Friday night was the final regular season home game of the season for the York University Lions women's basketball team on what was a special night both pre-game and post-game. Graduating senior Alexis Grewal was honoured pregame, while York women's basketball all-time steals, field goals, free throws and points leader Kiara Leveridge was presented with a framed picture in a moving postgame ceremony in what was her final home game as a Lion.
The game represented more than just that though, as York (10-10) was on the cusp of a playoff spot, with the chance to host a playoff game, depending on the results of their final two games and finals from out-of-town games involving Ottawa and Laurentian, the two teams with whom they are battling with for playoff positioning. However, in their way tonight were the Guelph Gryphons, standing at 16-5 and battling to win the OUA West and earn a top three seed in the postseason.
The home side had other ideas, however, as they took a small lead early with five different Lions hitting the first five field goals to take a10-4 lead. Niamh Heath then drilled a three to make it 13-4, which led to an early Gryphons timeout, and two more Lions field goals out of the break gave them a 17-6 advantage. Gabby Di Pietro, who led the team in scoring in the first with 7, drilled another three for the Lions late in the quarter, putting them up 20-11 after a strong first frame.
The Gryphons began to claw back into the game in the second, opening the quarter on an 8-2 run, forcing a Lions timeout. The Lions responded with a 10-4 run of their own to make it, and started to clamp down on the Gryphons defensively in the last five minutes of the quarter, forcing multiple turnovers. Though Guelph outscored the Lions 17-14 in the second, key contributions from the starting five, as well as Emmanuelle Felix off the bench with five points in the half, helped keep them up 34-28 after two.
Leveridge drilled a three and a layup on consecutive trips to open the third, as the Lions continued to keep the Gryphons at bay. Both Leveridge and Di Pietro cracked double figures in the quarter, a frame that favoured the Lions 15-11. With Guelph stalling out on offence, the Lions built back up a double-digit lead, 49-37 after three, looking to close it out in the final 10 minutes.
York opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run to go up 54-37, and their smothering defence made Guelph baskets hard to come by. Though Guelph cut it to ten late at 58-48, a big Ella Okubasu layup stifled any Gryphons' comeback in a low scoring quarter, and the Lions captured an impressive victory against a top opponent, 60-51.
Following the win, the Lions held a video tribute to longtime superstar Leveridge, with former scoring leader Laura (McCallum) Lennon (2004-09) on hand to present Leveridge with a commemorative framed picture after her final game at Tait McKenzie Centre, with friends and family on hand.
Leveridge finished with 13 points seven boards, while Grewal wound up with eight points and two rebounds.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions will play their final game of the regular season Saturday night at Laurier against the Golden Hawks, Tipoff is set for 6:00 pm, with coverage on OUA TV.
