Box Score GUELPH, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons women's basketball team didn't have the luxury of easing into 2019. The Gryphons began the second half of the OUA season with a tough test, hosting No. 9 Lakehead Thunderwolves – and they came up just short despite a late flurry. Guelph rallied but ultimately fell 67-66 at the GGAC Friday night.
 
Burke Bechard led the Gryphons with 20 points and 11 boards, while Hanna Pryce chipped in 16 points.
 
Guelph rebounded from a forgettable third quarter but still trailed 67-59 with just 1:22 left in the game. The Gryphons then went on a furious run, beginning with a lefty layup from Bechard. Modupe Okeowo added a huge bucket with a mid-range jumper from the right baseline after snatching an offensive rebound and Bechard made another layup to get Guelph within a point.
 
A Lakehead turnover gave the Gryphons a chance to win it. Okeowo had a jumper blocked out of bounds by Thunderwolves' guard Tiffany Reynolds with just two seconds left on the clock. But Ivana Vujadinovic's running attempt at the buzzer missed and Lakehead escaped with the narrow win.
 
Guelph did well defending OUA scoring leader second Leashja Grant, holding the fifth-year forward to just 15 points, well below her average of 21.6 ppg. It was the Gryphons' second consecutive loss to a U SPORTS Top 10 team by a basket or less.
 
The game was essentially decided in the third quarter as the hosts managed just six points. Guelph came out of the halftime break well and took a 46-41 lead but Lakehead went on a massive 15-0 run to lead 56-46 heading into the fourth. They would take advantage of the Gryphons' offensive drought and led by as many as 14 but Guelph answered with a 7-0 run of its own, capped by an Okeowo three pointer to shave the Lakehead lead down to 61-54.
 
Guelph got off to an excellent start, converting a couple steals into field goals to go along with three three-pointers from Bechard for an early 19-13 lead. But Lakehead responded with a 7-0 run, spurred by a Nikki Ylagan three. Pryce was fouled right before the buzzer and made both free throws to give the Gryphons a 21-20 lead after 10 minutes of play.
 
Pryce stayed hot in the second quarter, scoring 11 of Guelph's 19 points. And Holmes hit her first three-pointer of the game in the final minute to help the Gryphons go into the half up 40-39.
 
The teams will meet again Saturday in the back end of the doubleheader.

 
Gryphon Take
 "That third quarter really set us back. It was something that was preventable because we just stopped guarding people. We're not supposed to be like that. Hopefully, tomorrow we can get our act together and play four quarters. When we play like we did in the fourth, we do fine. We made shots at the end when we had just because we were more aggressive. We were not aggressive in the third. We just had so many empty possessions. It wasn't pretty." – head coach Mark Walton

 
The Record
Guelph is 4-7.

 
Next up
Lakehead, Saturday, Jan. 4, 6 pm @ Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre