The York University Lions women's basketball team made the quick trip down to the Goldring Centre on Friday night to battle the Toronto Varsity Blues in the opening game of the second semester.
The Lions, who entered the game 6-4, were coming off a win over the Algoma Thunderbirds to close out 2025 and were looking to move back to three games over .500 after their 5-2 start. This was the second and final meeting of the regular season, with the Lions having won the opener at Tait McKenzie Centre by a score of 74-68 back on Nov. 14.
York got out to a quick 5-0 start on a Kiara Leveridge three and an Ella Okubasu layup. However, the Blues responded with a 16-0 run of their own to grab an 11-point lead. Akuach Buang finally halted the run with a three, spurring the Lions on an 8-1 run to close the quarter. Toronto led 17-13 after one.
The second quarter was a complete reversal of the opening frame, as the Lions outscored the Blues 21-8. York dominated the interior in the second, going to the free throw line 11 times and made eight, with Niamh Heath going 6-for-9. They also went 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, with Buang, Alexis Grewal and Kaylah Sewell accounting for the triples. Defensively, the Lions smothered the Blues, who went just 3-for-12 in the quarter including 0-for-5 from three-point range. That helped propel the Lions to a 34-25 halftime lead.
However, the hosts battled back in the third, closing the quarter on a 10-0 run to erase what was a 41-31 Lions lead. York didn't score over the final 4:09 of the third frame, and a game that they once felt in control of was tied at 41 heading to the fourth.
In that fourth, the Lions roared out to a five-point lead thanks to a Leveridge layup and a Sewell three ball to take a 48-43 lead. But, a 9-3 Blues run culimated in them taking their first lead since it was 22-19, as a Janet Enge three made it 52-51 with just over 3:30 left. Then, a few possessions later, another Leveridge triple put York up 54-52 with two minutes to play. After Toronto tied it at 54, a Heath free throw put York back up one. After missing the second, the Lions grabbed a key offensive board and Heath was fouled once more. She missed that free throw, but after another offensive board and a steal by Enge, she missed a go-ahead three. Then, after a flurry misses and turnovers, Leveridge and, later, Grewal, salted it away at the foul line, as the Lions took this one 58-54 to sweep the season series from The Blues for the second straight year.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions return to Tait McKenzie Centre for their first home game of the new year when they take on their other Toronto rivals, the TMU Bold, who come in undfeated and winners of 11 in a row to start the season, in their first home game of 2026. Tip-off is set for 6:00 pm on Community Night at Tait McKenzie Centre. Kids and families wearing the gear of their minor basketball teams will be admitted free of charge. The general public can purchase tickets here or stream the game on OUA TV.
