GUELPH, Ont. – With the OUA playoffs just around the corner, the Gryphons women's basketball team are heating up at just the right time. On Wednesday night at the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre, the Gryphons picked up one of their most impressive wins of the 2021-22 season, defeating the visiting Western Mustangs in convincing fashion 77-62. Gryphons fifth-year guard,
Burke Bechard, poured in a career-high 29 points on 11-22 shooting, to go along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, to lead the way for the Gryphons. With the win, the Gryphons improve to 10-3 on the season, while the Mustangs fall to 11-2. The two teams will meet again on Saturday afternoon (March 12) in London, with the winner of that game securing a first-round bye as the No. 2-seed in the OUA West Division.
The playoff-bound Gryphons bookended the opening half with a pair of runs, opening the 1st quarter on a 9-1 run and closing out the 2nd quarter on an 8-2 run to take a 39-31 lead into the locker room.
The Gryphons would take control of the game in the 3rd quarter, holding Western scoreless over a six minute stretch in which Guelph put together a 15-2 run to build a commanding lead.
Burke Bechard's memorable 29-point performance included 3-5 shooting from beyond the arc as well as 3 steals on the defensive end. Three other Gryphons scored in double figures, including fourth-year guard
Natalie Vigna, with the biological science major chipping in with a season-high 13 points off the bench for the Gryphs. As a team, the Gryphons were swarming on the defensive end throughout the night, limiting Western to 29.4% shooting, 3-21 from beyond the arc, while also forcing the Mustangs into 20 turnovers.
The Gryphons remain undefeated since the calendar flipped to 2022, with the team posting a perfect 7-0 record this calendar year. Their current seven-game win streak marks the second-longest active win streak in the OUA West Division, next only to the undefeated Brock Badgers (12-0).
Saturday afternoon's game in London marks the regular season finale for both teams, with the winner clinching the No. 2-seed in the OUA West and securing a first-round playoff bye. Tip at Western on Saturday is set for 1pm and can be seen live online at OUA.tv.
