Friday, February 25, 2011

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

I’ve been sitting at my computer for some time …. without typing a single word. This is my least favourite Game Report of the season – the one that signals the end of our season. With our loss to Ryerson (62-51), our four-game winning streak came to an end and we have been eliminated from further play.

Unfortunately it was not our best performance, as we struggled badly to control our own boards, giving Ryerson many more scoring opportunities. It also led to fouls, which would prove to be a factor in our substitutions. Surprisingly, despite our poor rebounding, we managed a flurry of points at the end of the first quarter to lead 16-12. Ryerson made that back up in the second quarter, outscoring us 19-15 to go into half time tied at 31. The third quarter can only be described as dismal, recording our lowest numbers of the season: 4 points on 6% shooting. We trailed by nine heading into the fourth, only to go down double digits early in the quarter. A small surge by us reduced the lead to 4, but that was as close as we would get – eventually fouling to get the ball back – but Ryerson was successful in converting their free throws.

Disappointing to say the least, but as our Sports Information Officer points out in his article (below), only 2 of our players had played in more than 1 playoff game before this game.

Jill Wheat’s university career has come to an end. No question she was the heart and soul of our defense and one of the best on-court teachers (of her teammates) I have ever had the privilege to coach. She will be sorely missed moving forward.

Brittany Moore also graduates this year with a host of Queen’s and OUA/CIS records to her credit. I am optimistic her bid to the Faculty of Education for next season will put her back in a Gaels uniform for a fifth season, allowing her to smash many records she has already toppled.

While this is the last Game Report of the season, I will be back on-line with Updates as we look forward to various award banquets and other information in and around Queen’s Basketball.

Thanks for your continued support and encouragement – it is truly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Dave.



Gaels lose OUA east quarter-final to Ryerson 62-51
Posted by: Michael Grobe (Communications & Sports Information Officer)
2/23/2011 8:44:48 PM
TORONTO (February 23, 2010) – After riding a four game winning streak into the OUA playoffs, the Queen's Gaels (7-16) women's basketball season came to a halt with a 62-51 defeat to the Ryerson Rams (10-12) in the OUA east divisional quarter-final on Wednesday.

Ryerson's Kelsey Wright of Brampton, Ont., poured in 22 points in the win advancing the Rams into the east division semi-finals set for Friday against the Toronto Varsity Blues at the University of Toronto.

Brittany Moore of Hannon, Ont., was Queen's top scorer posting 18 points in the loss. Moore, playing in what could be her final game at Queen's, was 5-of-20 from the field and 4-of-8 from behind the arc.

Angela Tilk of Welland, Ont., contributed 19 points and nine rebounds while Alexandrea Tkaczyk of Cambridge, Ont., had a game high 10 rebounds in Ryerson's win.

Kingston's Liz Boag was the only other Gael to break double digits tallying 10 points in her first CIS playoff game. Also playing in her first ever CIS playoff match was Gemma Bullard of Guelph, Ont., who posted nine points and eight rebounds. Bullard was Queen's top rebounder.

A dismal third quarter was the breaking point for the Gaels as they posted just four points coming out of halftime. The two teams were tied at 31 heading into the break.

Despite their struggles in the third quarter, the Gaels managed to shave Ryerson's lead to just three points (51-47) with 5:11 remaining in the fourth quarter. However a critical three pointer from Ryerson's Wright would open up a seven point advantage soon after, a lead the Rams would not relinquish finishing at 62-51

This marks the fourth consecutive season the Gaels have failed to advance to the OUA east division semifinals. Their last playoff victory came in 2007 when they dropped the Laurentian Lady Vees 64-58 at home on February 21 in the east quarter-final.

Queen's finished the 2010-11 regular season on a four game winning streak earning fifth place in the OUA East division with a 7-15 record. The Ryerson Rams finished fourth and a 10-12 record.

NOTES: In her final CIS game, five-year veteran Jill Wheat of Marwayne, Alta., posted seven points and seven rebounds for Queen's… The Gaels dressed just nine players in their playoff game with seven of them having played in one playoff game or less entering the tonight's game.

