The most successful York Lions men’s basketball season in seven years came to an end on February 19 with a heartbreaking 86-85 first-round loss to the Laurentian Voyageurs.
York finished the season with an 11-11 record, while the Voyageurs finished just a game ahead in the standings with a record of 12-10, giving Laurentian homecourt advantage for their first-round showdown.
The first three quarters were largely forgettable for York, as Laurentian had the game wrapped up by the end of the third quarter. Boasting a 13-point lead, the Laurentian crowd was confident, and the Voyageurs were Goliath. With the season on the line, York had a dominating fourth quarter, highlighted by a 13-0 run that led to York outscoring Laurentian 27-15 in the fourth.
With just 23 seconds remaining in the game, York’s Nathan Culbreath hit a jumper that put the Lions up 85-84, forcing the Voyageurs to take a time-out. One defensive stop was all York needed to get out of the first round alive. As the clock ran down, the defense was solid.
But then there were only 20 seconds left. Ten, five, three, two, and heartbreak. In what was a season ender for York, Laurentian forward Tychon Carter-Newman scored a layup with one second remaining to win the game.
Looking back at the season, the Lions’ team was exactly what their 22-game record suggests. There were generally few surprises throughout, good or bad.
Having gone 1-9 against teams with better records, the Lions typically won the games they should have and not many others. Their only win over an opponent ahead of them in the standings came against the same Laurentian team they would later meet in the first round of the playoffs.
It is hard to determine whether this season was truly a success for the men’s team. Although the vastly improved regular season record holds traction within the conversation, the Lions have not made it past the first round of the playoffs in four seasons.
There is an undeniably bright future ahead for York nonetheless. Combining an average of 34.1 points this season, forwards Daniel Tulloch and Ryan Ejim will continue to lead the group of young, talented players next year.
The pieces of the puzzle are slowly aligning for York’s basketball program. With a large majority of the roster returning next year, the Lions’ only option is to top what they accomplished this season and become a leader in the East division in the next.
Amjed Al-Salman
Staff Writer
