Coming off a huge overtime win at home against the Ottawa Gee-Gees last Saturday, the York University Lions women's basketball team battled the Brock Badgers on Wednesday night in St. Catharines. The two teams came into action tied for second in the OUA Central at 10-6 on the season. Every win is crucial for both teams as Brock and York each look to secure a home playoff game in the opening round. as the towards earning a playoff spot, out of the OUA central division.

The Lions jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead thanks to two layups from Ella Okubasu that followed one from Kiara Leveridge, but the Badgers scored ten unanswered points right back. Akuach Buang drilled a three and a free throw to reignite the Lions offence, and Katy Leudy added a three-point play to reclaim the lead later in the quarter, 17-14. With seven different Lions players contributing to the scoring in the quarter, York took a 21-15 lead to the second, helped also by eight offensive rebounds in the opening frame.

Brock went on a 9-2 run to begin the second, forcing an early York timeout. The Badgers continued to pour it on from there, as the Lions offence struggled to get back together. Outscored 25-9 in the quarter, the Lions finished the second half down double digits, 40-29.

With both teams starting out slow in the third, the Lions were able to get to the free throw line multiple times in an effort to whittle down the lead. In a low-scoring quarter, the Lions edged out the Badgers 13-10, capped by layups from Sev Grewal and Emmanuelle Felix, cutting the lead to single digits. With the score now 50-42 in favour of Brock, York looked to complete the comeback going into the final 10 minutes.

Multiple threes from Grewal and two Kiara Loveridge layups got the Lions going in the fourth, but York could not keep up with the Badgers Madalyn Weinert – the reigning OUA MVP – who cracked thirty total points and twenty-five rebounds midway through the quarter. Weinert's career-high-tying 36 points, and that second-quarter surge, carried Brock to a 79-62 win.

The Lions now sit 10-7, third in the OUA Central and currently tied for seventh in the OUA with the Western Mustangs, who also sit at 10-7. If York finishes in the top eight, they will host an opening round playoff game on Feb. 18.

LOOKING AHEAD: 

The Lions will head to Hamilton to meet the McMaster Marauders on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 6:00pm, with coverage on OUA TV.