York’s fall hoops season gets off to a grand start on Saturday, Sept. 5, when the Lions men’s basketball team takes on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I in an exhibition contest. The game takes place on the Lions’ home court at Tait McKenzie Centre beginning at 8pm.
It marks the sixth year in a row that York will entertain an American college team over the Labour Day weekend. The Lions are 3 to 8 against NCAA opponents since 2004.
“It is a great opportunity for the coaching staff to have an early look at our new recruits play alongside our returning players,” says Bob Bain, head coach of men’s basketball. “All team members are easily able to identify areas of the game we must work on, as NCAA teams tend to exploit any weaknesses that present themselves.”
The Chattanooga Mocs had a remarkable season in 2008-2009. The squad qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 after winning its record-tying 10th Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Championship title with a 80-69 victory over the College of Charleston. The 16th-seeded Mocs then fell in the first round of the NCAA West Regional to the No. 3 University of Connecticut Huskies to see their season come to an end.
The Mocs were 18-17 overall on the year, including an impressive 13-3 on home court.
York finished fifth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East Division last season with a 7-15 record, but upset the No. 4 Ryerson University Rams in the first round of the playoffs before dropping their OUA quarter-final contest against the six-time national champion Carleton University Ravens.
Ticket information for the game will be announced at a later date.