The York University Lions men's basketball team plays its first home games of the new year this weekend and will face a tough challenge from the two powerhouse teams from the nation's capital in the No. 7 nationally-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees and top-ranked Carleton Ravens.
 
The Match-up: York (2-10) vs. No. 7 Ottawa (10-2) and No. 1 Carleton (12-0)
 
Game Details
Ottawa – Friday, Jan. 12 @ 8pm, OUA.tv
Carleton – Saturday, Jan. 13 @ 8pm, OUA.tv
 
Home/Away Records
York – 2-3 at home
Ottawa – 4-2 on the road
Carleton – 7-0 on the road
 
Current Streak
York – Lost 9
Ottawa – Won 7
Carleton – Won 12
 
Last Meetings
The Gee-Gees have won 10 straight meetings with the Lions, including escaping with a 70-69 victory on home court last year. York's last victory came in 2011, when they earned a 73-68 win in Ottawa after erasing a 14-point lead by the Gee-Gees in the fourth quarter.
 
Since the start of the 2009-10 campaign, the Ravens have lost just eight times in the regular season but one of those defeats came against the Lions. That year, while ranked No. 1 in U SPORTS, the Lions shocked the Ravens at Tait to win 80-74 and hand Carleton one of only two losses they had that year. The Ravens have since won 11 in a row.
 
QUICK FACTS
 
York

• The Lions began the year with two wins in their first three games but have struggled since, losing nine straight. Last weekend, they were defeated by nationally-ranked Laurentian and then suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Nipissing, falling by four points after leading heading into the fourth quarter.
• Both of York's wins have come on home court, where they have played only five times so far this year.
• The Lions sit in the middle of the pack defensively in the OUA, tying for ninth with 78.8 points allowed per game. They are one of the lowest-scoring teams, with 68.8 points scored per game.
• The Lions will be staying close to home until the middle of February. Next weekend they will head downtown to face Toronto and Ryerson, followed by five straight on home court.

 
Ottawa

• The Gee-Gees are perennial contenders in the OUA and have continued that trend this year. They have two losses on the season, once to undefeated Carleton and by five points to Laurier on the road in mid-November.
• The Gee-Gees have won seven in a row since their loss to the rival Ravens, including a big victory over previously-undefeated Brock. Last weekend, they cruised to a dominant win over Toronto and then took out two-time defending champion Ryerson.
• Ottawa ranks among the top five in the OUA in both offence and defence. They are fourth in points allowed (71.3) and fifth in points scored (83.4).
• The Gee-Gees will head to Kingston, Ont., after Friday's game to face the Queen's Gaels on Saturday.

 
Carleton

• The Ravens have dominated U SPORTS competition for more than a decade and this year is no different. They are undefeated on the season and are outscoring their opponents by more than 30 points per game. Last weekend they defeated Ryerson by nine points and then Toronto by 49.
• Carleton's closest game of the year came against nationally-ranked Brock as they needed overtime before winning 80-75.
• The Ravens are first in the OUA in both scoring and defence. Their 90.4 points per game are five more than any other team in the conference, and their 60.2 points allowed are nine better.
• The Ravens are experiencing a run of dominance rarely seen in sport. They have won seven straight U SPORTS championships and 14 of the last 16 under legendary head coach Dave Smart.
• Prior to heading to York on Saturday night, the Ravens will be in Kingston, Ont., on Friday to face the Gaels.

 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
 
York
 
F Prince Kamunga – The rookie forward has reached double digits in scoring in four straight games, including a career-high 18 the last time the Lions played at home. He is among the OUA's top 40 in scoring with 10.9 points per game, the second-best mark on the team.
 
F Brandon Ramirez – Leads the Lions in scoring and rebounding with 11.4 and 6.4 per game, respectively. He is ranked 37^th in OUA scoring and 18^th in rebounding.
 
Ottawa
 
F Jean Emmanuel Pierre-Charles – Ranks fifth in the OUA in rebounding (9.3 per game) and is 19^th in the conference in scoring (14.7 points per game). He leads the Gee-Gees in rebounding and is second in scoring.
 
F Brody Maracle – The team's leading scorer with 15.2 points per game.
 
Carleton
 
F Eddie Ekiyor – Leads the Ravens in scoring (14.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.7 per game), ranking 17^th and third in the OUA, respectively, while playing only 25.1 minutes per game, one of the lowest averages in the OUA's top 20.
 
G Yasiin Joseph – Ranks second on the team in scoring (13.7 points per game) and assists (3.5 per game). He is 11^th in the conference in assists and 22^nd in scoring.