Queen's Women's Basketball finished the U SPORTS Women's Basketball Final 8 Championship as national silver medalists. The Gaels were edged by the Carleton Ravens 71-59 in the championship game Sunday night in Sydney, N.S. to finish the national championship tournament in second place and take home the silver medals.

"This stings, but we have to understand what we've done in the last two years," head coach Claire Meadows said after the game. "I think we've really changed the program in terms of what we do, how we do it, how people view us. I'm so incredibly proud of that group of people. They're incredible human beings, they have the utmost character, and it shows when we play."

After a tight first half that saw the Gaels take a five-point lead into half time, Carleton went on a third quarter run. Queen's battled hard in the fourth to close the gap, but the Ravens managed to hold on for the 12-point win.

"In the second half particularly they increased their defensive pressure and it was quite disruptive," Meadows said. "We got into foul trouble and that also hurt us. Between the two, I think that was the change in the game."
 

Queen's shot lights out in the first half, led by Laura Donovan (London, Ont.), who hit four three-pointers in the half and finished the game with a game-high 23 points. Donovan was named Player of the Game for Queen's.

Bridget Mulholland (Kingston, Ont.) was a force again for the Gaels, capping an impressive national championship tournament with 17 points and six rebounds, while finishing 3-4 from beyond the arc.

Donovan and Mulholland were named U SPORTS Women's Basketball Final 8 tournament All-Stars for their perfomances over the weekend after the game.

Julia Chadwick (Ottawa, Ont.) was solid on the defensive end all game and recorded a game-high 12 rebounds.

Queen's finished the game shooting 29 per cent from the floor and 36 per cent from three-point range. The Ravens shot 38 per cent from the floor and 20 per cent from three-point range.

Queen's historic season comes to an end with their best ever finish at the national championship. One year after capturing bronze at the U SPORTS Women's Basketball Final 8 Championship, the Gaels earned their best regular season record in program history (21-1) and their first ever national silver medal.