The Queen’s men’s basketball had a truly dominant performance to cap off their weekend at home.
On Jan. 23 and 24, the Gaels hosted the Guelph Gryphons and the York Lions, respectively. Friday night at the ARC didn’t start the way the Gaels wanted in the first half, struggling to score and being down as much as 13. However, coming out of halftime the Gaels were on a scoring mission including three big 3’s that gave them the lead late in the third quarter.
The relentless pressure of the Gryphons didn’t stop in the fourth quarter as Queens held Guelph to just 10 points solidifying a 94-72 victory. Ollie Engren, Kin ’29, had a game high 22 points in the win, contributing to him being recognized as one of the Queens Gael’s athletes of the week.
On Saturday night, the Gaels games against the York Lions started strong, and came out on top thanks to a commanding performance. Putting heavy pressure on the opposition allowed the Gaels to outscore their opponents and hold onto their lead throughout the game.
Although the offensive performance was undeniably brilliant, the pace softened towards the second half, and the Gaels had to play a much more defensive game as the pressure was turned on them. Even with the added pressure from the opposition, the Gaels were able to play their game and get the job done.
With standout performances from Ashton Bain, ArtSci ’28, who put 17 on the board along with a season high 6 assists, as well as Rookie Emre Fisk, Comm ’29, who put up 10 points while also boasting an impressive eight defensive rebounds. With this sort of depth and offensive dominance, it’s clear that the Gaels are a squad built to win.
In an interview with The Journal, Men’s Basketball Head Coach Stephan Barrie commented on the strong aspects of the game at hand. “We were very disciplined, we executed, and our effort level was spectacular,” he said. “I was very pleased with that”.
When asked about areas that needed improvement, Coach Barrie commented, “Where we need work is in the second half. We lost a bit of our focus.” Elaborating further, he said, “It’s hard at times to maintain a big lead, it’s why in basketball you see leads evaporate quickly at every level”.
With the offence being so strong and capable, the focus for the team now should be to continue to focus on what they do well, while also improving defensively and to remain focused during the second half.
Overall, the performance was an impressive one and is sure to elevate the team’s morale and build some momentum going into next weekend’s fixtures.
The Gaels will host Algoma University on Friday, Jan. 23, and will then head over to Brock University to face the Badgers on the 24th.
Tags
Ashton Bain, Gaels, Men's Basketball, Ollie Engren, Rookie Emre Fisk
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