The York University Lions women's basketball team suffered its fourth loss of the season on Saturday night (Nov. 26) after they travelled to Thunder Bay, Ont., to battle the Lakehead Thunderwolves. The Lions took the loss by a score of 65-47.
The Lions' best quarters of play came in the first and the third as they scored 15 points in both. In the opening period of play
Taylor McAlpine (Huntsville, Ont.) scored all six of her points to help the Lions offensive effort. After the first 10 minutes passed the Thunderwolves led by five as the score read 20-15.
In the second quarter the Lions' first-year forward,
Megan MacLeod (Niagara Falls, Ont.), made the most of her minutes as she chalked up four points. The first two coming off of a well executed jump shot and the next two from the charity stripe. Lakehead was able to hit a few baskets from beyond the arc and capitalize off of a few fouls in the quarter and began to pull away. As time expired the Thunderwolves maintained the lead by a score of 32-24 entering halftime.
In the third quarter of play the Lions seemed to change their offensive philosophy and try and draw more contact, and this proved to be somewhat successful as they scored eight points off of free throws in the quarter.
Katrina Collins-Samuels (Hamilton, Ont.) hit two free throws and another jump shot to record four of her team leading 14 points in the quarter. Collins-Samuels also recorded six rebounds and a steal in the game.
A solid quarter of play brought the Lions back into the game as the Thunderwolves lead was cut down to five points entering the fourth and final period of play.
With the Lions down 44-39 they would need a great push to steal the win on the road. The Thunderwolves did their best to hold off a late Lions' rally as they held York to only eight total points in the quarter. Along with their shutdown defence, Lakehead hit three shots from beyond the arc to put the nail in the coffin.
With the loss the Lions now move to 0-4 on the season. Their next game will take place on Friday (Dec. 2), when the Algoma Thunderbirds travel to the Tait McKenzie Centre for a game beginning at 6pm.
