Jayden Frederick scored a career-high 27 points to lead the York University Lions men's basketball team to an 83-74 victory over the Queen's Gaels in their season opener at the Tait McKenzie Centre on Friday night.
Fans adorned in red crammed into the stands to watch their Lions, many of whom are fresh faces, set out on their 2016-17 campaign.
The Gaels won the opening tip-off but surely would not win the opening quarter. The Lions seemed to be in a league of their own behind the arc as they peppered a Gaels defence that dared them to take shots from deep.
York jumped out quick on Queen's, pushing the score to 17-4 early. Frederick (Scarborough, Ont.) chanelled his inner Steph Curry as he dropped 11 points in the opening quarter, with nine of them coming from behind the arc. The Lions were in control after the first quarter with a score of 27-12.
In the second quarter the Gaels started to push back. The Lions looked smooth when
Nidun Chandrakumar (Scarborough, Ont.) advanced the ball into the Queen's end and dropped a no-look dime to a slicing
Matthew Carating (Mississauga, Ont.) for the lay up.
The Lions would continue to dominate from downtown as they closed out the half shooting 9-12 (75%) on three-pointers. The half would end with the Lions on-top by a score of 43-30.
After the half the Lions would do there best to pad their already comfortable lead.
Brandon Ramirez (Scarborough, Ont.) hit an impressive deep two with a Gael draped all over him; this was one of many highlight moments for Ramirez as he finished the game with 23 points and six rebounds.
Carating displayed his impressive first step as he gashed the Gaels down the lane and finished the play with a soft finger roll for two of his 10 points on the night. Just when the Gaels thought they were about to achieve a momentous play on a 2-on-1 fast break,
George Ivens (Liphook, England) levitated to the ceiling blocked the layup attempt into orbit.
Despite the Lions impressive play the Gaels rallied to cut the lead down to seven as the quarter ended with a score of 61-54.
In the fourth quarter the Gaels tightened their defence, giving the Lions fewer chances to hit shots from behind the arc as they had throughout the game.
After the Gaels cut the Lions lead to five with three minutes remaining, Frederick capped the best game of his career with a trio of impressive plays. First, Carating forced a steal and dished it into the key to Ramirez, whose shot rang off the iron but was put back by Frederick. On the ensuing York possession, Frederick made a three in the face of a Gaels defender and, moments later, he caught a pass from a teammate and threw down a two-handed slam. He finished the game shooting 8-of-13 from the floor, including 5-of-7 on three pointers.
With the victory the Lions move to 1-0 on the season. Their next game will take place on Friday (Nov. 18) when the Waterloo Warriors travel to Toronto, Ont., to take on an unbeaten York team.
