The York University Lions women's basketball team is one of the hottest in the OUA to start the new year and they will put that streak on the line at home this weekend when they welcome the Nipissing Lakers and Laurentian Voyageurs to the Tait McKenzie Centre.
 
The Match-ups: York (8-8) vs. Nipissing (2-13) and Laurentian (3-12)
 
Game Details
Nipissing – Friday, Jan. 26 @ 6pm, OUA.tv
Laurentian – Saturday, Jan. 27 @ 6pm, OUA.tv
 
Home/Away Records
York – 1-6 at home
Nipissing – 0-7 on the road
Laurentian – 0-7 on the road
 
Current Streak
York – Won 2
Nipissing – Lost 9
Laurentian – Lost 2
 
Last Meetings
The Lions have faced the Lakers only three times since Nipissing joined the OUA for the 2014-15 season. The Lions hold a 2-1 advantage in head-to-head match-ups, including a 68-64 victory last year. Nipissing won the second match-up 53-46 and the Lions won the inaugural game 54-33.
 
The Lions won the lone meeting between York and Laurentian last year by a 65-61 score. Prior to last year the Voyageurs won two in a row, putting an end to a seven-game winning streak by the Lions dating back to the 2010-11 season.
 
QUICK FACTS
 
York

• The Lions have won four of their six games since the start of the new year, and their eight victories on the season are already three more than all of last season with seven games still remaining on the schedule.
• Last week the Lions had a pair of impressive wins over their City of Toronto rivals. They started the week with a big 89-78 victory over Ryerson, their first win over the Rams since 2014. Two days later they defeated Toronto 71-66.
• The Lions are in the top eight in the OUA in both offence and defence this season. They rank seventh in the conference in points allowed (62.3) and are eighth in scoring (65.8).
• The Lions are comfortably in a playoff spot with 16 points, putting them in fifth place and 10 points ahead of the seventh-place Voyageurs.

 

Nipissing

• Both of the Lakers' victories this season came in the first half of the season, and they have lost nine straight since edging out Algoma by two points in late November. Last weekend on the road in the nation's capital, they lost to Ottawa 62-50 and then suffered a big defeat to No. 3 Carleton by a 100-44 score.
• Nipissing is at the bottom of the OUA in offence and defence. They rank 15^th in points allowed (70.0) and 16^th in points scored (47.1).
• The Lakers still have an outside chance at qualifying for the playoffs but they will need a strong finish to the season. With just four points, they are six points back of the sixth-place Varsity Blues and also have to jump over Laurentian.
• After facing the Lions on Friday, the Lakers will head to Kingston, Ont., to face the No. 8 Queen's Gaels the following night.

 
Laurentian

• The Voyageurs have just three wins this season, one of them coming since the start of the new year when they defeated Toronto 82-76 two weeks ago. Last weekend they faced Carleton and Ottawa on the road, falling by 53 points to the undefeated Ravens and just eight points to the Gee-Gees.
• Laurentian is giving up more points than any other team in the OUA this season, with an average of 73.7 per game. They sit 13^th in offence with 57.1 points per game scored.
• The Voyageurs are currently outside the playoff picture in the OUA East with a 3-12 record and six points, putting them four points back of the sixth-place Varsity Blues. They hold one game in hand.
• The Voyageurs will come to York from Kingston, Ont., where they will face the nationally-ranked Gaels on Friday night.

 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
 
York
 
G Katrina Collins-Samuels – York's female athlete of the week after putting up 40 points in two games last week against Ryerson and Toronto. She is third on the team and 32^nd in the OUA with 9.8 points per game and is tied for 15^th in the conference with 2.6 assists per game.
 
F Lindsay Shotbolt – One of only three players in the OUA averaging a double-double this season, she is fifth in the conference in scoring (16.6 points per game) and second in rebounds per game (12.2).
 
Nipissing
 
F Alexe Galipeau-Wilson – Leads the Lakers and ranks 24^th in the OUA with 6.1 rebounds per game. She is also sixth on the team with 4.7 points per game.
 
G Heidi Smith – The team's leading scorer with 8.0 points per game.
 

Laurentian
 
F L'Ashante Henry – The team's leader in scoring and rebounding, ranking 14^th in the OUA in points per game (12.8) and tied for 17^th in rebounds per game (6.3).
 
G Emily Tinnes – Leads the Voyageurs with 2.7 assists per game, tying her for 13^th in the OUA. She is also second on the team and 20^th in the OUA with 12.0 points per game.