WINDSOR, Ont. – In recent years, there has been a steady progression happening within the Guelph Gryphons women's basketball program. Three seasons ago, in 2016-17, the Gryphons fielded one of the youngest rosters in the OUA and narrowly missed the playoffs under then-first year head coach Mark Walton. In 2017-18, the Gryphons would win 14 games during the regular season, earning the right to host a home playoff game, only to fall just short versus Western in a hard-fought opening round matchup.
And in 2018-19, in Walton's third season in charge of the U of G women's basketball program, the Gryphons have taken yet another significant step forward. And they're not done yet.
Wednesday night at the St. Denis Centre in Windsor, the Gryphons picked up a 62-59 road win over a perennial power in women's basketball in the Windsor Lancers. The Gryphons, the No. 6-seed in the OUA West, took an 11-point lead into the final quarter and were able to hold off a late charge from the No. 3-seeded Lancers, who have claimed six OUA titles in the past 10 years, to escape Windsor with a three-point victory.
Sophomore star
Burke Bechard led the way for the Gryphons with 20 points (8-11 shooting), 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.
Ivana Vujadinovic added 12 points, while
Skyla Minaker (10 points, 8 rebounds) and
Sarah Holmes (11 points, 9 rebounds) each narrowly missed out on a double-double. Defensively, the Gryphons produced one of their strongest performances of the season, limiting the Lancers to 3-17 shooting from beyond the arc while also forcing Windsor into 17 turnovers. Windsor's sharp-shooting fifth-year guard, Carly Steer, who has led the OUA in made three-pointers in each of the past two seasons, finished the night without a basket (0-6 from the field, 0-4 from beyond the arc).
A strong first half from the Gryphons was punctuated by a buzzer-beating three from Sarah Holmes, that capped a 24-point 2nd quarter by the Gryphs. Guelph carried the momentum into the 3rd quarter, outscoring Windsor 17-11 to push the lead to double digits. The host Lancers would claw back late, trimming the deficit to two (61-59) with just over one minute remaining in regulation. From there, however, the Gryphons would lock down defensively, forcing Windsor into misses in each of their final three possessions to leave Windsor with the 62-59 win.
The Gryphons now advance to the second round of playoffs and will head to Thunder Bay to face the No. 2-seeded Lakehead Thunderwolves on Saturday night (Feb. 23) at 7pm.
Gryphon Take
"We're really proud of the way our players rose to the occasion considering that we are still a relatively young team that's learning how to play playoff basketball. So much of Windsor's offence comes from their offensive rebounding, and we did a great job keeping them off the glass. Carly Steer is one of the best three-point shooters in the OUA, and to hold her without a basket, that's a hell of a day. We showed some nerves late which resulted in some rushed shots, but in the end we were able to execute when we had to."
– Gryphons head coach Mark Walton
Next up
@ Lakehead Thunderwolves – OUA West Semi-finals – Saturday, Feb. 23 (7pm)
