GUELPH, Ont. – It was a weekend that Banky Alade will not soon forget. Just two days after leading the Gryphons to a Friday night victory over the Nipissing Lakers, Guelph Gryphons third-year forward Banky Alade was at it once again on Sunday afternoon versus the Laurentian Voyageurs, this time to the tune of a monster 29-point, 20-rebound performance in Guelph's 83-76 win over the visiting Voyageurs. The victory pushes the Gryphons' win streak to three and caps a memorable weekend for the native of Sherwood Park, Alberta.
 
After pouring in 22-points on Friday versus the Lakers, Alade took his game to even greater heights on Sunday, dominating in the paint at both ends of the floor to help lead the Gryphons past a tough Laurentian team that rolled into Guelph with a 4-1 record. The Voyageurs (4-2) also boast one of the brightest stars in all of U SPORTS men's basketball in third-year guard Kadre Gray. The reigning U SPORTS Player of the Year, who a season ago helped Laurentian climb to as high as No. 5 in the national rankings, scored 33 points on Sunday afternoon in Guelph. That total actually marked Gray's second-lowest output of the season, with the Toronto native averaging an eye-popping 34.5 points per game through the first six games of 2018-19.
 
The Gryphons were able to limit Gray to just 10 points in the second half, with J.L. Nwosu and Craig Valeriote combining on the defensive end to help frustrate the All-Canadian guard, forcing Gray into 5 turnovers on the day. Overshadowing Gray's 33-point day was a rare 20-point, 20-rebound performance from Banky Alade. The 6-foot-6 Marketing student helped the Gryphons out-rebound Laurentian 54-27 on the day. The 76-points allowed also marked Guelph's best defensive performance of the season.
 
Both teams went into the locker room on Sunday afternoon tied at 46-46. The Gryphons would come out strong in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Laurentian 20-11 to take a nine-point lead into the final quarter. After the Voyageurs battled back to make it a two-point game, the Gryphons would respond with big baskets from fourth-year guard Tommy Yanchus, who finished with 16 points on the day. The Gryphs also received a nice performance from sophomore forward Rasheed Weekes, who was an efficient 6-of-10 shooting for 15 points, including a late lay-in to help seal the win. The lone three-pointer on the day for the Gryphons came at a critical time, when Craig Valeriote connected from the wing in the 4th quarter to push the U of G lead back to four with just over two minutes remaining.
 
The spotlight, however, belonged solely to Banky Alade. The physical forward imposed his will in the paint throughout the day, leading the Gryphons to their third win in a nine-day stretch.

 
Gryphon Take
"Banky obviously had a massive weekend for us. He carried us on his shoulders both games. He just dominated on the glass and in the paint this weekend. We felt we had a good matchup with him in the post and emphasized getting him the ball. His will to rebound the ball has always been there, but to watch him finish around the rim the way he was today, it was amazing to watch." – head coach Chris O'Rourke
 
The Record
Guelph is 3-5

 
Next up
Ottawa Gee-Gees – Friday, Nov. 30 @ Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre