GUELPH, Ont. -  The Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team picked up their first win of the 2022-23 season on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 19) at the Gryphon Centre Arena 97-77 over the visiting York Lions. After a dominant first quarter the Gryphons never looked back, maintaining their lead and capitalizing on York turnovers to get into the win column for the first time this season.
 
Coming off of back-to-back tough, hard-fought losses to the Laurier Golden Hawks, the Gryphons came out of the gates determined to pick up their first win. Led by Dezayne Mingo in the first quarter who went 2-of-2 from the field and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe for 8 points, the Gryphons jumped out to a 31-15 lead after shooting 70.6% as a squad. The second quarter saw the Lions respond well with the Gryphons only outscoring the visiting team by one point but playing strong defence to maintain their double-digit lead. While their shooting percentage dropped in the second frame, the Gryphs managed to take the ball away 8 times to limit any damage done by the Lions.
 
The third quarter saw another Gryphon go perfect from the field with fourth-year guard Khalid Ismail shooting 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc to help the Gryphons extend their lead by 5-points. Ismail would score a team-high 20 points while adding 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Providing another offensive spark to the Gryphons on Saturday afternoon was, 6-foot-6 Mississauga native, Emmanuel Ansah. Ansah continued his fantastic start to the 2022-23 season with a 15-point, 8 rebound performance which included a couple big dunks to keep momentum in the home team's favour. The final frame saw the Lions outscore the Gryphons for the first time, but it was too late, the Gryphon lead was beyond reach and the final whistle would sound a 20-point victory for the Gryphons.
 
The Gryphons (1-3) will now look to carry this win to Sault Ste. Marie where they will take on the Algoma Thunderbirds in a back-to-back series on Friday (Nov. 25) and Saturday (Nov. 26). Fans unable to attend the games can watch live at www.oua.tv.