KINGSTON, Ont. (January 28, 2017)- The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team dropped its second game in as many nights on Saturday at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC), falling to the Laurentian Voyageurs by a score of 85-64.
 
Sukhpreet Singh tallied a team-high 21 points, while Jesse Graham added 13 points and brother Tanner recorded eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Kadre Gray dropped a game-high 22 points for the Voyageurs, who improve to 6-9 on the season.
 
The Gaels fall to 6-8 on the season, and have lost seven straight contests.
 
GAME FLOW
The visitors jumped out to a 13-6 advantage after hitting five of their first seven shots. After a Gaels turnover led to another quick lay-up in transition, coach Stephan Barrie quickly called timeout to stem the Voyageur tide. Laurentian, however, drained a buzzer-beating three to push the lead up to 13 heading into the second period.
 
Another three by Voyageur Gray pushed the lead to 16 before the Gaels answered in the second to stop a 9-0 run. Laurentian continued to maintain a double-digit advantage as the half wound down, cashing in 13 points off of 12 first-half Gael turnovers while limiting the hosts to just a single basket from beyond the arc.
 
The Gaels shot just over 46% in the first half, but conceded a 53% efficiency from the guests, and faced a 42-29 deficit heading into the break.
 
The Graham (Kingston) brothers went to work in the third quarter, trading baskets with Tanner converted a three-point play in an effort to help the Gaels keep pace. Some timely perimeter shooting from the guests, however, helped the Voyageurs build the lead to 19 mid-way through the third.
 
Sammy Ayisi (Toronto) scored five points in a row, following a three with a steal and lay-up, but Laurentian responded with a three and ensuing lay-up after a Queen's turnover, pushing the lead above 20. The Voyageurs held a 21-point lead at the end of three.
 
Singh hit a three-pointer following a Laurentian turnover, cutting the lead down to 16 with just over five minutes left to play in regulation. The Toronto native then got to the line on back-to-back possessions, and made three-of-four from the stripe to bring the deficit to 15, but that was as close as the men would get, as the Voyageurs pulled away in the final minutes of the fourth.
 
FINAL SAY
"We are struggling right now," said Barrie. "Tonight was symptomatic of our inconsistency, and a lack of urgency. We are playing much better teams in the second half, and they are making us pay. It was the same thing last night (vs. Nipissing). When you make a mistake, don't execute, they are making you pay. In the first half, teams weren't making us pay. Right now, we have to get to work and prove that we are a better team in the last three weeks."
 
BY THE NUMBERS
50%- Laurentian shot 50% from the field, compared to 38.5% from the Gaels
2- Rookie Henry Van Herk picked up his first two points in post-secondary play on Friday
41- The Gaels won the rebound battle, bringing down 41 boards compared to 35 from Laurentian
1,311 - Singh becomes just the second Gael to reach the 1,300 mark and is just 26 points behind the school scoring record
 
UP NEXT
The Gaels hit the road for their final road trip of the season next weekend when they take on Ryerson and Toronto. The men host Carleton and Ottawa on February 10 and 11, before concluding conference play at home against York on February 17.