Matt Dionne | Editor-in-Chief
Featured image: The men have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. | Courtesy of Anton Mak
The men’s and women’s basketball teams played host to the Queen’s Gaels on Friday.
The women played first, getting out to a hot start in the first quarter. They closed the quarter on a 13-3 run, and put up 20 points in the opening 10 minutes, while limiting the Gaels offense to just 9.
However, they were unable to maintain their early success on either side of the court in the second, as York’s defence allowed Queen’s to score 18 points, while their offense only managed 10 points at the other end.
Queen’s’ hot shooting continued in the third, as they poured in another 26 points while holding York to just 13 on the defensive end.
With a 10-point lead going into the fourth, Queen’s opened the quarter on a 6-0 run, before York finally answered with a Taylor McAlpine jumper. That would seal the deal, as Queen’s would go on to win the game 73-53.
The Lions were led by Lindsay Shotbolt in another stellar performance. Shotbolt recorded 21 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, and an assist, and she was the only Lion who reached double-digits in points.
Despite the loss, the Lions are still tied for fourth place with Ryerson—just four points back of third-place Ottawa, and six points ahead of sixth-place U of T.
The men played next, and were hoping to put an end to their losing streak. Unfortunately, it was a rough start for the Lions, as they allowed 25 points on the defensive end, while their offense only managed to score nine.
Both offenses went off in the second quarter, as Queen’s put up another 24, which York matched them nearly point-for-point, as they added 23 of their own.
Owners of a 17-point lead through the first half of the game, Queen’s refused to take their foot off the gas in the third, opening the quarter with a 7-2 run and outscoring the Lions by three in the frame.
York showed a lot of heart in the fourth, as they refused to give up, despite losing by a large margin. Their offense added another 22 points, but they were unable to get stops on the defensive end, as they gave up another 27 points to the Gaels, who would go on to win the game 93-68.
The Lions were led by Gianmarco Luciano, who recorded 14 points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks on 32 per cent shooting.
With only four games left in the season, the men have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
Both teams are back in action this week, as they host Ryerson tonight and U of T on Saturday. Tip-off is at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. for the women, and 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the men.
