GUELPH, Ont. - On Friday night (Nov. 3) Gryphon women's basketball made it's return to the court at the Guelph Gryphon Athletic Centre, starting their season off with an impressive win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees. The Gryphons jumped out to a nine-point lead at the half before showcasing a strong defensive effort in the second to lead them to a 57-49 season-opening win. Third-year standout guard Renee Armstrong led all scorers with 17 points in her season debut while shooting 7-for-15 from the field. The 2022-23 All-Star put on another all-round performance, adding 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals to the boxscore. Veteran forward Trinity Papamandjaris also had a highlight performance with a dominant night on the glass, bringing down 18 rebounds, including 8 at the offensive end of the court. 

After a strong first half, the Gryphons put their stout defensive game plan on display, holding the Gee-Gees to just five field goals in the second half while forcing 11 turnovers in the third and fourth quarters. The best stretch for the Gryphons came in the final minutes of the game, leading Ottawa by a single point with just 1:21 remaining. Over the next 81 seconds, the Gryphons forced three consecutive turnovers in the defensive halfcourt drawing three fouls and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe to close out the win. Third-year Niagara Falls native and defensive standout Julia Colavecchia, produced two of her four turnovers in the game during the final stretch in another strong performance that saw her also put 10 point up on the scoreboard.

The Gryphons (1-0) will return to their home court Saturday night (Nov. 4) for a matchup with another opponent from Ottawa, the defending U SPORTS Champion Carleton Ravens. Tip off is set for 6pm with tickets for the game available at gryphons.ca/tickets. Fans unable to attend can catch Saturday night's match live online at www.oua.tv.