Matt Dionne | Editor-in-Chief
Featured image: The men drop their first two games of 2018 to extend their losing streak to nine games. | Courtesy of Placide Ilunga
The men’s and women’s basketball teams were looking to kick off 2018 with a pair of wins and end their combined 10-game losing streak.
The women had lost their last three games going into their first matchup of 2018 against Laurentian. However, they didn’t look like it on Friday. York kept pace with the Voyageurs for the majority of the first quarter, as they trailed by just a point through 10.
In the second, York’s offense exploded en route to 19 points, thanks in part to a 13-3 run to end the quarter that featured a pair of threes from Haley Bowie.
With a 10-point lead coming out of the break, the Lions defense came out locked-in to start the third, as they limited the Voyageurs offense to just two points in the frame (a pair of non-consecutive free throws).
The Voyageurs offense finally woke up in the fourth, but the Lions matched them bucket for bucket, en route to the 25-point victory—their second-largest margin of victory this season.
The Lions were led by Lindsay Shotbolt, who recorded a double-double with 13 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks, and an assist on 33 per cent shooting.
Chante Clark came off the bench to add 13 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 25 per cent shooting.
The men hoped to build on the women’s early success and put an end to their seven-game losing streak. Unfortunately, they came out flat to start the game, as Laurentian opened the first on a 9-1 run and never looked back.
The Lions failed to hold the Voyageurs to less than 20 points in each of the first three quarters, and as a result, found themselves in a 41-point hole going into the fourth. The Lions did manage to win the quarter, as they outscored Laurentian 20-18 in the final frame, but it wasn’t nearly enough, as they dropped their eighth in a row.
The Lions were led by Prince Kamunga, who scored 15 points off the bench on 50 per cent shooting.
The women hoped to extend their 2018 success on Saturday when they took on the Nipissing Lakers.
The Lions came out of the gate firing, opening the game with a 7-3 run en route to a three-point lead after one.
The second was more of the same for the Lions, as they closed the quarter on a 6-2 run, taking a six-point lead with them into the break.
Both offenses came out firing in the third, but the Lakers offense couldn’t keep up with the Lions as they connected on five of six from the line, extending their lead to 12 points going into the final frame.
The Lions refused to take their foot off the gas in the fourth, as they poured in another 21 points while holding the Lakers to just 12 en route to the 71-50 victory.
The Lions were led by Shotbolt, who was a beast on the glass, recording her second-straight double-double with 14 points, 25 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block on 50 per cent shooting.
The men were still looking for their first win of the new year on Saturday and came out of the gate firing, as Nipissing didn’t score their first basket until midway through the quarter.
Both offenses came alive in the second, combining for 39 points, as York took an eight-point lead into the break.
However, in the third, the Lions offense stagnated, only managing 12 points in the frame, as the Lakers cut the lead to just a single point heading into the fourth.
The Lions shot well in the quarter, but the clutch free throw shooting of Nipissing was the difference, as the Lakers came away with the 68-64 win.
York was led by Gianmarco Luciani, who recorded 14 points on 37 per cent shooting from the field, 40 per cent from beyond the arc, and perfect from the line.
Both teams return to action next weekend when they’ll be taking on the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday and the Carleton Ravens on Saturday. Tip off is 6:00 p.m. for the women, and 8:00 p.m. for the men.
