The men’s basketball team hit a roadblock against the CIS first- and 10th-ranked teams.
The Gaels lost two consecutive games for the first time this season, falling 75-58 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday and 104-63 to the first-ranked Carleton Ravens on Saturday.
Against Ottawa’s 10th-ranked team, the Gaels faltered due to a complete offensive meltdown.
“Guys need to come and make sure they play to their capability — that’s the bottom line,” head coach Stephan Barrie said.
The Gaels scored just nine points in the first quarter and the Gee-Gees took advantage of the Gaels’ woes, scoring 21 points in each of the first three quarters.
Ottawa dominated the boards on both ends of the court, holding the Gaels to just six offensive rebounds.
“I’m not in this business to try and externally motivate people to do things,” Barrie said. “They’re not 10-year-old boys — these are men, and they need to show up if they want to win and compete.”
In their 75-58 loss, Greg Faulkner and Sukhpreet Singh led the Gaels in scoring, with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
At Carleton the next night, the Gaels were at the mercy of the nation’s top-ranked team.
The Ravens shot 65 per cent from the field in the first half and held the Gaels to their second lowest point total of the season.
“[That was a] typical game when you play the best team in the country,” Barrie said. “[We] played a good defensive possession, and they hit a shot with someone in their face — there’s really no defence for that.”
Unlike Friday’s loss to the Gee-Gees, Barrie recognized the tough Carleton game as something the youthful Gaels can build on.
“[Carleton’s] good for a reason,” Barrie said. “They put in a tremendous amount of time, especially in the off-season, into their game. Our guys can learn from that, and have that kind of work ethic when the season ends.”
The Gaels are on the road again this weekend as they play the sixth-ranked Ryerson Rams Friday night and the Toronto Varsity Blues on Saturday.
“If we play as unmotivated and dispassionate as we did against Ottawa, then we’re going to be in tough,” Barrie said, “but if we play as hard as we did against Carleton, I think we’ll be in good shape this weekend.”
Tags
Carleton Ravens, Gaels, Men's Basketball, Ottawa Gee Gees
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