Queen's Gaels vs Ryerson Rams
23-02-11 6:00pm at Kerr Hall Gymnasium
At Kerr Hall Gymnasium
RYERSON RAMS 62, QUEEN'S GAELS 51
QUEEN'S GAELS
Moore, Brittany 5-20 4-7 18; Boag, Liz 4-11 1-2 10; Bullard, Gemma 3-8 1-2
9; Wheat, Jill 3-9 1-4 7; Kernahan, Sydney 2-6 0-2 4; Robinson, Paige 1-4
1-2 3; Beddoe, Ryley 0-0 0-0 0; Koposhynska, Hanna 0-4 0-0 0; Minutillo,
Lisa 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-63 8-19 51.
RYERSON RAMS
Wright, Kelsey 7-19 4-6 22; Tilk, Angela 5-8 9-12 19; MacDonald, Ashley 3-14
2-2 10; Hobbs, Jenny 1-5 4-8 6; Tkaczyk, Alexandrea 1-6 1-1 3; Clarke,
Ashley 0-4 2-6 2; Hill, Jordan 0-0 0-0 0; Cohen, Nicola 0-0 0-0 0; Sokoloff,
Annie 0-0 0-0 0; Roney, Danielle 0-0 0-0 0; Gechkova, Dayana 0-1 0-0 0;
Doughlin, Cassandra 0-1 0-0 0; Baghdasarian, Palig 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-58
22-35 62.
Queen's Gaels................. 16 15 4 16 - 51
Ryerson Rams.................. 12 19 13 18 - 62
3-point goals--Queen's Gaels 7-17 (Moore, Brittany 4-8; Bullard, Gemma 2-5;
Boag, Liz 1-3; Koposhynska, Hanna 0-1), Ryerson Rams 6-15 (Wright, Kelsey
4-8; MacDonald, Ashley 2-3; Hobbs, Jenny 0-1; Clarke, Ashley 0-2; Doughlin,
Cassandra 0-1). Fouled out--Queen's Gaels-Wheat, Jill, Ryerson Rams-Tkaczyk,
Alexandrea. Rebounds--Queen's Gaels 36 (Bullard, Gemma 8), Ryerson Rams 40
(Tkaczyk, Alexandrea 10). Assists--Queen's Gaels 6 (Koposhynska, Hanna 2;
Bullard, Gemma 2), Ryerson Rams 9 (Wright, Kelsey 3; MacDonald, Ashley 3).
Total fouls--Queen's Gaels 24, Ryerson Rams 18. Technical fouls--Queen's
Gaels-None, Ryerson Rams-None.

Dave Wilson
Head Coach, Women's Basketball
Office 404 K
Athletics & Recreation Centre
Queen's University
284 Earl Street
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
613-533-6317 phone
613-533-6324 fax
dave.wilson@queensu.ca
www.queensbasketball.net
Donate to Women's Basketball at: www.givetoqueens.ca/womensbasketball
Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition and Success (1910-2010)

Monday, February 21, 2011

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Just one game to report on this time around, as we closed out our regular season with a game against our cross-town rivals, RMC. Thanks to a 27 point out-pouring from Brittany Moore, we extended our current win streak to 4 games with a 75-56 win. While the final score had a 19 point spread, RMC gave us a good scare in the fourth quarter as they collapsed our 20 point lead to 4 points, before a couple of 3-pointers by Moore and Liz Boag late in the game re-established the comfortable lead.

We finish the season in fifth place and will head to Toronto to take on Ryerson in the quarter-final match up. The game is set for Wednesday, February 23 at 6pm.

Also of note: The University of Toronto captured first place in the division and will be hosting the East Final 4 on Saturday/Sunday, February 26/27 -- game times tba.

Have a great Family Day.

Dave.


