The season is dwindling down, but the Gaels are heating up.
Both Men’s and Women’s Basketball hosted the Nipissing Lakers and Laurentian Voyageurs at the ARC Main Gym for the second last homestand of the regular season on Feb. 7 and 8, respectively. The Gaels were looking to continue their successful season against the OUA’s most northern teams.
On the Women’s side, after dropping their first of the season to a strong Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) team, they got back in the win column against the University of Toronto. Queen’s was looking to stay atop the OUA against two opponents fighting for a playoff position.
In the first game against the Lakers, the Gaels came out hot like they have all season long, taking a commanding 30-16 lead. After the stellar first quarter, it was all about maintaining, as they limited momentum and kept control of the game. Any chance the Lakers had, or any offensive run they could potentially build off of, was shut down by the Gaels, who continue to play stellar team defence all over the court. Queen’s would cruise to an 81-54 victory.
In the game against the Voyageurs, more of the same continued against a desperate opponent with playoff seeding on the line. The Gaels took control of all facets of the game from the very start, smothering the Voyageur attacks and making them pay offensively when mistakes were made. Queen’s ran away with the game, contributed by an eight-point run to finish the second half to take a 20-point lead. The Gaels would resume their dominance of the game containing to add to their lead, ultimately winning 86-49.
The same two continue to lead the way for the Gaels this season. Kiyara Letlow, MSc ’26, added to her double-double streak in a mere 10 games, a remarkable feat. She continues to build on her illustrious USports career. As well as Bella Gaudet, Comm ’26, leading the Gaels in points in both games over the weekend. With the team’s successful season, they will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
The Men’s team had come into the game on a six-game winning streak, sprinting up the standings and setting themselves up for a favourable playoff path. Despite the Lakers and Voyageurs having records below the Gaels, the Voyageurs needed the win to guarantee a playoff berth.
READ MORE: Final Stretch: Men’s Basketball
In the first game against the Lakers, the Queen’s offence exploded in the first quarter with six three-pointers that led to 39 points scored. After a little pushback from the Lakers in the second quarter, the Gaels put the game out of reach with an 18-point run in the third quarter, leading by as much as 35. Queen’s would put a bow on the game, reaching triple digits for the fifth time this season, winning 111-69.
The second game against the Voyageurs had a much different, almost playoff-like feel to it with intense moments at the end. A tight game that saw the Gaels hold a plethora of leads in the first half, as high as 10 and as low as only three points. The third quarter was more of the same for the Gaels, who obviously didn’t have their A game but were poised for a smooth finish; the Voyageurs had other ideas.
The Gaels in the fourth quarter raised their lead to 18, but then the Voyageurs gained momentum and diminished the lead to just four points with three minutes remaining in the game. After a missed offensive opportunity and foul by the Gaels, the Voyageurs had two free throws to make the deficit just two. The moment was poised to be too pressure-packed for the Voyageurs player who missed both, leading the Gaels to gain some much-needed momentum and ultimately winning the game 77-69.
Queens will play their final regular season at the ARC on Feb. 13 against the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. The game will determine their seeding, ultimately deciding who they play in round one of the OUA playoffs on Feb. 18.
Tags
ARC Main Gym, Basketball, Bella Gaudet, Kiyara Letlow, Laurentian Voyageurs, Nipissing Lakers
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