LONDON, Ont. – The Gryphons men's basketball team found themselves in a win or go home scenario on Saturday night (March 12) in London. In a rematch of Wednesday night's game in Guelph, which saw the Gryphons beat the Mustangs on the back of
Malcolm Glanville, the winner of Saturday's game would be guaranteed a spot in the OUA Playoffs. The Gryphons looked to be well on their way to a playoff berth, leading the Mustangs after the first quarter, but the Mustangs turned it on in the second and third quarters, taking advantage of Gryphons mistakes. The Mustangs would score 30 points off of Gryphons turnovers and pull away, giving them the 5
th seed heading into playoffs, and subsequently ending the Gryphons 2021-22 season.
The first quarter saw the Gryphons get off to a great start. They opened with a 5-minute 16-2 run led by 11 points from
Viktor Nausedas on 5-7 shooting. The Gryphons let Western back into this game though, as the Mustangs generated some strong momentum of their own, creeping back into the game with a 13-4 run to finish the quarter. The Gryphons early dominance was enough to keep them on top 20-15 heading into the second quarter.
The visiting Gryphons were able to hold off the Mustangs for most of the second quarter,
Malcolm Glanville and
Keenan Dowell each contributed 7 points in the quarter, doing their best to keep the Gryphons on top. As the second quarter wore on, the Gryphons turnover count continued to grow, giving the Mustangs a chance to get back in the game. The Gryphons had 12 turnovers in the first half, and 4 in the final 3 minutes, which helped the Mustangs string together 12 points, inching them past the Gryphons going into halftime.
Both teams came into the second half flexing their offensive abilities.
The Mustangs opened up the quarter shooting very efficiently and the Gryphons found themselves down 10 points early in the second half. More strong shooting from Dowell and Glanville pulled the Gryphons closer to regaining the lead, each of them had 10 points in this quarter. But, as the third quarter was nearing its finish, the Mustangs were able to grab an offensive rebound and finish off the play with a basket as time expired, giving them momentum and a 76-69 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
The final quarter of play saw the Mustangs build off their third quarter finish, as the Gryphons fell behind 90-74 with 6 minutes to play.
Rasheed Weekes had a dominant 4
th quarter with 8 points and 7 rebounds, helping the Gryphons pull within 4 points as they battled for a playoff spot. Ultimately, the Gryphons would run out of time in their effort to come back, falling by a score of 104-95, ending the Gryphons' season and giving the Mustangs the 5
th seed heading into playoffs.
Keenan Dowell led the Gryphons push with 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, shooting 12-19 from the field and 5-7 from beyond the arc.
Malcolm Glanville had another strong performance with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, while
Rasheed Weekes put together a dominant double-double, finishing with 12 points and 17 rebounds.
The Gryphons finish their season just outside the playoffs with a 5-9 record.
Malcolm Glanville finishes the regular season 4
th in OUA points per game (22.6), while
Rasheed Weekes finishes 2
nd in OUA rebounds per game (10.1).
