Box Score The Varsity Blues women’s basketball team dropped their third-straight game in an 85-71 loss to the York Lions on Friday night (Jan. 18) at Tait McKenzie Centre.

The Blues (5-7) fall into a tie with the Laurentian Lady Vees (5-7) for fourth place in the OUA East. The two teams will square off tomorrow night in Sudbury at 6 p.m. The Lions improve to 2-10 and remain in seventh.

Third-year forward Rachael Sider (New Westminster, B.C.) tallied a team-high 16 points and eight boards, with Etobicoke, Ont., native Jill Stratton notching 10 points.

Amanda Lauzon (Niagara Falls, Ont.) added eight points and nine boards, while Liane Bailey (Montreal) also had nine rebounds. Julie Longauer notched eight points and four steals in the loss. 

The Blues got off to a tough start, trailing the Lions 20-9 after the first and 41-25 at halftime. Toronto shot 25% (16/42) from the floor, compared to York’s 43% (19/44), in the first half.

Down by 15 heading into the fourth quarter, the Blues rallied, thanks in large part to an eight-point quarter from Sider, and brought the game within six with less than two minutes remaining. Foul trouble would seal their fate as York nailed nine free throws in the dying minutes to notch their second victory of the season.

Cyrielle Recoura led players with 29 points in York’s first win over Toronto since Jan. 26, 2008. Four other Lions reached double digits as Kayla Pangos recorded 15 points, Courney Osbourne had a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds and both Nadia Qahwash and Erin Sarapnickas added 11 points in the win.

After a stint in Sudbury tomorrow night, the Varsity Blues return home next Saturday, January 26 as they host the Queen’s Gaels in the sixth annual Think Pink game. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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