The York University Lions basketball teams continued western road trip to battle the Algoma Thunderbirds on Saturday afternoon. The women sought to rebound from a hard-fought defeat at the hands of the Waterloo Warriors on Wednesday night, while the men's team looked for their first win of the season against a Thunderbirds team seeking the same thing.  

Women's Game: 

The Thunderbirds began the game on a 10-2 run, with Kaila Fong scoring eight of those points. York would rally however, behind five points from Bilan Khadar. The score was tied at 19 entering the second quarter. 

The Lions would command the second frame, bolstered by a strong quarter from Khadar. Khadar notched two steals and scored eight points as the Lions outscored the home team 14-4 in the quarter. With that strong defensive sh a 33-23 lead heading into halftime. 

Algoma opened the third quarter on an eight-point run to get back into the game. York reserves Ashanti Christian, Jaz Balan and Naimh Heath notched buckets off the bench for the Lions, as the game was knotted at 44 heading into the fourth. 

In a quarter that remained even throughout, York managed to pull away in the final seconds. With the score tied at 58, Heath was sent to the foul line and hit two free throws to make the score 60-58. Khadar salted it away with a free throw shot of her own in the final second to give the Lions the 61-58 victory. 

Men's Game: 

In a high-scoring opening quarter, York opened with a 10-5 run, made possible by eight points from Nathan Carr. Travon Hamilton scored ten points in the first and snagged four steals. York took a 26-22 lead heading into the second. 

The game continued to be evenly-matched in the second quarter. All of York's starters scored in a second quarter that didn't match the offensive output of the first. The game was tied at 36 as both teams headed to the locker room for halftime.  

Algoma would pace the game to start the third, going on a 16-3 run before York had a rally of their own. The Lions went on a 12-3 spurt to close the third quarter, with Carr scoring seven points in the stretch. Still, Algoma would possess a 55-51 lead through three. 

The fourth quarter saw momentum swing back-and-forth. Ultimately, much like the women's game prior, the Lions pulled away in the waning seconds from the free throw line. With a minute left, Carr hit a pair of free throws to make the score 66-62 in York's favor. After an Algoma score cut the deficit to two, Travon Hamilton was sent to the line with thirteen seconds left. He hit on his first attempt, missed the second, but grabbed the rebound as York secured the 67-64 victory and gained their first victory of the season. 

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions return home on Friday, November 29, to duel with the Queen's Gaels. Opening tip for the women's game is set for 6:00 pm, while the men's game commences at 8:00 pm.