A 21-3 run to open the game propelled the visiting York Lions to an 86-79 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues on Wednesday, Feb. 24 in what turned out to be fight to the finish in a renewed city rivalry at the Athletic Centre Sports Gym.

Lions second-year guard David Tyndale knocked down a game-high 25 points, including two huge jumpers from downtown in the final three minutes to give his squad a six-point cushion that they held until the final buzzer.

York now moves on to face the No. 2 Carleton Ravens this Saturday, Feb. 27 in Ottawa, while the Blues season comes to an abrupt end. The Queen’s Gaels held off the Ryerson Rams in the other divisional playoff match-up and will also travel to Ottawa to take on the No. 5 Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Within a blink of an eye in the opening quarter, the visiting Lions stunned the boisterous Toronto crowd with a quick 9-0 run. Four different Lions had scored before Blues Rob Paris (St. Catharines, Ont.) notched Toronto’s first three points of the game.

Led by a 4-for-4 first-quarter performance from freshman forward Dejan Kravic of London, Ont., the Lions extended that lead to 18 points with four minutes remaining.

Fifth-year veteran Pat Sewell took matters into his own hands, making a monstrous block at one end and then finishing things off with a three at the other. That burst of energy ignited the Blues, who went on to outscore York, 11-3, over the last three minutes of the opening quarter.

After hitting only 28% of their shots in the first 10 minutes, Toronto’s cold shooting started to heat up. They shot 38% in the second quarter and outscored the young Lions team 18-12 to pull within four points (36-32) at the half.

The Blues stayed on track after the break, hitting 47 percent of their attempts on 9-of-19 shooting. Burlington, Ont. native Nick Magalas found his touch and knocked down six of his 14 points in the third, while Drazen Glisic (Sarajevo, BIH) added five point and two big offensive boards as Varsity found themselves down by only one heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter would be an epic battle. Blues fifth-year senior Nick Snow of London, Ont. laid it all on the line in his final collegiate game. In the intense back and forth affair, Snow tallied 11 points in 10 minutes and hit a big three-point shot, one of two on the season, to pull his troops to within three with 2:47 left in regulation. Tyndale (Mississauga, Ont.) would answer moments later with his fifth trey of the game, pushing the lead back to six and out of the reach for the Blue and White.

All four graduating seniors hit double figures in their final game as a Varsity Blue. Snow had team-high 21 points and six rebounds, five on the offensive end. Magalas tallied 14 points and a team-high eight boards, while Sewell and Paris had 12 points apiece.

For the Lions, all five starters hit double digits. Tyndale notched a game-high 25 points, while Kravic had 17 and a game-high 12 rebounds. John Lafontaine (Whitby, Ont.) and Ostap Choliy (Oakville, Ont.) each knocked down 14 and Stefan Haynes (North York, Ont.) added 12 in the win.

The Blues took the regular-season series 2-0 with wins at York on Jan. 23 and again at home on Feb. 12. Since their first playoff meeting in 1981, Toronto holds a slight 6-5 edge over their cross-town rivals. However, the Lions have taken the last two playoff contests (2004, 2010). 

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite Toronto teams, please visit the home of the Varsity Blues at http://www.varsityblues.ca.