Box Score GUELPH, Ont. – In the past couple weeks, the Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team has shown some of their potential. The new-look Gryphons have been playing good basketball and have piled up a few wins in the process. Guelph didn't add to the W column Friday night but the hosts did give the No. 7 Ottawa Gee-Gees a scare in a tight 83-81 loss in the annual Movember game at the GGAC.
 
The game was a thriller, thanks in part to the heroics of fourth-year guard Tommy Yanchus, who paced all players with 29 points. The Guelph native was scorching from long range and he buried his ninth three-pointer of the night with just 10 seconds left to get Guelph within two. Ottawa's Guillaume Pepin was then fouled and went to the line but with a deafening GGAC crowd making life tough, he missed both free throws giving the hosts one last shot.
 
The Gryphons got the ball down court and Craig Valeriote was able to hoist a three-point attempt at the buzzer from the right corner but it fell short, allowing the Gee-Gees to escape with the win.
 
Malcolm Glanville made 3 of 6 attempts from beyond the arc and had 14 points, while Banky Alade added 12 and a game-high 10 rebounds.
 

The Gryphons were down 81-76 with possession when Alade looked to be fouled, though there was no call. Ottawa  subsequently turned the ball over and Glanville calmly stroked a mid-range jumper to get it to 81-78, though Calvin Epistola responded with a huge bucket to set the stage from Yanchus's bomb from the left wing.
 
It was an impressive performance by the Gryphons, who were at risk of letting the poised Ottawa team build on their lead in the third quarter. But a few key buckets kept the hosts in it and showed their willingness to compete. Alade did great work in the paint and Yanchus hit his seventh long ball of the night right before the third-quarter buzzer to get the Gryphons within four at 62-58.
 
Guelph was humming in the first quarter when a Yanchus three and a Kieran Naus free throw capped an 12-0 run for a 21-12 lead. But Ottawa answered back with 8 straight points to end the first down just a single point.
 
The Gryphons kept the pace up in the second quarter and retook the lead when Glanville stroked a three from the right corner. Naus was fouled on a make inside and then sunk the free throw sparking another 9-3 run for the hosts.
 
The teams continued to trade baskets in what was a back-and-forth first half, but Ottawa pulled away slightly late in the second quarter to go into the locker room up 41-36 over the Gryphons.
 
There was a special presentation at halftime with the OUA silver-medalist Gryphon men's rugby team being honoured for raising an eye-popping $12,300 during Movember. A group of players including Kyle Lagasca and Erich Milne were at the game and had their mustaches shaved off, as did Gryphvision broadcaster Scotty Fraser.

 
 
Gryphon Take
"They're a Top 10 team and we knew it was going to be a challenge for us. We also felt like it was a statement game for us, that we could play with them and beat them. I think we just turned the ball over too much and obviously had difficulty dealing with their penetration off the ball screen."
 
"The last four games, we're certainly getting more disciplined. We need to be better, especially at the defensive end. I think we've progressed in the last four games."
 
"Tommy has been a warrior for us all year. He started off struggling but he keeps shooting. He's got that mentality and it's huge for us. It's fun to watch where he has come from in the last three and a half years. The cliché is that you recruit character and teach skill. He's a character kid and he's worked his butt off to be the player he is now that we all see. He's got tremendous heart. We saw it last year and he will continue to do that for us. We'd be lost without him."   – head coach Chris O'Rourke

 
The Record
Guelph is 3-6.

 
Next up
Carleton, Sunday, Dec. 2, 3 pm @ Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre