As they close in on the Ontario University Athletics playoffs, both of the Lions basketball teams are starting to play like it’s clutch time. Though both the men’s and women’s squads fell to the Queen’s Gaels on Saturday, the Lions managed to keep it together and stayed in the games until the shot clock expired.
The women’s team lost by a score of 87-75, and with the scoreboard reading 62-59 when the smoke cleared, the men’s team was just narrowly edged out by the Gaels.
The women’s matchup was the Lions’ annual Shoot for the Cure game, in which all proceeds from the contests, donations, and silent auction are donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It was also the struggling team’s first home game of 2016.
The Lions put up a strong fight all the way through the game. The team was carried by a trio of Ishanaa Seupersadsingh, Jackie Koudys, and Sandra Nagowska. Each of them played more than 20 minutes in the game and contributed at least 12 points to the team’s effort. Seupersadsingh, a senior guard, leads the Lions in scoring with an average of 12.8 points per game so far this season.
The game, played at Tait McKenzie Centre in front of an exhilarated crowd, featured several brilliant basketball plays. Some of these contributed to the Lions’ strong 24-14 lead at the end of the first quarter, a lead they managed to maintain by halftime despite a comeback attempt by the Gaels.
In the third quarter, the Lions’ momentum was starting to fade away and the Gaels did not miss the opportunity to take the lead. Though the quarter ended with the Lions still up by four points (58-54), in the fourth quarter the Lions’ defence collapsed as the Gaels came out in full force, scoring more than 30 points to win the game with a score of 87-75.
Later in the day, the men’s game was even more competitive. The Lions held onto a narrow lead over the Gaels throughout the first quarter, but by the end of the first half the score stood at 27-26. Jayden Frederick made a great play in the first quarter, scoring a layup in a high-intensity situation and following it up with a block at the other end of the court.
The third quarter was action-packed. The Lions put on a showcase of great plays, including a long shot from behind the arc and a buzzer-beater. However, the Gaels came fighting back, taking a two-point lead for the first time in the game. They built on this lead in the intense fourth quarter, but the Lions kept the game close.
Nathan Culbreath of the Lions put up a basket in the final minute of the game to narrow the lead down to 60-59 for the Gaels, but the Gaels then got the opportunity to shoot a pair of free throws, both of which they nailed. That sealed their victory and a tough loss for the Lions.
Both the men’s and women’s teams played considerably better at home on Saturday than they have on their long road trips over the past few weeks, which may be a sign of a strong run into the upcoming OUA playoffs.
Both teams stand at fourth place in the OUA East rankings.
Hassam Munir, Sports and Health Editor
Featured image courtesy of York Lions
