The York University Lions men's basketball team opened its 2015-16 regular season with a 70-66 loss to the Queen's Gaels on the road Saturday (Nov. 7) in Kingston, Ont.
 
The Lions trailed by as many as 19 points in early in the third quarter, at 42-23, but they slowly chipped away at the deficit and got the game to within nine points heading into the final frame. With six minutes remaining the Gaels' lead swelled to double-digits again at 61-49, but the Lions then went on a run, scoring 11 unanswered points to knot the score at 61-61 with 3:05 left on the clock.
 
The final three minutes were thrilling as the two teams traded baskets, but a series of made free throws at the end gave the Gaels the four-point victory.
 
The Lions were led in scoring by Daniel Tulloch (Mississauga, Ont.), who contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals in 32 minutes, and Shane Reader (York, Ont.), who totalled 13 points and four assists while shooting 50% from beyond the arc. 
 
Contributing off the bench on Saturday and filling each stat column was Jayden Fredrick (Scarborough, Ont.), who scored nine points and added three rebounds, four assists, a steal and three blocks.
 
The Gaels' Sukhpreet Singh had an impressive night, recording a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of playing time. Nine of the 10 active Gaels in the line-up scored a basket in the victory.
 
The Lions are 0-1 on the young season and will look to get in the win column on Friday night (Nov. 13) against the Nipissing Lakers in North Bay, Ont., in a game beginning at 8pm.