The York University Lions basketball teams capped off a long road swing Saturday night in London against the Western Mustangs. with Western's women's team sitting at 9-5 on the season, and the men's at 8-6, the Lions teams faced a pair of tough tests.

Women's Game:  

The Lions got off to a good start with Gabriella Di Pietro dropping a pair of early buckets to make it 4-0. Western was able to respond with a 9-2 run to take a 9-6 lead. The Mustangs made three of their five three-pointers in the quarter However, the Lions early success inside the paint kept them in the game, as they trailed 25-16 after one.

The Lions defence proved to be much more efficient early in the second quarter. Offensively, they found most of their success from the free throw line, and Kiara Loveridge began to heat up inside the paint, scoring 14 points in the quarter. However, Western's Jenna Button's lights out shooting from three kept the Lions at bay, as the Mustangs took a double-digit lead, 48-38, into the break.

The Lions were forced to take a timeout early in the third after the Mustangs went on an 8-0 run to start the half, taking advantage of York turnovers and finishing at the rim. The Mustangs remained efficient offensively, going 8-for-15 from the field in the third, and led 70-57 through three.

The Mustangs once again found consistent success from three-point territory in the fourth, making four of nine from beyond the arc. Although three Lions reached double digit scoring – Leveridge with a game-high 31, Alexis Grewal and Justiece Miller, both with 10 – it wasn't enough, as the Mustangs won all four quarters en route to a 92-74 win.

Men's Game: 

Western established the tempo early, opening on a 10-3 run to open proceedings. The Lions were able to inch their way back into the game mostly thanks to the efforts of guard Travon Hamilton, who started off hot with five points in the quarter. Big man Liam Rietschin put up a solid performance with five points of his own in the paint. They accounted for 10 of York's 15 first-quarter points, as the Mustangs led 23-15 after one.

The Lions continued to nip at the heels of Western and chip away at the lead. Rietschin dropped two three pointers in the quarter, bringing his first-half total to 14. However, the Mustangs strong ball movement led easy buckets at the rim as they grew their lead to 50-29 at halftime.

Western remained efficient in offensively in the third, getting to the free throw line eight times and making six. The Lions had their best quarter to date offensively, posting 16 points in the quarter. However they still found themselves down 70-45 after three.

The Lions picked up where they left off on offence in the third, scoring 21 points in the final frame. Rietschin poured in a team-high 18 on the night while K'Shawn Latty had 12 points, but a strong offensive output from Western was the difference in a 90-66 Mustang win.

LOOKING AHEAD: 

The Lions teams will return to Tait McKenzie Centre for their first home games of 2025, the first of two games against the Lakehead Thunderwolves, on Friday. The women's game will kick off the action at 6:00pm, while the men's game will close the night at 8:00pm. Coverage will be available on OUA TV.