TORONTO (January 19, 2018)- The No 9 Gaels (12-3) found their footing again and got a big win on the road against the Ryerson Rams (10-6) on Friday night in OUA women's basketball action.
GAME FLOW
The Gaels had a dominant opening quarter, outscoring the Rams 23-6.
Veronika Lavergne (Ottawa) opened the game off a nice layup, followed shortly by a three-pointer from
Marianne Alarie (Sudbury, Ont.). The Gaels offence was off to a great start, and it combined with a strong opening defensive stand forcing four Rams turnovers.
The second quarter saw the Rams get back to life as the Gaels slowed down offensively. Lavergne got the first points for the Gaels, four minutes into the second quarter and the Rams were able to outscore the Gaels 13-8, thanks to consistent shooting and rebounding. Despite the slow down in the second, the Gaels rode their hot start to a 31-19 halftime lead.
The second half opened with a layup from
Andrea Priamo (Guelph, Ont.).
Abby Dixon (North Vancouver, B.C.) continued to be a force for the Gaels as the veteran managed a steal, and took it to the other end for another layup. The Gaels began to shoot more consistently, and play better defence in the second half.
Sophie de Goede (Victoria) had a strong defensive quarter, recording a steal and a block, with two rebounds coming off the bench. Led by the scoring of Dixon, the Gaels were able to keep their lead, 50-39 as they looked to close it out in the fourth.
The final quarter opened with a second-chance layup from Lavergne who played a key role all night in getting the offence started. The Rams were beginning to mount a comeback over the Gaels however as they looked to chip away at the Queen's lead. The Rams played better defence, not allowing good shot opportunities, and were able to grab missed shots for second-chance points. Ryerson was able to close the gap to just two points, after a nine-point run, with seven of those points coming from free throws. The Rams could not complete the comeback, as the Gaels began to attack the paint and get their own free throw opportunities. The Gaels walked away with the win in the end, 71-65.
BY THE NUMBERS
17-
Veronika Lavergne led the team in scoring, with 17 points.
12&11-
Abby Dixon finished the night with a double-double
24- The Gaels forced 24 turnovers on the Rams, and scored 19 points off turnovers
UP NEXT
The Gaels are on the road facing the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, tomorrow night, January 20 at 6 pm. Catch the action live online at OUA.tv as the Varsity Blues host their Shoot for the Cure night.
