KINGSTON, Ont. (February 27, 2016)- Andrew Mavety scored a season-high 23 points, and the Queen's Gaels men's basketball team closed out their regular season with an 81-73 victory over the Toronto Varsity Blues on senior's night at the Athletics and Recreation Centre Saturday evening.
 
Mavety, who was honoured along with fellow seniors Mark Paclibar (Minesing, Ont.) and Ryall Stroud (Toronto) before the game, was 8-of-13 from the field and a formidable 5-of-6 from behind the three-point line. Sukhpreet Singh and Tanner Graham each tallied 15 points, and Graham added 12 rebounds for a double-double to go along with a game-high four blocks for the Gaels (11-8).
 
Queen's shot just under 50% and used an explosive fourth quarter offensively where they scored 29 points to command of the lead against a desperate Toronto team needing a win to squeak into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season.

With the victory, it is likely that the Gaels will be hosting their first home playoff game in six seasons. The last time Queen's hosted a post-season contest was the 2009-10 season when they defeated Ryerson in the OUA East quarter-finals by a score of 79-76 in overtime.
 
GAME FLOW
The opening quarter was full of streakiness, beginning with the hosts missing their first 10 shots, which allowed the Blues to jump ahead with a 9-0 lead at the 5-minute mark. Mavety (Vancouver, B.C.) ended the slump with a corner three, and sparked the men on an 11-2 run that the fourth-year guard polished off with another three from the opposite corner to give Queen's its first lead.
 
The momentum then swung back in favour of the Blues over the rest of the quarter. The Gaels went quiet in the final minutes offensively, while Toronto heated up, scoring nine in a row to take an 18-11 lead into the second period.
 
Mavety began the second with another three, but Blues rookie Devon Williams took over soon after, notching three-straight baskets from beyond the arc on consecutive possessions in just over 90 seconds to stretch the Toronto advantage into double-digits. Williams would go 5-for-5 on his three-point attempts in the first 20 twenty minutes, and finished with a half-high of 15.
 
The Gaels managed to cut into the Blues lead after gaining a bit of momentum at the offensive end of the floor, shooting 60% (9-13) in the second quarter. Baskets from Singh (Toronto) and Graham (Kingston) brought the deficit down to seven going into halftime. Mavety led the Gaels with 13 points at the break.
 
Queen's picked up four-straight points in the third quarter to pull within a single-possession of the lead, but a timely three by Manny Sahota momentarily stopped the Gael tide. The hosts persevered, going on a 9-2 run topped off with a great move in the post any lay-in from Mike Blumel (Waterloo, Ont.) to pull the Gaels within a point of Toronto. The Blues held onto a 54-52 lead at the end of three quarters.
 
Mavety continued his potent shooting early in the fourth, nailing two three's that book-ended a three-point play on a tough drive and basket by Singh, giving the Gaels their first lead since the first quarter just over a minute and a half into the final quarter.
 
The Gaels offence continued rolling through the fourth, and as a result the men were able to slowly build up as much as a nine-point advantage late in the contest. The Blues twice came within a shot of tying the game, but their offense went cold late, as the guests missed five shots in a row on two possessions with under three minutes left.
 
During that same span, four-straight points from Stroud, which included two important free-throws, and a three-point basket from Graham gave the Gaels an eight-point lead with just over a minute and a half left. Mavety and Singh iced the game from the foul-line in the final 30 seconds.
 
FINAL SAY
"We had a home playoff spot on the line, so our focus was on our urgency," said Head Coach Stephan Barrie. "We've worked really hard all year, it would be a shame not to have a home playoff game. I thought we came out with some nervous energy and missed a lot of easy shots early. So we had to settle a bit. In the second half we got into rhythm and, most importantly, the difference between last night and tonight was once we got the lead we closed it out and did the things we have to do to put teams away. It was a great finish for us to that end"
 
On Mavety's performance
"Andrew's parents are going to have to come to the playoff game; he seems to play unbelievably when they are here. I'm just happy for him, he's worked really hard and come back from so many injuries. He's had a tough career with a lot of bad luck in it. So for him on his senior night to have that game is well-deserved, and the guys couldn't be happier for him"
 
On hosting a playoff game
"These games have been few and far between, and our guys are working hard to change that and make them happen every year. But you have to take the first step and get that first one. So it's a step for us, and an important one. Now we have to take advantage of it, and get hungry for one more win."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
47.6%- The Gaels offensive efficiency, nearly five points higher than their average and sixth highest single-game percentage in conference play
51.6%- Andrew Mavety's three-point field-goal percentage, ranking him first in the OUA
11- It was the 11th game where Queen's scored 80 or more points in the regular season
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels, who finish second in the OUA East, begin their playoff journey next week. The men's seeding and opponent will be determined based on their RPI rating. Stay tuned to gogaelsgo.com for more information.