NORTH BAY, ON (Feb. 7, 2025)—Queen's Women's Basketball snapped a two-game losing streak with a 63-49 victory over the Nipissing Lakers at the Robert J. Surtees Student Athletics Centre. The Gaels, operating with a tight eight-player rotation, showcased resilience and depth to secure the win.

Queen's opened the game with two quick buckets from Katrina Renon (Arts & Science), setting the tone early. Despite an ankle scare for Brooke Hussey (Kinesiology), who later returned to the game, the Gaels found themselves trailing 18-17 at the end of the first quarter. Renon led Queen's with eight points and three rebounds in the opening frame.

The second quarter saw the Gaels ignite an 11-1 run, forcing a Nipissing timeout. Hussey, back on the court, hit her first shot after returning from injury. Queen's closed the first half with a 33-23 lead, thanks to a strong defensive effort and efficient scoring.

The Gaels extended their lead with a 15-6 run through the third quarter, ending the period up 53-33. Despite being held scoreless for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, a floater from Hussey broke the drought and helped maintain the Gaels' momentum.

Amy Hagman (Kinesiology) led Queen's with a team-high 15 points, shooting 5-for-9 from beyond the arc. Renon contributed a solid performance with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Hussey added eight points and six rebounds. Mikayla McFarlane (Kinesiology) was a force on the boards, grabbing 11 rebounds to go along with four points.

Queen's shot 33.8% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range, while holding Nipissing to 33.9% shooting and 0-for-17 from beyond the arc. The Gaels also dominated the boards, outrebounding the Lakers 45-39, and capitalized on turnovers, scoring 17 points off Nipissing's 15 turnovers.

The Gaels will look to build on this victory as they face the Laurentian Voyageurs on the road tomorrow at 1 p.m. Catch the game on OUA.tv