The York University Lions men's basketball team kept the good times rolling on Friday night. 

Returning home from their Northern road swing, the Lions bested the Algoma Thunderbirds and, in so doing, won their third consecutive game to get to 9-9 on the season, keeping pace with Toronto and TMU in what is a jam-packed OUA Central.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Lions came out firing on all cylinders in the opening quarter. They scored the first five points and 11 of the first 13 to take an early 11-2 lead. The Lions were solid on both sides of the ball in the first 10 minutes, showcasing a balanced offence and commitment defensively. All but three Lions scored in the first, while they held Algoma to 4-of-16 shooting and forced eight turnovers. York led 24-12 after one.
• In the second, the Lions extended their lead thanks in large part to Josh Noton, who once again paced all scorers with 33. He was 4-of-5 from the field, hitting both of his three-point attempts and put up 10 points in the frame. That put the Lions up 18, 47-29, at recess.
• The third quarter saw Algoma make a bit of a run, as the Lions hit a lull on the offensive end. The T-Birds cut the lead in half twice late in the third, including with five seconds left in the frame. However, an Elias Panagiotopoulos corner three at the buzzer put York back up double digits heading to the final frame, 64-52.
• Despite those third-quarter, York never allowed Algoma to get any closer. They were able to rediscover some of that rhythm offensively, going 7-of-15 from the field in the fourth, and continued to play strong defence. Algoma never closed to within 10 in the final frame, and the Lions were able to finish off an 83-69 win.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions will look to extend their win streak to four on Wednesday night when they host the Guelph Gryphons. Tip-off from the Tait McKenzie Centre is set for 8:00 pm.