KINGSTON, Ont. (Feb. 25, 2023) - In a rematch of last year's U SPORTS Bronze Medal Game, Queen's Women's Basketball once again edged the Brock Badgers, winning 71-66 in their OUA quarterfinals match.

The Gaels persevered through a hot start for Brock, eventually took their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter, and held off the Badgers the rest of the way for the five-point win.

"Just staying positive," Queen's guard Emma Weltz said of the team's message throughout the tight game. "Always on to the next play and having confidence in all of our abilities. We have a lot of different weapons we can use and staying true to ourselves."

Brock's strong shooting started right out of the gate and the Badgers held an early 12-2 lead, but Queen's would claw back and trailed by just three points after the first quarter. After a back-and-forth second quarter, the Gaels were down two at half time but would take the lead with a strong third quarter before holding off Brock in the fourth for the big win.

The Gaels' Bridget Mulholland said the team remained calm and confident throughout the game, even during Brock's offensive runs.

"That's something Claire has really emphasized this year, when there are breaks in play, trying to come together and talk about what we're doing going forward. That's been a big part of our game and a big part of what we were able to do tonight, to weather the storm, compose ourselves, and then be prepared to play. That was definitely a big reason why we were able to pull out the win tonight."

Queen's was outshot by Brock 45 per cent from the floor and 46 per cent from three-point range, compared to 35 per cent from the floor and 8 per cent from three-point range for the Gaels, but were strong on the glass, out-rebounding the Brock 36-27 and outscoring them in the paint, 38-18.

"We talked about all the little things mattering in this game," said Head Coach Claire Meadows. "I thought that was the difference. We had 17 offensive rebounds and we got to the free throw line for 32 attempts 

Julia Chadwick finished with a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds. Weltz and Mulholland also scored in double digits for the Gaels, with Weltz pouring in 14 points and Mulholland finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds.

With the win, the Gaels advanced to the OUA semifinals where they will host the Waterloo Warriors. Queen's will take on the Warriors Wednesday, March 1 at 7 p.m. at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) with a spot in the Critelli Cup Final on the line. Tickets for the game are available now on the Queen's Gaels Tickets website.

"We have a ton of support from our families, a ton of support from other teams, and the community as well has been a big source of energy in the gym this year," Mulholland said. "It was great to see that many people out tonight, cheering us on. It makes winning games easier and will be something we rely on going forward."