Box Score Toronto, ON – Despite a strong team effort, the Gryphons women's basketball team lost 77-71 to the No. 7 Ryerson Rams Wednesday night at Ryerson University. With the loss, the Gryphons fall to 7-7 while Ryerson improves to 13-3.
Facing a tough Ryerson team, the Gryphons got contributions from all over the lineup and as a result gave the No. 7 team in the country all they could handle. All five Gryphon starters scored in double figures, including a strong performance from
Barbara Inrig-Pieterse who finished with 13 points and was two of three from beyond the arc. The Gryphons led 19-16 after a strong opening quarter. One of the keys to Guelph's success was their ability to get to the foul line. As a team, the Gryphons were 22 of 28 from the free throw line, good for 79%, with
Dana Van Balkom (Hamilton, ON) leading the way by going eight for nine from the charity stripe. The Gryphons took a 38-37 lead into the locker room at the half.
Ryerson came out strong in the third quarter, outscoring the Gryphons 21-14 in the frame. Ryerson's lead would grow to nine in the fourth, but the Gryphons would refuse to go away. Helped in part by a technical foul assessed to Ryerson coach Carly Clarke, the Gryphs would storm back to tie the game at 66-66 with 3:35 left in regulation. Down the stretch, the Rams were able to re-take the lead. A pair of costly turnovers by Guelph would give Ryerson some breathing room. The Gryphons finished the night with 17 turnovers compared to just 11 by the Rams, as Ryerson would end the game on an 11-5 run to win it 77-71.
For the Gryphons,
Katherine MacTavish finished with 14 points.
Vanessa Rampado had 11 points and eight rebounds, while
Bridget Atkinson chipped in with 11 points of her own. For Ryerson, Sofia Paska came off the bench and poured in 18 points, while Keneca Pingue-Giles had 17.
The Gryphons have five games remaining on their regular season schedule and will be in action again on Saturday at 6pm when they will once again travel to Toronto for a matchup with the 7-6 Varsity Blues.
