The York University Lions Men's Basketball team went to London to take on the Western Mustangs.
The game started off nicely with a strong first quarter as both teams looked to set the pace early. Daren Clarke got the Lions rolling by knocking down a pair of deep three-pointers, while Nickele Harris attacked the paint for interior layups. Josiah McKnight was in the paint to get rebounds. York's defense set the tone early with McKnight swatting an early Western attempt, allowing the Lions to control the rhythm and hold an 18-16 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter stayed tightly contested as both teams were powerful on the offensive side of the ball. Clarke started the quarter with another 3 to show the Lions were still hungry. Malakai Ayres-Olson provided a major spark from deep by two of his own 3s, while McKnight continued to break down Western's defense with pull-up jumpers. Daniel Kolewole stepped up inside with a tough finish at the rim, helping York maintain continuous defensive pressure and head into the locker room holding a 34-31 edge.
Coming out of the break, Western bounced back in the third quarter and took control of the lead. The Lions kept battling as Ladainian James and Harris converted opportunities at the free-throw line, and Harris fought through contact down low to secure offensive rebounds and put back second-chance points. Kolewole also chipped in a late rim finish, though Western capitalized on momentum to hold the lead 56-46 heading into the final quarter,
The fourth quarter saw York trying to keep up the defensive fight. Christopher Williams snagged a steal, pulled down multiple defensive boards, and scored on aggressive drives before sinking a late 3. Clarke hit another shot from deep, and Jacob Knight orchestrated late possessions by setting up interior buckets for Williams and Okeke. The Lions fought hard until the final buzzer, but unfortunately fell short to the Mustangs.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions find themselves back in action next weekend on Saturday October 7th when they take on the Algoma Thunderbirds in Sault Ste. Marie.
