Zain Rashid | Staff Writer
Featured Image: Lions lose three out of four games to Carleton and Ottawa U. | Courtesy of YorkU Lions
It was a disappointing week for York’s basketball teams as they lost three out of four games at home against Carleton and Ottawa.
The women’s played first on Friday, against Carleton. The Lions started on the right foot, and led 19-8 at the end of the first, due in large part to eight points from Emma Jonas and six from Katrina Collins-Samuels.
Carleton, however, flipped the switch in the second by scoring 18 points, while holding the Lions to just eight.
The Lions lost the lead in the third quarter as the Ravens outscored them by 13 points to end the quarter 46-34.
York’s 13 points in the fourth were insufficient, as the Ravens scored 20 points and won the game 66-47.
York’s men also suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Ravens on Friday.
Gianmarco Luciani scored seven points for York in the first , but the Ravens poured in 23 points of their own, as they went into the second leading 23-16.
The Ravens added another 23 points in the second, while playing lock-down defence, and limiting the Lions to just six.
Despite six points apiece from Chevon Brown and DeAndrae Pierre, the Lions couldn’t catch up to the Ravens, in the third, as the quarter ended 75-41, going into the fourth.
The Ravens kept extending their lead in the final frame, en route to the 102-57 victory.
The women were looking to bounce back on Saturday against the Gee-Gees. Unfortunately for York, this wasn’t the case, as Ottawa dominated the game from the start, leading by six at the end of the first.
York responded in the second, courtesy of Collins-Samuels’ excellent performance and at one point cut the Gee-Gee’s lead to just four. Ottawa, however, managed to increase the gap before the end of the frame, going into halftime with a 35-24 lead.
Ottawa completely outclassed York in the third, scoring an astonishing 30 points, while limiting York to just seven.
Despite a score of 65-31 going into the fourth, the Lions did not give up, and outscored Ottawa by seven. Unfortunately, however, it wasn’t enough, as the Lions fell to the Gee-Gees 78-50.
The only win of the weekend came when the men defeated Ottawa in the second game of Saturday’s double header.
Gene Spagnuolo opened the scoring for York with two free-throws. Nana Adu-Poku then made four consecutive jumpers to give the Lions a 10-4 lead, which they extended to 17-12 by the end of the opening frame.
Brown, Spagnuolo, Pierre and Adu Poku all found their stroke in the second, as York poured in another 18 points, en route to a 35-28 halftime lead.
In the third, Ottawa fought back, and even took a one-point lead. However, York responded, courtesy of Brown, and the quarter ended 58-46 for the Lions.
York maintained a comfortable lead over the Gee-Gees in the final frame, ending the game 78-67.
Both Lions teams visit their cross-town rivals, Ryerson and U of T on Friday and Saturday. Tip-off on both days is at 6 p.m. for the women and 8 p.m. for the men.
