It was a game five years in the making for the York University Lions men's basketball team, as they made their return to the postseason for the first time in five years on Wednesday night.

Their opening-round opponent: the Laurier Golden Hawks, who the Lions beat just 11 days ago thanks to 37 large from Evan Shadkami. He helped stake the Lions to a 30-21 lead after one, as they tried to win their first playoff game since 2010.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After the teams traded threes to open, the Lions went on a 13-3 run to take a 16-6 lead. The Hawks inched back to within two midway through the quarter, but back-to-back threes from Jahlijah Grant and Elias Panagiotopoulos stretched the Lion lead to 30-21 after one.
• The home side came out on an 8-2 run to begin the second, and played smothering defence on the other end. After putting up 30 in the opening frame, York was held to just nine second quarter points. However, they limited Laurier to just 16 of their own, and led by a pair at the break.
• The Lions struggled offensively early in the third, giving up the lead and trailed by as many as nine in the quarter. However, some lockdown perimeter defence late in the third allowed the visitors to close the quarter strongly, on a 7-0 run to cut the Laurier lead to 60-58 after three.
• The Lions took the lead early in the fourth on an Evan Shadkami three, making it 65-64, but the Hawks responded with a 13-2 run over the next 5:31 to go up 10, 77-67. York closed it to within five at 77-72, but that was as close as they would get, as their season came to an end with a 78-72 loss.

LOOKING AHEAD:

With the loss, the Lions now shift focus to 2024-25. Shadkami and Tyler Pryce has played their final games in the red and white. and Alexis Kayonga was also honoured on senior night last Saturday, signalling the potential end to his York careers.