Matt Dionne | Editor-in-Chief
Featured image: The Lions men’s team is still looking for their first win of 2018. | Courtesy of Seyran Mamadov
The Lions won two of their four games against cross-town rivals U of T and Ryerson.
The women took on the Ryerson Rams on Wednesday, hoping to end their two-game losing streak. However, they got off to a slow start, as the Rams jumped out to an 11-5 lead midway through the first quarter.
An 8-4 run in the final two minutes—which featured five unanswered points from the Lions—made the score 20-17 with only 23 seconds left. However, a made free throw cut the lead to just two points. Then, off a missed York jumper, Ryerson turned the defensive runout into a buzzer-beating layup to tie the game.
The second was a back-and-forth battle up until the final three minutes, when York went on a 9-4 run to end the half.
A 23-point effort from York in the third extended their lead to double-digits, and they never looked back from there, as they would cruise to the 89-78 victory.
The Lions were lead by Katrina Collins-Samuels, who recorded 19 points on 46 per cent shooting from the field, and 87 per cent from the line.
The men were still searching for their first win of 2018 when they took on Ryerson right after the women’s game. Unfortunately, it was a slow start, as they only managed seven points in the first quarter, while giving up 18 to the Rams.
The second quarter was a better offensive showing for both teams, as they each scored 21 points.
The Lions outscored the Rams in the third, cutting the lead to single-digits, but they were unable to complete the comeback in the fourth, as Ryerson would go on to win the game 83-70.
York was lead by Brandon Ramirez, who came off the bench to score 21 points on 45 per cent shooting from the field, and 30 per cent from beyond the arc.
The women were back in action Friday, and taking on a U of T Blues squad that had lost three of their first four games to start 2018.
The first quarter was tightly contested, as both teams recorded double-digit points en route to a one-point lead for the Blues through 10.
Both offenses cooled off in the second, as York outscored U of T by two points to take a one-point lead into halftime.
The third was another tightly contested 10 minutes, as U of T recorded 21 points while York poured in 18 of their own.
It was in the fourth that York finally pulled away, as their offence recorded 19 points while limiting U of T to just 12.
The Lions were lead by Lindsay Shotbolt, who recorded 20 points, 18 rebounds, four blocks, two assists, and a steal, and Collins-Samuels, who recorded 21 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
With the win, York improved their record to 8-8, and is now fifth in the OUA East Division, just four points back of Ryerson.
The men’s team was hoping to capitalize on the women’s momentum and finally end their losing streak dating back to last semester.
Neither team came out guns-blazing in the first quarter, as they only managed a combined 23 points. However, both offenses got the lid off the basket in the second quarter, as U of T scored 21 points, while York poured in 18 of their own, en route to a four-point deficit at the half.
Unfortunately, York was unable to mount a comeback in the second half, as they gave up 40 points, while only managing 27 of their own.
The Lions were lead by Chevon Brown, who came off the bench to score 23 points on 42 per cent shooting from the field and 33 per cent from beyond the arc, and a perfect 8 of 8 from the foul line.
The Lions are back at home this weekend, when they’ll be hosting Nipissing on Friday and Laurentian on Saturday. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. for the women and 8 p.m. for the men.
