TORONTO, Ont. - The Guelph Gryphons men's basketball team was officially eliminated form contention in the 2024 OUA postseason Wednesday night after suffering a hard-fought loss to the York Lions on the road at the Tait McKenzie Centre. Despite a herculean effort which saw the Gryphons erase a 20-point first-half deficit, a 14-5 fourth quarter run from the Lions would see the home team capture a 97-88 victory and end the Gryphons hopes for a playoff berth. With three games remaining on the regular season, schedule the Gryphons now sit at 5-14 on the season while the Lions improve to 10-9 as they look to secure a playoff position. 

Despite a disappointing result, the Gryphons saw second-year guard and reigning OUA Rookie of the Year, Dezayne Mingo, do all he could to keep the Gryphons season alive, recording a career-high 39 points in the loss. The Hamilton, Ontario product went 12-for-19 from the field which included four made shots from beyond the arc in 38 minutes of action. Mingo will look for a strong finish to close out another impressive season in which he ranks among the OUA's most productive players in several key statistical categories. The psychology major leads the conference in total points (431), ranks third in assists (96),and has played the second-most minutes of anyone in the OUA, with only York's Evan Shadkami having seen the court more. Senior forward Emmanuel Ansah also put on an impressive performance in an effort to maintain the Gryphs playoff push. The arts major from Mississauga totaled 24 points, which included six threes, and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. 

Wednesday nights matchup saw the York Lions quickly build a commanding lead thanks to a 10-0 run to close out the opening quarter which was followed by a strong second frame that ended in a 15-point halftime advantage for the home team. Coming out for the third quarter, the Gryphons exploded on offence, scoring 35 points thanks to 66% shooting and connecting on seven shots from beyond the arc. Defensively, they held the Lions to just four field goals on 14 attempts to take a four-point lead with one quarter remaining after trialing by as much as 20 during the contest. Despite the Gryphons fantastic third-quarter effort the Lions would tighten up on defence, looking to avoid a repeat performance, and outscore the Gryphs 30-17 en route to a 97-88 victory. 

The Gryphons will now close out the season with a three-game stretch that begins with their final home game on Saturday (Feb. 10) against the Western Mustangs. The team will then head on the road for their final two games, taking on the Nipissing Lakers in North Bay before closing out 2023-24 in Sudbury against the Laurentian Voyaguers. Tickets for the Gryphons 2023-24 'Senior Night' game against the Mustangs are available online at gryphons.ca/tickets, with tip off set for 4pm at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre.