Women’s Basketball is keeping their heads held high as they take off for nationals.
The Gaels lost to the Carleton Ravens 70-57 in Saturday’s Critelli Cup OUA Championship game. Although it wasn’t the result they wanted, Queen’s fought hard in front of the 2,000 fans who came out to support them at the ARC.
“The energy in the gym was phenomenal,” Head Coach Claire Meadows said in an interview with The Journal.
“We’ve been generating a great crowd at our games, and this was by far the best.”
It was standing room only as students and Kingstonians showed up to support. Even the gym windows overlooking the court were filled with peering faces eager to get a glimpse of action.
However, it wasn’t just their physical presence—Queen’s fans made sure they were heard as well as seen. Students packed in behind the Carleton bench armed with pots and pans making so much noise the Ravens could barely hear their coaches during timeouts.
Students banged pots by the Ravens’ bench. Photo: Curtis Heinzl
“This is bigger than basketball and I really feel like we are having a great impact on the community and we’re creating something special, and it was felt tonight in the gym,” Meadows said.
Even though the game didn’t end in Queen’s favour, the attention it gathered demonstrated how Kingston will follow the Gaels on their quest for the championship in Nova Scotia.
“Moving forward is using this game to fuel us,” Meadows said.
“We obviously had a goal tonight that we didn’t accomplish, but our season’s not over and we have some very important games in front of us so it’s about regrouping and fuelling us for what’s ahead.”
Though devastating, the Gaels should still be proud of their performance Saturday night. In fact, they must take what they learned in this championship with them as they move to the next one.
The Gaels pick each other up after each play. Photo: Herbert Wang
“We have to feel it. We have to work through some of those emotions, and then we have to wake up tomorrow and we have to be ready to go because we are going to Cape Breton, and we have some big goals there,” Meadows said.
Bridget Mulholland, a Queen’s veteran player, also spoke about having a what’s next mentality.
“I think in big games, close games, games when you’re down, the only thing you can focus on is the next game. Myself, and other upper-year athletes on the team, we’ve had a lot of experience with that. I’ve had about seven years of it—on and off the court—other people five, six, and so we just try and lean on that,” she said.
Queen’s maintains a simillar mindset while on the court.
“We look towards the next play, make some on the fly changes, talk about what we are seeing, and then we just kind of ground ourselves in that, and it’s something we will lean on going forward into nationals,” Mulholland said.
Throughout her entire time at Queen’s, Mulholland has kept up this positive, forward looking outlook. It’s what earned her the Tracy McLeod Award for unwavering determination and spirit.
“I think [this award] really is reflective of numerous people and the support that I’ve received over the years,” she said.
“I’m not here today without the support of a ton of coaches, most of the healthcare system in Kingston, and elsewhere in Ontario, my teammates, my parents, my family. So as much as it might be an award for me, it’s really an award for them and the support they’ve given me over the years.”
Since Saturday’s game, the Gaels haven’t stopped. They left on Monday morning for Nova Scotia, and their preparations for nationals have begun.
“We just have to get ready; we can feel bad for ourselves for a little bit because we obviously wanted to win that game, and wanted to win an OUA gold medal, [but] we have some big things ahead of us to look forward to and we’ve got to refocus and regroup and look forward to the national championships,” Laura Donovan, Queen’s top scorer on Saturday, said.
The Ravens celebrate their win by cutting down net. Photo: Curtis Heinzl
Tags
ARC, Critelli Cup, Laura Donovan, OUA, women's basketball
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