The Varsity Blues hosted the York Lions on Friday, January 9, at the Goldring Centre, where they secured a thrilling 89–80 victory. Prior to this game, Toronto and York were fourth and fifth in the Central Division, respectively.
In the last 10 matchups between Toronto and York, Toronto has decisively asserted itself, winning seven of the last 10. The Varsity Blues continued this success against the Lions in their first win of the new year.
What happened?
Both teams made their burning desire to win clear immediately. The York Lions’ guard Jeremiah Kwarteng took control of the ball off the tip and dunked within the first five seconds. The Lions enacted a full-court press early in the first quarter, and their physicality was apparent.
The Varsity Blues, however, responded with a similar grit. Centre Panashe Dumbu brought significant defensive intensity, screaming and shouting, getting his teammates riled up and organizing the defence.
Forward Simeon Jeffers didn’t hesitate to use his size and strength, playing the Lions with assertive physicality. His ‘and one’ bucket gave the Blues momentum ending the first quarter, bringing the score to a 26–24 Blues lead.
Toronto made a statement in the second quarter for their fiery home crowd. Dumbu’s hustle continued to lead to winning plays, as he tenaciously crashed the offensive glass, leading to a three-pointer from centre Nigel Hylton.
When asked about his dedication to the team in an interview with The Varsity, Dumbu praises his teammates and the locker room culture, saying: “They’re my guys, you know, I’ll die for them when I play, and I know they’ll die for me.”
Hylton also caught fire this quarter, with a pair of buckets that opened the floodgates for the Blues to keep pouring through. Most notably, Jeffers kept the Lions’ defence on edge with his diverse scoring bag and crafty off-the-dribble shot creation. He nailed a silky smooth triple, which was the punctuation mark to the Blues’ dominant quarter. Toronto entered the half with a comfortable 14-point lead.
Blues guard Rohan Scott-Smith made his presence felt at the start of the third, quickly contributing five points as well as a perfect dime to Dumbu for a layup. Dumbu also contributed two monstrous blocks on the interior this quarter, which had the crowd wondering if they were at a volleyball game.
The Blues’ defensive effort was suffocating for the Lions, who needed to work hard for every inch of space. This, combined with Hylton scoring 10 of his season-high 22 points this quarter, led to Toronto leading by as much as 25 points in the third, and the Blues ending the quarter with an assertive 17-point lead.
The fourth quarter was an absolute thriller. The Blues’ hot shooting seemingly wore off, and the Lions’ forward LaDainian James refused to let his team surrender. His 13-point scoring barrage this quarter brought the Lions within arm’s reach of the Blues.
With just under three minutes remaining, it was a five-point ballgame, a far cry from Toronto’s 25-point lead in the third. However, the Blues knew exactly how to execute. Carl Emmanuel Cleophat’s huge corner three, as well as Scott-Smith’s turnaround dagger, sealed the game, and secured the win for the Blues with a final score of 89–80.
What’s next?
Toronto next faced off against the Carleton Ravens in Ottawa on January 16, where they recorded a 50–80 loss. However, they secured a win on January 17 against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, clinching an 80–77 victory. The Blues are currently third in the OUA central division and will next play the Western Mustangs on January 23, where they will look to improve their 8–6 season record.
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