York Lions men’s basketball team redeemed themselves against the Laurentian Voyageurs on January 31. The northern team had ousted the Lions in a tight 86-85 game just two weeks before. The Lions played aggressively the entire game and eventually won 96-86 on their home turf.
This was an important win for the Lions, who sit right behind Laurentian in the Ontario University Athletics East Division standings, still competing for the fourth and last spot for the post-season. Now the Lions are a little bit closer to fighting their way into the playoff picture.
The Lions started the game with a sense of urgency. No doubt the importance of this game was impressed upon them. They pulled away an early lead, converting on the first few offensive possessions while also getting stops on the defensive end, which turned into easy fast break points.
The Laurentian defense struggled to rebound against the Lions’ big-men, who made sure missed shots turned into second, third, and even fourth opportunities. This was not aided by the Voyageurs’ early foul trouble, which put them in a penalty situation midway through the first quarter. The Lions were sent to the line several times and finished the first quarter 32-12 thanks to their cohesive play.
The second quarter was more of the same. The Lions proved they would not falter under Laurentian’s full-court pressure and continued to maintain their 20 point lead. York’s play had fans on their feet, especially after forward Nick Tufegdzich soared high through the air for a monster put-back jam off a missed three. Daniel Tulloch ended the quarter with a dunk that demonstrated the Lions’ dominant play over the Voyageurs, finishing 53-28 by the half.
At first, the second half looked a lot like the first as the Lions seemed to be unstoppable. Midway through the second half, the Lions saw their greatest lead of 29 points.
Though impressive, this lead started to diminish slowly as the Voyageurs showed signs of a comeback. The nearly 30-point lead was cut back down to 20 at the end of the third quarter, 76-56.
But 20 points ahead was still a lot to overcome, and the Lions seemed to get a little too comfortable in the fourth. The Voyageurs kicked into high-gear and played even more up-tempo, speeding up what was already an intense, physical game with people shoving and falling.
The full-court press started to work, and the Lions gave up several turnovers which Laurentian took advantage of. They drew eerily close to the Lions, getting within just seven goals thanks to their suffocating defense. The tension in the gym was palpable as the streaking Voyageurs had climbed out of the gutter and maintained a single-digit deficit into the last two minutes of the contest.
The Lions were able to hold strong though, still putting points on the board and hitting key free throws to keep enough distance between them and Laurentian to prevent a fully successful rally.
Starting forward and recent York Athlete of the Week Tulloch was much of the reason the Lions were able to pull ahead early on and stay there for most of the game. After the tip, Tulloch immediately established the quick pace of the game with an early steal and break, and fought relentlessly for offensive boards. He would continue to complete his 34 points, 14 rebounds, and four steals over the rest of the night for a double-double, leading his team in all three categories.
Forward Aaron Rados finished behind Tulloch in point production with 18 for himself. They were the only two Lions in double-digits that night though many other were very close. Forward Ryan Ejim demonstrated his post-presence and defensive effort with four steals and three blocks to go with his seven points.
The Lions played a spectacular game overall, showing what they are capable of when they play as a cohesive unit. They will be looking to keep up this level of play as they continue to fight for a shot in the post-season against the Carleton Ravens at Tait McKenzie on Feburary 7.
Alex Hum
Senior Staff
