaker to Laurier in home opener
GUELPH – The Guelph Gryphons suffered a heartbreaking 92-91 loss to the Laurier Golden Hawks in their OUA men’s basketball home opener Friday night in a rocking Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.
After clawing their way back from a 13-point deficit late in the third quarter, the Gryphs went ahead late in the fourth quarter. The hosts went ahead by five with less than a minute and a half to go, but the Golden Hawks wouldn’t give in.
Laurier Golden Hawks 92
Guelph Gryphons 91
Ethan Passley hit a three-pointer for Laurier to cut the gap to two points with 46 seconds to go. Then KJ Massela tied it when he sank two free throws with 37 seconds to go, but then he was called for a foul with 18 seconds to play and Dylan McFee sank both to put the Gryphs ahead by two again.
Taye Donald of the Golden Hawks was fouled with five seconds to go and he sank both to put Laurier ahead by one.
The Gryphs called a timeout to set up a play and it worked as Jalen Mason quickly hit a jumper with just less than four seconds to go to put Guelph back in the lead.
As it turned out, that play unfolded too quickly. Laurier called a timeout to design a response and get the ball in Gryphon territory. The play got the ball to Jahmyah Brown Jeffer after the throw-in and he put a shot up from just inside the arc. As the buzzer sounded, the shot swished through the hoop to give Laurier the win.
Emmanuel Ansah led the Gryphs with 24 points while Rasheed Weekes had 14 and Khalil Ismail added 12. Ansah had eight rebounds while Weekes had seven. Ismail, Keenan Dowell and McFee each had three assists and Mason had five steals.
Passley had a game-high 28 points for Laurier while Donald had 18, Majok Deng had 12 and Brown Jeffer had 10. Brown Jeffer and Ben Stevens each had six rebounds while Donald had six assists and three steals.
The Gryphs shot 47 percent on field goals, 33 on three-pointers and 85 percent on free throws (17 of 20) while the Golden Hawks shot 49 percent on field goals, 45 percent on three-pointers and 81 percent on free throws.
The Gryphs also scored 21 points off turnovers, eight on second chances and had 52 points from their bench. Laurier had 18 points off turnovers, six on second chances and 51 from their bench.
The Gryphs are one of three winless teams in the West Division. Windsor Lancers lead the six-team division at 4-0 while Laurier’s at 3-2 and the Western Mustangs are at 2-2. The Gryphs are at 0-2, Waterloo Warriors are at 0-3 and the Algoma Thunderbirds are at 0-4.
As is the case in the women’s league, the men’s league also has the teams divided into three six-team divisions this season and teams are to play their division mates twice each during the regular season and every other team once each.
The Gryphs and Golden Hawks are to play again Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Laurier and the Gryphs are to battle the York Lions (1-3) next Saturday at 3 p.m. at the GGAC.
- Guelph Sports Journal