KINGSTON, Ont. (January 12, 2018) - The No.7 Queen's Gaels (11-2) fell short against the No.4 Carleton Ravens (12-0) 49-39 in a low scoring defensive affair that was a rematch of last year's OUA Critelli Cup and U SPORTS bronze medal games.
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GAME FLOW
The game opened with excellent defence on both sides. The defensive effort by the Ravens persisted through most of the first, as the Gaels struggled to find an open look. The Ravens managed to score twice, early in the quarter, but turnovers prevented them from adding on to their lead. The Gaels remained scoreless for the first seven minutes of the game, forcing a timeout from coach
Dave Wilson.
Abby Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C.) broke the dry spell, as she gave Queen's their first points, with a pair of free-throws.
Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont) was able to drive for a late quarter layup, and the Gaels ended the quarter trailing 16-4.
The Gaels came into the second quarter, applying a lot of pressure on the Ravens. Both teams, were again, scoreless for the first few minutes.
Sophie de Goede (Victoria) found the basket for a layup, to give the Gaels their first points of the second quarter. De Goede came right back with another layup, this time off the fast-break.
Emma Ritcey (Orillia, Ont) closed the gap to single digits, with a 3-pointer, mid-way through the second.
The Gaels began to play at much faster pace, and look to have overwhelmed the Ravens. Ritcey got another shot to go down, this time from mid-range, she had the hot hand this quarter, as she sunk another triple. Heading into halftime Queen's still trailed the Ravens, 24-17.
The third opened with
Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa) knocking down a second-chance basket. The Ravens also found their footing, offensively, as they were able to create another double-digit gap. It would be Lavergne, who was quiet through the entire first half, who would will the Gaels back to a 5-point gap, with a pair of low-post baskets.
Traveling calls, were a consistent momentum killer for the Ravens, as whistles were constantly ending Carleton's possessions, but the Ravens were persistent, as they were able to find lanes and get easy baskets. Alarie knocked down a 3-pointer, late in the third, to boost some life into the Queen's offence. She would again knock down another 3-pointer to close the gap to seven, but the Gaels were still behind at the end of the 3rd 38-31.
The fourth opened with Lavergne getting a big block down low, as the Gaels looked for a comeback victory.
Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont.), who was excellent on the boards, knocked down the first points for the Gaels in the fourth. Priamo managed a steal, which later turned into an important 3-pointer by Dixon, to keep the Gaels alive in the game.
The Gaels were down by eight in the final minutes of the game, but could not seem to score. They showed excellent ball movement and rebounding but simply could not finish. Queen's did not do enough offensively to close the gap, which ultimately sealed the game for them. The final score on the night saw the Ravens take it 49-39.
BY THE NUMBERS
11-
Marianne Alarie led the Gaels in scoring with 11 points
8 - Lavergne and Priamo were tied for most rebounds, with eight each.
17 - The Gaels recorded 17 steals on the night.
0-24 - From the three-point line for the Ravens
FINAL SAY
"We knew their defence was very good, very physical, but we thought we had some things that would allow us to create some freedom. A 10-point spread in a low scoring game, is a huge spread, and the opportunities to score those 10 points were there, and that's something we have to be better at, executing when it matters."Â -Head Coach David Wilson
UP NEXT
The Gaels are back at home tomorrow night, facing the Ottawa Gee-Gees. Tip-off is at 6 pm at the ARC. Tickets are available at www.gogaelsgo.com/tickets or catch the action live online at OUA.tv.
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