GUELPH, Ont. – The men's basketball team defeated the Guelph Gryphons 89-78 in their 10^th win of the season. The match will further the Mustangs' record to 10-2 and drop the Gryphons down to 3-7 as the first half of their 2019-20 season comes to a close.
 
Guelph took the reins immediately following the start of the match with a few three-pointers and free-throws that quickly turned into a 10-point lead. With a handful of fouls called, the game was shaping up to be an aggressive one as Shiddo, Jenkins, and Farkic all put points on the board in order to bring the Mustangs 6 points short of the Gryphons at the end of the first quarter.
 
With less than five minutes left in the half, Eriq Jenkins put up 2 more points to tie 31-all before landing an additional 3, putting the Mustangs in the lead for their first time in the game. The score remained neck-and-neck as the Gryphons proved to be the better shooters and the Mustangs continuously offering them windows of opportunity in the form of foul shots. The half closed with a 42-41 Mustang-lead thanks to a Farkic three-pointer.
 
A tense match continued to ensue as the teams remained within a 2-3 point margin of one another for the duration of the third quarter. Julian Walker would go on to be the Mustangs' second highest scorer of the match with the Gryphons' Tommy Yanchus leading his team, both of the athletes proving to be instrumental in the steady growth of the scoreboard throughout the second half. With a buzzer-beating three-pointer, Farkic solidified the Mustangs' lead by 9 points and allowed them to bring their momentum into the final quarter.
 
The Mustangs put up 18 points in the final five minutes that would be their reason for victory that evening. Tied at 71-71 with only a few minutes remaining, the Purple and White pursued a steady climb largely led by Aaron Tenant, Shiddo, and Farkic that, for their first time that game, would put them securely ahead of the Gryphons. With two more foul shots, Jenkins brought the Mustangs' 10^th win of the season to a close at 89-78.
 
The men's basketball team will be returning to the court in the New Year on Friday, January 10^th against the UFT Varsity Blue's. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:00 P.M. EST.