York University

The York University Lions women's basketball team played the Toronto Varsity Blues to open the 2026-27 Women's Basketball season at the Tait McKenzie Centre. 

The game started off with a competitive first quarter as both teams looked to set the pace early. York got on the board early with a layup from Ella Okubasu, but Toronto stayed close through sharp perimeter shooting from Charlotte Church. York's defense really showed up with a clutch block from York's Katie Leudy. The Lions had the lead by the end of the first quarter, 19-16. 

The second quarter was a powerhouse display from the Lions. York completely blew the game open with an explosive 23-8 quarter, led by Chantelle Stuart's relentless scoring inside, going 4-4. The Lions' defense locked down Toronto, forcing multiple turnovers and extending their advantage to 42-24 at halftime. The defensive side was still strong as York's Akuach Buang had a crazy block as well. 

Coming out of the break, the Lions showed no signs of slowing down. York continued their dominant run in the third quarter, with Stuart knocking down three consecutive shots from beyond the arc and Gabby Di Pietro adding key buckets. The Lions pushed their lead to as much as 29 points before finishing the third quarter up 64-36. Defense and offense were amazing from the Lions as Marley Hayle and Eden Monka both forced steals to stop the Blues' momentum. Victoria Ford helped the Blues with 5 rebounds and some big defensive plays. 

The fourth quarter was calmer as York rotated their bench to close out the contest. Hayle sparked the offense with aggressive drives to the rim, banking field goals and battling through contact. Brant was back with the strong defense as she rejected another shot and secured rebounds in the paint. With 2 seconds left on the clock, Hayle made a lovely layup ending the game with a cherry on top. Stuart led all scorers with 17 points and 8 assists, while Hayle provided a strong boost with 13 points.  

The Lions absolutely took over this game, starting off their season 1-0. York will be back in action on Saturday as they take on the Nipissing Lakers, also at the Tait McKenzie Centre with tip-off scheduled for 6 PM EST.