Moore's 27 points leads Gaels to 75-56 win over RMC
Posted by: Michael Grobe (Communications & Sports Information Officer)
2/18/2011 9:10:34 PM
KINGSTON, Ont., (February 18, 2011) � Brittany Moore of Hannon, Ont., posted a season high 27 points as the Queen's Gaels dumped Royal Military College 75-56 in their final regular season women's basketball contest on Friday.

The win puts Queen's record at 7-15, good for fifth place in the OUA East Division. The Gaels will travel to Toronto on Wednesday night for an OUA quarter-final battle against the fourth place Ryerson Rams.

This was the third consecutive game Moore has scored over 20 points and eighth of the 2010-11 campaign. Her previous season high was 25 in a loss to Ryerson back on January 21. She was 10-for-20 from the floor notching four rebounds and a game high six assists.

Hanna Koposhynska of Toronto grabbed her second double-double of the season posting 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Kingston's Liz Boag also broke double digit scoring recording 11 points.

Carley Lewis of Halifax, N.S., was RMC's top scorer with 12 points. She also tallied seven of the Paladins 36 rebounds. Queen's out rebounded RMC 59-36.

Queen's heads into the playoffs riding a four-game winning streak which started with a narrow 62-61 over the Ryerson Rams on February 5.


Dave Wilson
Head Coach, Women's Basketball
Office 404 K
Athletics & Recreation Centre
Queen's University
284 Earl Street
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
613-533-6317 phone
613-533-6324 fax
dave.wilson@queensu.ca
www.queensbasketball.net
Donate to Women's Basketball at: www.givetoqueens.ca/womensbasketball
Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition and Success (1910-2010)

Monday, February 14, 2011

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Our first weekend sweep of the regular season could not have come at a better time. With wins over York (74-67) and Laurentian (65-62), we have secured a date for post-season play. Our final league game, this Friday against RMC, will determine whether we finish in 5th spot (and travel to Ryerson) or 6th spot (and travel to Ottawa U.).

Saturday's game also provided us the opportunity to recognize our graduating athletes: Jill Wheat and Brittany Moore. Jill completes her 5th year of eligibility this season (3 with Q's & 2 with Red Deer College), and a degree in Politics. Law school is next on her academic horizon, having scored in the 97th percentile on the LSATs (law exams). Brittany is graduating with her Physical & Health Education degree, with a 5th year of eligibility still on the table. She would like to make use of that eligibility by attending the Faculty of Education at Queen's next fall.

Up Next at Home:
Friday, February 18 vs RMC 6pm (last regular season game)

Up Next on the Road:
Wednesday, February 23 @ either Ryerson or Ottawa U. (playoffs)

Have a great week!

Dave.


Moore, Bullard, Koposhynska clutch in Gaels 74-67 win over York
Posted by: Michael Grobe (Communications & Sports Information Officer)
2/11/2011 8:47:43 PM
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 11, 2011) � Queen's Hanna Koposhynska of Toronto recorded her first CIS career double-double posting 10 points and 18 rebounds in 74-67 win over the York Lions in OUA women's basketball action on Friday.

The win kept Queen's playoff hopes very much alive and they sit in a three way tie for fifth place in the OUA East division with York and Laurentian. All three teams hold a 5-15 record.

Laurentian won its game against Royal Military College (RMC) 62-49 to maintain its pace with the Gaels. The loss for the Lions is the team's 10th in a row after starting the season 5-5.

Brittany Moore of Hannon, Ont., led Queen's with a game high 21 points while Gemma Bullard of Guelph, Ont., tallied 19.

Koposhynska also recorded career highs in rebounds (18) and blocks (6). She was named the Queen's player of the game.

York's Nadia Qahwalsh of Kitchener, Ont., was York's top player tallying 19 points. She was followed Brittany Szockyj of Niagara on the Lake, Ont., who had 17 points. Llyandra Kerr of Markham, Ont., was York's top rebounder with 10.

The Gaels will tackle the Laurentian Lady Vees tomorrow night while York will face winless RMC across town. The season winds down next Friday with Queen's taking on RMC and York hosting Laurentian.

