Queen's Men's Basketball saw its season come to an end with a 107-98 loss to the UBC Thunderbirds in the U SPORTS Consolation Semifinal in Vancouver. Despite a valiant second-half push, the Gaels were unable to recover from UBC's hot shooting and rebounding dominance.

UBC controlled the early stages of the game, opening with a strong first quarter that saw the Thunderbirds shoot 15% better from three than Queen's while outrebounding the Gaels 26-17 in the first half. Luka Syllas (Concurrent Education) led Queen's early, scoring inside and drawing fouls to keep the Gaels within striking distance. By halftime, UBC held a 63-50 lead, fueled by 52.6% shooting from beyond the arc.

Queen's attempted to shift momentum in the third quarter, with Syllas and Lucas Ponting (Commerce) leading the charge. Syllas drained a deep three to cut into the deficit, while Ponting provided a crucial defensive block at the rim.

The Gaels managed to bring the lead down to 13 after an and-one finish from Kai Dalen (Arts & Science), but UBC responded with timely three-pointers to push the advantage back to 16 entering the final frame.

The Gaels continued to fight in the fourth quarter. Syllas opened the quarter by converting a tough finish through contact and completing the three-point play to cut UBC's lead to 13. Dalen followed up with a baseline floater, assisted by AJ Cummings (Arts & Science), trimming the deficit to 10. A defensive stop out of a UBC timeout led to another Queen's basket, making it an eight-point game.

However, UBC found answers down the stretch, with key baskets to restore a double-digit lead. Despite a late three-pointer from Ponting and a putback by Tyson Lama (Commerce) that momentarily gave Queen's hope, the Thunderbirds maintained control, closing out the game at the free-throw line.

Syllas led the Gaels with 26 points and six rebounds, while Engen added 21 points and five assists. Ponting contributed 14 points, and Dalen finished with 13 points and three rebounds. Queen's forced 20 turnovers and converted them into 25 points but struggled with UBC's size on the boards, getting outrebounded 54-34.

With the loss, Queen's wraps up another strong campaign that saw a return to the U SPORTS National Championship for the fourth straight season. The Gaels now turn their attention to the offseason, preparing for another competitive run in 2025-26.

Follow the Gaels on social media for updates and check back here for the latest news on Queen's Men's Basketball as the team looks ahead to the next chapter.