TORONTO, ON - Third year guard Jonathan Wallace scored a career-high 24 points to help lift the Gryphons to a 102-98 win over the York Lions Saturday night in Toronto at the Tait McKenzie Gymnasium on the campus of York University. With the win, the Gryphons (6-7) pick up a big two points and now sit just two points back of Lakehead for the third and final playoff spot in the OUA Central division with six games still remaining in the regular season schedule. The York Lions meanwhile fall to 3-11 on the season with the loss.

The 102 points scored were a season-high for the Gryphons, who needed almost every single one of those points to fend off a resilient York squad. With 4:49 remaining in the final quarter, the Gryphons held a commanding 15-point lead. That 15-point lead would be whittled down to just four with 2:14 still to go. The Gryphons needed an answer and got it when Taylor Boers knocked down a clutch three pointer to push the Guelph lead back up to seven. Once again howeve, York answered by scoring five straight points and trimming the Gryphon lead to 94-92 with 37 seconds to play. A clutch layup from Gryphons guard Drew Walford (16 points, 12 rebounds) would help extend the lead back to a two-score game. The Gryphons would make their free throws down the stretch and put an end to a wild, high-scoring affair at York as they held on to win 102-98.

Aside from racking up a career-high 24 points, Jonathan Wallace also had 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Five Gryphons scored in double figures including Taylor Boers who poured in 18 points off the bench. The Gryphon bench outscored York's reserves 43-27, thanks in part as well to Jack Beatty who came off the bench to go 3-for-6 from beyond the arc.

When it came to sharp shooting from beyond, the Gryphons were hot early, going 6-of-11 from downtown in the opening quarter in which they outscored York 26-11. The Lions cut into that lead in the second quarter however and found themselves trailing by just four at the half. In the third quarter, Guelph once again took control, outscoring the Lions 29-22. Leading the way was Walford who racked up an impressive 7 offensive rebounds on the night.

Up next for the Gryphons, a short trip to Waterloo to face the Laurier Golden Hawks (6-9) on Friday, February 12. Following that game, the Gryphons will once again make the short trip to Waterloo on Saturday (Feb. 13) when they face the University of Waterloo Warriors (1-14). Those two games will wrap up a six-game road trip for the Gryphons, who have so far gone 2-2. Guelph's final four games of the regular season all come on home court, beginning with a matchup against the No. 1-ranked team in the country in the Ryerson Rams (10-1) on Wednesday, February 17.