Emily Goodwin | Editor-in-Chief
Featured Image: Lauren Golding goes in for lay up in Friday morning’s match against the Nippissing Lakers. | Courtesy of Jojo Yanjiao Qian/York Lions
The Lions’ basketball teams were back in action at home this past weekend. They took on the Nippissing Lakers on Friday and the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday. The women’s team picked up two more wins, extending their winning streak to five in a row. The men’s team had a tougher time and lost both matches.
Friday’s school-day match against the Lakers saw the women’s team start strong and maintain their lead throughout the game. By the end of the first half, the Lions were already up 39-28.
The Lakers desperately tried to close the gap, but they were no match for the Lions. The game ended 84-70 for the Lions.
Lauren Golding once again lead the Lions in points, scoring 28. Katrina Collins-Samuels lead in rebounds with 19.
When the men took to the court, their skills were not enough to keep up with the Lakers. After the first quarter ended in a 19-all tie, the Lions increasingly fell behind each quarter. At halftime they were down 43-35.
The Lions struggled for the remainder of the game, which ended 82-67 for the Lakers.
Saturday night’s matches against the Voyageurs saw the women’s team replicate their first half success from the previous night. They were up 31-22 over their opponent at half time, and picked up the pace in the third and fourth quarters.
The Voyageurs struggled to keep up with the Lions in the last half of play, and continued to fall further behind. A massive 26-point fourth quarter from the Lions sealed their fifth straight win, with a final score of 75-48.
Golding and Megan McLeod shared top point accolades, scoring 18 each. McLeod also lead in rebounds with 10.
Where the women’s team replicated their success, the men’s team had an equally hard time in Saturday’s match. After trailing in the first, the Lions came back to score an equal number of points to the Voyageurs in the second period. This burst of energy did not extend into the last half of the game though, and the Lions lost their third straight game 84-76.
Prince Kamunga and Tyler Prince led in points during Friday’s game, earning 13 each. Kamunga took the lead for the Lions in Saturday’s game with 26 points.
The women’s team now sits in third in the OUA Central division, with 20 points and 10-6 for the season. The men remain in last with just four points, and two wins to 14 losses.
The Lions will be on the road for their next four games where they will take on Brock, McMaster, Windsor, and Western.
They will return to the Tait McKenzie Centre for their final games of the regular season, the first being Wednesday, February 12 against the UOIT Ridgebacks. The second and final game will be on Friday, February 14 against the Queen’s Gaels. Tip-off for both games is at 6:00 p.m. for the women and 8:00 p.m. for the men.