If Queen's can top Laurentian tomorrow it will guarantee them a berth in the OUA playoffs which begin February 23. Tipoff is set for 6:00pm at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) on campus at Queen's University.

NOTES: This was Bullard's third consecutive games where she has broke double digits.


York Lions vs Queen's Gaels
02/11/11 6:00pm at ARC Main Gym - Kingston, Ontario
At ARC Main Gym - Kingston, Ontario
QUEEN'S GAELS 74, YORK LIONS 67
YORK LIONS (4-16)
N Qahwash 6-15 4-4 19; B Szockyj 7-20 2-4 17; K Mowat 5-8 1-2 14; L Kerr 2-4
2-3 6; E Perras 2-9 0-0 5; C Osborne 2-3 0-0 4; E Dillon 1-5 0-0 2; J
Elliott 0-0 0-0 0; K Pangos 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 25-68 9-13 67.
QUEEN'S GAELS (6-14)
B Moore 6-14 8-9 21; G Bullard 4-6 9-11 19; H Koposhynska 3-15 4-9 10; J
Wheat 3-6 2-2 8; L Boag 2-4 0-0 5; L Minutillo 2-4 0-0 4; R Beddoe 1-1 0-0
3; P Robinson 1-5 0-0 2; S Kernahan 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 23-57 23-31 74.
York Lions.................... 15 21 14 17 - 67
Queen's Gaels................. 16 21 18 19 - 74
3-point goals--York Lions 8-25 (K Mowat 3-5; N Qahwash 3-8; B Szockyj 1-6; E
Perras 1-3; K Pangos 0-2; C Osborne 0-1), Queen's Gaels 5-13 (G Bullard 2-3;
R Beddoe 1-1; B Moore 1-3; L Boag 1-1; P Robinson 0-3; L Minutillo 0-2).
Fouled out--York Lions-None, Queen's Gaels-None. Rebounds--York Lions 34 (L
Kerr 10), Queen's Gaels 46 (H Koposhynska 18). Assists--York Lions 10 (N
Qahwash 5), Queen's Gaels 13 (B Moore 4). Total fouls--York Lions 19,
Queen's Gaels 13. Technical fouls--York Lions-TEAM, Queen's Gaels-None.

Gaels clinch playoff spot with narrow 65-62 win over Laurentian
Posted by: Michael Grobe (Communications & Sports Information Officer)
2/12/2011 9:04:49 PM
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 12, 2011) � With their playoff hopes on the line, the Queen's Gaels women's basketball team rallied from a 13 point deficient to earn a 65-62 win over the Laurentian Lady Vees on Saturday.

The win clinches a playoff position for the Gaels with just a single game remaining against Royal Military College next Friday. Queen's can finish no worse than sixth place in the OUA East.

Brittany Moore of Hannon, Ont., posted 24 points going 8-for-17 from the floor. Moore, in her fourth season with Queen's, is averaging 16 points per game ranking 12th in the nation.

Laurentian had built a 13 point lead late in the second quarter and took a 27-18 lead into the first half.

In the third quarter the Gaels chipped away at the Voyageurs lead putting up 27 points opposed to the Voyageurs 19. Queen's would take the lead in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, one they would never relinquish to finish 65-62.

Boag was 2-of-3 from downtown and collected 14 points while Gemma Bullard of Guelph, Ont., recorded 10. Sydney Kernahan of Calgary tallied 10 rebounds in the win

Lisa Furchner of Sudbury, Ont., was the game's top scorer for Laurentian dropping 30 points. She also added 10 rebounds to record her ninth double-double of the season. Katie Goddins of Hanmer, Ont., was the game's top rebounder with 11 for Laurentian.

Queen's holds a 6-15 record and are currently tied with York for fifth place in the OUA East. Regardless of the outcome next week against RMC, the Gaels are assured a playoff berth due to its tie break over York.

Laurentian will play York next Friday and York needs a win to earn its way into the playoffs. If both York and Queen's win their games, the Gaels will advance as the fifth place seed.

Queen's will host RMC at the Athletics and Recreation Centre on February 18 with tipoff set for 6:00pm.


