NORTH YORK, Ont. - A big second-half comeback attempt came up just short for Laurier on Friday night as they couldn't tame the Lions in a 66-60 season-opening loss at York.

The Golden Hawks, who had just wrapped a solid 5-2 preseason were, understandably, "cautiously optimistic" with the start of the 2024/25 campaign, according to Laurier's manager of women's basketball operations and head coach Paul Falco. 

Both teams got off to a slow start though at the Tait McKenzie Centre, with Laurier shooting just 17% from the field to York's 28%, combining for just 23 points. York held a slim 12-11 lead after the opening 10 minutes.

Things opened up in a big way in the second quarter as Laurier's shooting struggles continued, going sub-20% from the field again; 3 for 18 overall and 1 for 7 beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, York heated up en route to a 14-3 run in the final 6:07 of the first half, leading by as many as 19 points at one point. 

Outscoring the Golden Hawks 25-9 in the second quarter overall, York headed into halftime with a 15-point lead, 36-21.

The third quarter saw a string of big plays from the Golden Hawks, both offensively and defensively pressure - including forward Kate White taking control of the game, knocking down shot after shot. 

With 2:40 left in regulation, York's lead had whittled down to just two points, with White scoring 19 of her career and game-high 25 points on the night in the second half, while also connecting on a personal best five threes on six attempts.

The purple and gold also continued their strong defensive play too, as they shrunk York's advantage.

A three-pointer with just 25 seconds left by Gabriella Di Pietro though - just her second shot all game but also her second made three of the quarter - sealed the deal for the Lions. 

Aside from White's career night, another bright spot for the Golden Hawks was Janet Enge matching her personal best of 10 rebounds in the game.

The team's reigning MVP Cassidy Hirtle and Miranda Campbell finished in double-digits with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
 

Up Next

Laurier (0-1) will head to Hamilton for a Sunday matinee against the McMaster Marauders (1-0), who won their season opener 84-51 over Ontario Tech on Friday.

Tip-off at Burridge Gym is set for 1 pm. Catch the game live on OUA.tv and follow @WLUAthletics on X for live updates.