TORONTO, Ont. - Playing their first road game of the new year on Friday morning in front of a raucous School Day game crowd,, the Golden Hawks came out strong but ultimately fell 83-81 in a nailbiter against the York Lions.

Laurier came out firing in the first quarter, converting 50 percent of their shots - including 60 percent from beyond the arc. Rookie guard Brittyn Graves led the Hawks in scoring in the frame, recording seven points on perfect shooting from the field and the charity stripe. Laurier also dominated on the defensive end, forcing York to commit nine turnovers, providing five extra chances. At the end of the first quarter, Laurier held a comfortable seven-point lead.

Laurier's efficiency from the field dwindled in the second quarter, with York outscoring the Hawks 21-15 and cutting Laurier's lead down to just one at the halftime break. 

From the start of the second half, there were many lead changes throughout the rest of the game. In the third quarter, points began to flow for both teams, with York getting the slight upper hand over the Golden Hawks, 21-20. Miranda Campbell began to take over, scoring seven of her career-high 22 points in the quarter. However, York began to dominate the boards, recording 11 more rebounds than Laurier with six of them coming on the offensive end. 

Going into the fourth quarter with the game tied at 62 apiece, Laurier actually shot better than York from the field, however, due to a few Laurier turnovers, York was able to get more opportunities to score. As well, Laurier had some difficulties from the line, shooting just 2 for 6 from the line, which in the end would be costly. After several late-game lead changes, York was able to secure the last basket of the game to win 83-81.

Despite the team's fourth defeat in their first five games to start the new year, another bright spot was rookie first-year forward Kate White, who set career benchmarks with 14 points in 28 minutes played.


Top Performers
Laurier Golden Hawks
Miranda Campbell
Campbell played incredibly well, recording a career-high 22 points on 50 percent shooting. Along with filling the basket, Campbell grabbed seven rebounds and had two assists.

York Lions
Cyanna King
King played a huge role in the York win recording a 26-point, 13-rebound double-double, along with two assists and two blocks.

Up Next
Laurier (5-10) travels to Hamilton to take on the Central Division-leading McMaster Marauders (10-4) looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. The tip-off is set for 7 PM. 

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