The seventh-seed Gaels men's basketball team (11-8) hosts the 10th-seed Toronto Varsity Blues (5-14) in the ARC main gym at 8pm on Wednesday in preliminary OUA playoff action.Â
Queen's qualified for the playoffs as the second-place team in the OUA East, and is ranked seventh after all teams were put through the Rating Percentage Index (RPI). As the seventh-seed, the Gaels face the 10th-seed in the preliminary round, a spot previously held by York. Due to an ineligible player, York had to forfeit three regular season wins, and their new fourth-place finish in the OUA East no longer qualified them for the playoffs. Instead, Toronto sneaks into the 10th spot in the OUA playoffs and will travel to Kingston, Ont. for Wednesday's matchup with the Gaels.
After losing a close game 70-68 to then No.3 Ryerson last Friday, Queen's finished the regular season with an 81-73 victory over Toronto. In the loss, Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) led all scorers with 23 points, helped out by 14 points from Tanner Graham (Kingston, Ont.) and 11 points from Andrew Mavety (Vancouver). Mike Shoveller (Arnprior, Ont.) tied a season-high with 11 rebounds and made two blocks to move into ninth into the OUA this season. The same names came up big for the Gaels in their win against Toronto, as Mavety led the way the a career-high 23 points on 5/6 shooting from the three-point line, helping improve on his OUA-best 51.6 three-point percentage. Graham earned a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Singh contributed 15 points and seven assists. Graham finished the regular season ninth in OUA rebounds per game at 7.3, fifth in defensive rebounds per game with 5.7, and third in blocks with 30 on the year. Third in the league in field goals and free throws made, Singh is also third in points per game, averaging 22.3, and contributed 33 steals to Queen's defensive efforts, eighth-most in the OUA.
Toronto is on a six-game losing streak heading into the playoffs, losing most recently 97-93 at York in overtime and 81-73 to Queen's. Against York, Devin Johnson had 25 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, while Devon Williams also contributed 25 points. Sage Usher netted 18 and recorded five assists. Williams led the Varsity Blues with 20 points and four assists against the Gaels, and Johnson had another team-high with nine rebounds to go with his 17 points. Miroslavic Jaksic chipped in with 11 points in the loss. Johnson edges out Singh for second in points per game, averaging 22.4, while also recording 142 total rebounds this season, good enough for sixth in the OUA.Â
The Gaels and Varsity Blues split the season series, with each team winning at home. Toronto beat Queen's 85-84 in January, before the Gaels returned the favour in Kingston last weekend. The Varsity Blues had their playoff run ended last season in an 85-71 preliminary loss to Windsor, while the Gaels have to look back to the 2013-14 season for their most recent playoff action, when they lost 86-76 to Ryerson in the first round.Â
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QUEEN'S | |
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| STAT | OUA OVERALL | | Games | 19 | 6th | | Points | 1469 | 8th | | Points per game | 77.3 | 8th | | FG made per game | 27.2 | 10th | | FG attempts per game | 63.9 | 14th | | FG Pct | 42.5 | 6th | | 3PT made per game | 7.2 | 12th | | 3PT attempts per game | 21.3 | 13th | | 3PT Pct | 33.9 | 5th | | FT made per game | 15.8 | 2nd | | FT attempt per game | 22.0 | 2nd | | FT Pct | 71.8 | 6th | | Off rebounds per game | 10.9 | 12th | | Def rebounds per game | 27.8 | 5th | | Total rebounds per game | 38.7 | 8th | | Rebound margin per game | 0.8 | 6th | | Assists per game | 10.6 | 13th | | Turnovers per game | 14.8 | 10th | | Steals per game | 5.9 | 15th | | Blocks per game | 3.2 | 8th | | Personal fouls per game | 17.2 | 5th | | Points per game allowed | 77.7 | 9th | | Opponents' Field goal percentage | 41.5 | 8th | | Opponents' 3PT percentage | 33.3 | 13th |
| TORONTO |
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| STAT | OUA OVERALL | | Games | 19 | 6th | | Points | 1421 | 12th | | Points per game | 74.8 | 11th | | FG made per game | 26.7 | 11th | | FG attempts per game | 66.7 | 11th | | FG Pct | 40.1 | 11th | | 3PT made per game | 7.5 | 10th | | 3PT attempts per game | 22.9 | 10th | | 3PT Pct | 32.6 | 6th | | FT made per game | 13.8 | 9th | | FT attempt per game | 18.8 | 12th | | FT Pct | 73.7 | 3rd | | Off rebounds per game | 12.7 | 5th | | Def rebounds per game | 26.8 | 8th | | Total rebounds per game | 39.5 | 5th | | Rebound margin per game | 0.6 | 7th | | Assists per game | 11.6 | 11th | | Turnovers per game | 15.1 | 11th | | Steals per game | 6.3 | 13th | | Blocks per game | 2.5 | 10th | | Personal fouls per game | 18.3 | 10th | | Points per game allowed | 80.3 | 13th | | Opponents' Field goal percentage | 42.8 | 14th | | Opponents' 3PT percentage | 33.0 | 11th |
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