LONDON, Ont. – A strong second half from the Gryphons led Guelph over the Western Mustangs by an 83-81 score on Saturday night at Alumni Hall in the season opener for both teams.
"We came out and didn't execute very well. All of a sudden we get some sloppy play. When you're down ten at the half you're going to be more focused and be ready," said head coach Brad Campbell. "We got in a bit of a rut. It took the fourth quarter to dig out of that and make it a game again. The third quarter was not good."
"We came out firing in the first half, but I think we came out flat in the third," said Jedson Tavernier. "We can't be doing that. They got a jump on us in the third. Momentum swung their way. We tried to fight back in the fourth and we gave it our all but it was just too late."
Four Mustangs hit double digits in the home opener with Eriq Jenkins leading with 22 points in his first regular season contest as a Mustang. Following were teammates Cam Morris with 15 points, and rookie Omar Shiddo and Jedson Tavernier recording 13 and 12 points, respectively. Jonathan Wallace scored a team-high 18 points for the Gryphons, while Taylor Boers followed close behind with 16.
The Mustangs picked up the rhythm with five players contributing to an early Western lead. The score went back and forth through the first ten minutes, eventually landing in Western's favour with a score of 19-13.
The second frame opened with a collective effort, with Jenkins sinking five points and Morris with eight, including two back-to-back three-point shots. The Mustangs continued to dominate the quarter limiting their opponents to only six points in the first five minutes as they increased their lead to as high as 18 points midway through the frame. They went on to finish the first half at 42-32.
The Gryphons came back from halftime with increased momentum as they went on a 13-3 run, before eventually tying things up 49-49 in the middle of the quarter. Outscoring the Mustangs by 29-14 in the third, the Gryphons took a 61-56 advantage going into the final frame.
The Gryphons did not hold back in the final ten minutes, scoring seven points compared to just two from the Mustangs to begin the fourth. In a swift four-point play by Jenkins followed by an impressive open shot beyond the arc by Morris, the Mustangs were back in the contest with a free throw from Shiddo tying the score at 74. The last two minutes were an intense battle on the court, with one point separating the Mustangs from victory with just 3.9 seconds left to play. However, a pair of free throws kept the Gryphons on top as they took the 83-81 victory.
"That stretch where we fought back and played, we really traded too many baskets down that stretch. We had all the momentum, on offence it seemed, but defensively we're still giving up way too much." said Campbell. "Once we start to be able to defend and focus in on that end, we're going to be much better."
The Mustangs head north to face the Laurentian Voyageurs on Friday, November 11, and the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. for both games and they can be watched live at OUA.tv.
