Queen's Men's Basketball concluded an outstanding OUA playoff run with a silver medal finish on Saturday night in Ottawa, falling to the host Gee-Gees by a score of 95-87.
From tip-off to final whistle of the 2025 OUA Wilson Cup Final, the atmosphere at Montpetit Hall on the campus of the University of Ottawa was exceptional, backed by a loud home crowd and traveling support from a strong contingent of Queen's Men's Basketball fans.
2025 OUA Rookie of the Year
Ollie Engen (Kinesiology) got the momentum started for Queen's, draining the first three points of the game, followed by an eruption from the tricolour faithful at Montpetit Hall.
The dominant first quarter continued with a 13-0 run by the Gaels, highlighted by a monstrous dunk by
Malcolm Bailey (Sociology) with 2:42 remaining in the quarter, forcing the Gee-Gees to call a timeout.
After one quarter of play, the Gaels led by a score of 28-15.
Jalen Sikkema (Media) was a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc to lead Queen's in the quarter.
The host Gee-Gees answered back in the second quarter, feeding off their home crowd's energy to narrow the Gaels' lead to seven after just three minutes of second quarter action.
A strategic timeout call by Queen's Head Coach Steph Barrie gave the Gaels a chance to take a breather and re-calibrate. After the regroup, the Gaels and Gee-Gees traded blows with Queen's remaining on top heading into halftime with a 47-40 lead.
Engen led the way in points for Queen's in the first half, shooting five for nine from the field for eleven first-half points.
Luka Syllas (Concurrent Education) provided crucial offensive and rebounding support, dropping ten first-half points and securing five rebounds.
Key defensive support in the first half came from
Aaron Tennant (Law) and Sikkema, securing three rebounds each. The 47 first-half points from Queen's came with scoring support from seven different Gaels as Barrie leaned on both scorers and support players.
In the third quarter, the back-and-forth action between Queen's and Ottawa continued, setting up the game for an explosive finish. At the third quarter break, the game was deadlocked at 64 points apiece.
The Gee-Gees surged in the quarter, putting up 24 points. On the Queen's side, Engen and Syllas continued to provide key offensive support and an
AJ Cummings (Arts) three-pointer with 4:30 remaining helped to carry the Gaels in a competitive quarter of play.
With dueling sides of Montpetit Hall backing their respective teams, the Gaels and Gee-Gees entered the final frame tied. OUA basketball fans would once again be treated to an exciting Wilson Cup finish in the 2025 edition of the championship.
Queen's and Ottawa continued to put on a show for the fans, trading baskets throughout the first part of the fourth quarter. Syllas and Engen led the way for the Gaels once again, both breaking the 20-point mark, with Syllas securing the double-double.
The Gaels got into foul trouble in the fourth quarter, proving to be an important storyline late in the game. Despite that challenge, the Gaels continued their fight back from being down by nine points to bring the game to within five points. A clutch three-pointer from Syllas with 1:23 remaining gave the Gaels life late in the contest, but the Gee-Gees ultimately took home the 95-87 victory on home court.
Engen led the Gaels in the game with 28 points, shooting 13 for 23, while Syllas had a 24-10 double-double, providing three steals.
Queen's Men's Basketball turns their attention to the U SPORTS Final 8 Men's Basketball Championship hosted by the University of British Columbia from March 14-16. Stay tuned to gogaelsgo.com and Queen's Gaels social media channels for tournament bracket and quarterfinal matchup details.
