Coming off an convincing 96-57 victory against the Algoma Thunderbirds last Friday, the York University Lions women's basketball team sought to replicate that performance in a rare Wednesday night tilt against the West Division-leading Guelph Gryphons. 

The squad cooked up the recipe to do just that, downing the visiting Gryphons 66-65 in a nail-biting contest at Tait McKenzie Centre. 

Kiara Leveridge, who set a program record with 37 points against Algoma – which garnered her York female athlete of the week – once again posted a game-high, this time with 23 points. That was accompanied by a 20-point performance by Bilan Khadar.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In the opening quarter, both teams traded three-point jump shots, resulting in a 3-3 tie. However, the visitors surged ahead with a 9-2 run, establishing a 12-5 lead with 5:33 on the clock. The Lions then countered with an 8-0 run of their own, seizing a 13-12 lead with 3:05 remaining. Khadar and Leveridge led the charge with five points each in the first, with York holding an 18-17 edge after the first 10 minutes.
• The second quarter, like the first, was tightly-contested, with both teams exchanging leads. Amidst four lead changes, the Gryphons took a seven-point advantage into halftime, 34-27, thanks to a buzzer-beating layup by Trinity Papamandjaris.
• The third quarter continued the trend of a closely contested battle between the teams. Despite the visitors holding a 39-33 lead, Leveridge went to work, showcasing her scoring prowess with a contested jump shot and drawing a foul, bringing the score to 39-36 with 3:26 left in the quarter. Nonetheless, the Gryphons maintained their edge, heading into the final quarter with a 42-38 advantage.
• As the tension escalated in the fourth quarter, Khadar and Leveridge ignited the Lions' offence with consecutive three-pointers, to make it 46-44 Guelph with 8:24 remaining. Katy Leudy ied the game at 46 apiece with a layup on the next possession. With the game on the line, Gabriella Di Pietro t, sinking two huge three-point shots down the stretch, complemented by a Ruqaya Green bucket to cushion a 63-58 advantage with 1:44 remaining on the game clock. In the final seconds, a pair of free throws from Leveridge put York up 66-62. Despite a three-point buzzer-beater from Guelph's Alexis Wright, the Lions got the 66-65 victory.

LOOKING AHEAD:

The Lions will hit the road for their final two road games of the season schedule, beginning with the Laurier Golden Hawks on Saturday, Feb. 10, with an 6:00 pm tip-off.