The York University Lions men's basketball team is back on the road, heading to Kingston for a showdown against the Queen's Gaels to secure their first victory of the new year after a recent loss to the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks last night.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The game began with the Gaels establishing a clear dominance in the quarter right from the start, taking a commanding 6-0 lead. Evan Shadkami swiftly responded for the Lions with a 3-point jump shot, bringing them up on the scoreboard. The match unfolded as a cat-and-mouse game until Kevin Mervart made a crucial jump shot for the guests, narrowing the gap to 8-5 in favour of the hosts. Despite York's defensive efforts, the Gaels continued their scoring spree. Despite York's determined efforts, the first quarter concluded with Queen's leading 22-10, maintaining a 12-point advantage.
• Dante Forchione initiated the scoring for York with a layup, swiftly followed by a successful free throw, trimming their deficit from 14 points to 11 points, bringing the score to 24-13. Ibhawoh's two successful free throws further aided in reducing the gap to 9, tallying the score to 24-15 and fueling expectations of a York comeback. Forchione and Ibhawoh emerged as the standout scorers before halftime, with their collective efforts in the 6th minute elevating the Lions to 28-20, gradually closing the deficit but the Gaels extended their lead, 46-28 as they entered halftime.
• The next quarter kicked off with Noton's successful layup, swiftly followed by Travon Hamilton's impressive 3-point jump shot, narrowing the score to 48-33. However, the Lions found themselves in a challenging position, accumulating five fouls within the first five minutes of the third quarter. This gave the Gaels a significant offensive advantage, capitalizing on the errors to convert them into free throws and securing essentially uncontested points. Despite Hamilton's final efforts to level the playing field for York, the quarter concluded with Queen's leading 64-42, holding a commanding 22-point advantage.
• The Lions found themselves in a challenging situation and despite the tough odds, they were determined to narrow the deficit. Ibhawoh initiated York's effort with a well-executed layup, followed by Rietschin and Elias Panagiotopoulos, advancing the score to 74-49. Hamilton's impactful 3-point jump shot played a crucial role, and Rietschin's successful free throw further contributed, bringing the score to 76-53, still trailing by 23 points. Hamilton made the final shot for York in this quarter, concluding the game with a final score of 81-55, favouring the hosts.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions aim for redemption as they face the Brock Badgers at Tait McKenzie Centre on Friday, January 19, determined to secure a win. Tip-off is at 8:00p.m