The Queen's Gaels Men's Basketball team suffered a heartbreaking 72-69 loss to the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday, falling to a buzzer-beating three-pointer after a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback.

Queen's, now 15-5 on the season, led by as many as 14 points in the first half but saw the advantage slip away as Laurentian responded with a strong second half. Luka Syllas (Concurrent Education) forced a tie with a layup in the final second, but Laurentian answered with a deep three at the buzzer to steal the win.

Syllas finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, and four steals, leading the Gaels in scoring. Ollie Engen (Kinesiology) added 14 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting night, while Lucas Ponting (Commerce) provided 10 points, including a highlight-reel dunk in the second quarter.

Queen's came out aggressive on both ends of the floor, controlling the paint and establishing a dominant inside presence early. Engen and Isaac Krueger (Arts & Science) set the tone defensively, contesting shots and securing rebounds, while Scott Jenkins (Concurrent Education) pushed the tempo in transition.

Ponting delivered one of the night's biggest moments in the second quarter, throwing down an emphatic two-handed dunk off a pinpoint pass from Engen, igniting the Gaels' bench. Moments later, Jalen Sikkema (Arts & Science) buried a deep three-pointer to extend the lead. By halftime, Queen's held a 43-33 advantage, looking poised to take control.

The Voyageurs flipped the momentum in the third quarter, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and cutting into the Queen's lead. The Gaels struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 1-for-11 from three-point range in the second half, while Laurentian heated up from distance. A late push by the home team trimmed the Queen's lead to single digits heading into the fourth.

Laurentian took its first lead since the opening minutes midway through the fourth, forcing Queen's to battle back in the closing possessions. Syllas came up clutch in the final seconds, attacking the rim and finishing through traffic to tie the game at 74-74 with just one second remaining.

However, Laurentian delivered the final blow, inbounding the ball quickly and launching a contested three-pointer that found the bottom of the net as time expired.

Queen's will look to rebound when the team returns home next weekend, hosting the Carleton Ravens on Friday, Feb. 14, at the ARC for 8pm.