Uzodinma Ukagwu | Sports Editor
Featured image courtesy of YorkU Lions
The Lions men’s and women’s basketball teams managed only one win in four games this weekend, as they were on the road against the Nipissing Lakers on Friday and the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday, in their first games of 2019.
The only win of the weekend was produced by the men against Nipissing, in North Bay, where they triumphed 73-64.
In the first, the Lions started strong, and took a six-point lead with them into the second.
In the second quarter, the Lakers fought back to tie the game and take the lead, eventually finishing the first half leading 36-34.
The Lions came out stronger in the third and fourth quarters, finishing the third with a 55-46 lead, and cruising to the 73-64 victory in the fourth quarter.
The women had played just before the men against the Lakers, losing 65-61 a heartbreaker after leading for most of the game.
By the end of the first quarter, the Lions led 18-12 after a strong start. They continued to perform well in the second quarter, extending their lead to 11 points.
The Lakers started their come-back in the third quarter, fighting back and reducing the deficit to two points, as the Lions led 49-47 going into the final frame.
Nipissing continued their surge in the fourth, taking the lead and stealing a 65-61 victory.
Saturday brought more woes for both Lions teams as they lost heavily to the Laurentian Voyageurs in Sudbury.
The women played first, and it was Laurentian who took control early, and never relinquished the lead.
The men’s game was more of the same as the Lions trailed from start to finish.
By the end of the first, Laurentian led 33-18, and they continued to build on their lead the rest of the game, outscoring the Lions in the second, third, and fourth quarters, 22-18, 30-26, and 26-18, en route to the 111-80 victory.
Both teams will be hoping to rebound next week when they’ll be back at home taking on their local rivals, U of T and Ryerson, on Friday and Saturday respectively. Tip-off is 6 p.m. for the women and 8 p.m. for the men.