Laurentian Voyageurs vs Queen's Gaels
02/12/11 6:00pm at ARC Main Gym - Kingston, Ontario
At ARC Main Gym - Kingston, Ontario
QUEEN'S GAELS 65, LAURENTIAN VOYAGEURS 62
LAURENTIAN VOYAGEURS (6-15)
L Furchner 11-18 7-8 30; K Goggins 2-16 10-20 14; K Patrick 2-5 0-0 5; M
Scott 1-7 3-4 5; E Decloe 2-10 0-0 4; C Blaseg 2-5 0-0 4; E Simpson 0-1 0-0
0; R Goodier 0-1 0-0 0; K Csumrik 0-0 0-0 0; L Meloche 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
20-64 20-32 62.
QUEEN'S GAELS (6-15)
B Moore 8-17 6-8 24; L Boag 3-8 5-5 13; G Bullard 4-10 0-0 10; J Wheat 3-7
0-0 6; P Robinson 2-6 0-0 5; S Kernahan 1-5 1-4 3; L Minutillo 1-2 0-0 3; H
Koposhynska 0-8 1-2 1; R Beddoe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-63 13-19 65.
Laurentian Voyageurs.......... 16 11 19 16 - 62
Queen's Gaels................. 6 12 27 20 - 65
3-point goals--Laurentian Voyageurs 2-12 (L Furchner 1-4; K Patrick 1-3; M
Scott 0-2; K Goggins 0-3), Queen's Gaels 8-20 (L Boag 2-3; G Bullard 2-5; B
Moore 2-8; P Robinson 1-2; L Minutillo 1-2). Fouled out--Laurentian
Voyageurs-None, Queen's Gaels-None. Rebounds--Laurentian Voyageurs 54 (K
Goggins 11), Queen's Gaels 41 (S Kernahan 9). Assists--Laurentian Voyageurs
15 (K Goggins 6), Queen's Gaels 12 (P Robinson 5). Total fouls--Laurentian
Voyageurs 19, Queen's Gaels 19. Technical fouls--Laurentian Voyageurs-None,
Queen's Gaels-None.

Dave Wilson
Head Coach, Women's Basketball
Office 404 K
Athletics & Recreation Centre
Queen's University
284 Earl Street
Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6
613-533-6317 phone
613-533-6324 fax
dave.wilson@queensu.ca
www.queensbasketball.net
Donate to Women's Basketball at: www.givetoqueens.ca/womensbasketball
Celebrating 100 Years of Tradition and Success (1910-2010)





Monday, February 7, 2011

Women's Basketball -- Game Report

Hi Folks,

As we headed into the weekend games, it seemed our misfortunes of the season were going to continue as Paige Robinson & Sydney Kernahan both left practice Thursday due to injuries. Paige was unable to play on Friday, but Sydney was able to tape up her wrist and compete.

Our game against Toronto was a physical affair in which we were dominated in almost every aspect of the game. Our shooting woes continued, averaging only 22% from the floor, 21% from the 3-point line and only 68% from the foul line. With 26 turnovers and being out-rebounded, the final score was not a surprise, 68-46.

However, this team has always managed to regroup and battle hard on Saturday -- something we managed again this weekend. And finally .......... with a positive result on the scoreboard. In a game where we were up 6 points with 6 minutes to play and down 4 with 2 minutes to play, it would take an inbound play with less than 10 seconds remaining, a missed shot, a rebound, followed by another missed shot (but fouled), followed by two made free throws to garner the 62-61 win. And with that win, comes a breath of life back into our struggling team. Our games with York (one game ahead of us in the standing) and Laurentian (tied in the standings) become even more significant, adding to the drama of the season. One game at a time.

Up Next at Home:
Friday, February 11 vs York 6pm
Sat., February 12 vs Laurentian 6pm (Graduating Athlete Night)

Friday, February 18 vs RMC 6pm

Have a great week.

Dave.


