The York University Lions women's basketball team hit the road Friday night to face the Lakehead Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay, the first of two games between the teams this weekend. Coming off a strong first win of the season against McMaster on Saturday, the Lions looked to keep the momentum going and push their win streak to two.
The Lions got doubled up in the first quarter, as Lakehead got out to a 26-13 start. Keira Chow and Sara Clouthier helped provide this lead for the Thunderwolves with some early threes, while York struggled to hit from long range. Katie Leudy was a bright spot for the Lions, getting off to a hot start with multiple early field goals to keep her team in the game.
The Lions recovered with a much stronger defensive frame in the second quarter, limiting points and outscoring the Thunderwolves 13-9. Leudy and Gabby Di Pietro both made threes to get York going from deep, and a couple of additional baskets helped narrow the score to 35-26 at halftime.
York went on a 12-2 run to start the third quarter, marked by back-to-back buckets from Kiera Leveridge and Leudy. A mid-range jumper from Ella Okubasu finished the run, and allowed the Lions to take the lead, 38-37, erasing what was once a 13-point deficit. The Thunderwolves responded with 6 straight points right after, but Leudy banked in a mid-range buzzer-beater to cut the lead down to 46-42 after three, leaving the Lions with plenty of time to work with going into the final frame.
York tied it up quickly at 46-46 off a pair of fast breaks, and again at 48-48 after they began to sharpen up on free throws. However, the Thunderwolves responded back with a 5-0 run that put them back ahead with four minutes to go. A layup from Felix Emmanuelle, as well as three quick points from Leveridge cut the deficit to just two with a minute left. A layup from Leudy out of a timeout, and another one from Leveridge off a steal put the Lions up 57-55 with 25 seconds to go. The Thunderwolves had the chance to tie it with a pair of free throws after a York foul, but Eva Guilera missed the second, and the Lions pounced on the ball to regain possession and close out a thrilling 57-56 win.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions will remain right where they are, and face off against Lakehead again tomorrow on Saturday, November 8th. Tipoff is set for 6:00pm, with coverage on OUA TV.