No. 6 Toronto tops Queen's 68-46 in Kingston
Posted by: Michael Grobe (Communications & Sports Information Officer)
2/4/2011 8:27:40 PM
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 4, 2011) � Nicki Schutz of Toronto poured in 20 points as the No. 6 Toronto Varsity Blues toppled the Queen's Gaels 68-46 in OUA women's basketball on Friday at Queen's University.

Schutz, a fifth year senior with the Varsity Blues recorded, her eighth double-double of the season tallying 12 rebounds to go along with her 20 points. She was the game leader in both categories. Ten of her 12 rebounds came on defence.

Gemma Bullard of Guelph, Ont., led the Gaels with 11 points while Queen's guard Liz Boag of Kingston, Ont., was the only other player to break double digits on both teams with 10.

Jill Wheat of Marwayne, Alta., was named Queen's player of the game tallying nine points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Toronto won all but one quarter in the game earning a 17�6 lead after the first quarter. The Gaels put up 18 in the second compared to Toronto's 16, but they couldn't maintain pace as Toronto exploded for 22 in the third while Queen's managed only 10.

Kingston's Erin McNeely had five points and three rebounds in 22 minutes on the floor for the Varsity Blues.

Queen's have now dropped their last seven games with their record sitting at 3-15. They sit in seventh place of the OUA East two points behind Laurentian for the final playoff position.

Toronto improves to 14-4 and riding a seven game winning streak. They are four points behind Carleton for first place in the OUA East.

Tomorrow Queen's will tangle with the Ryerson Rams (9-9). Ryerson is also on a seven game winning streak. Tipoff is set for 6:00pm at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) on campus at Queen's.

NOTES: Queen's struggles can be linked to a number of injuries which have plagued the team of late... Against Toronto, the Gaels dressed just three substitutes... Rookie Ryley Beddoe of Toronto was Queen's only player to log less than 20 minutes.

TORONTO VARSITY BLUES 68, QUEEN'S GAELS 46
TORONTO VARSITY BLUES
N Schutz 7-19 6-8 20; S Pierce 3-7 1-2 9; J Medri 2-4 2-2 8; K McConnell
3-10 1-2 7; A Van Kampen 1-4 4-4 6; L Bailey 1-6 2-4 5; E McNeely 2-11 0-0
5; J Stratton 2-4 0-0 4; M Stoncius 0-1 2-4 2; J Longauer 1-1 0-0 2; R Sider
0-0 0-0 0; K Menton 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 22-67 18-28 68.
QUEEN'S GAELS
G Bullard 4-9 1-2 11; L Boag 2-11 5-5 10; B Moore 2-14 5-6 9; J Wheat 2-5
5-7 9; S Kernahan 2-5 3-4 7; R Beddoe 0-2 0-0 0; H Koposhynska 0-4 0-4 0; L
Minutillo 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 12-54 19-28 46.
Toronto Varsity Blues......... 17 16 22 13 - 68
Queen's Gaels................. 6 18 10 12 - 46
3-point goals--Toronto Varsity Blues 6-15 (J Medri 2-2; S Pierce 2-3; E
McNeely 1-5; L Bailey 1-3; A Van Kampen 0-1; N Schutz 0-1), Queen's Gaels
3-14 (G Bullard 2-5; L Boag 1-4; L Minutillo 0-3; B Moore 0-2). Fouled
out--Toronto Varsity Blues-None, Queen's Gaels-H Koposhynska.
Rebounds--Toronto Varsity Blues 40 (N Schutz 12), Queen's Gaels 34 (J Wheat
10). Assists--Toronto Varsity Blues 8 (L Bailey 2; J Medri 2), Queen's Gaels
5 (B Moore 3). Total fouls--Toronto Varsity Blues 21, Queen's Gaels 20.
Technical fouls--Toronto Varsity Blues-None, Queen's Gaels-None.


Bullard leads Queen's in 62-61 win over Ryerson; snap seven game losing streak
Posted by: Michael Grobe (Communications & Sports Information Officer)
2/5/2011 8:46:31 PM
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 5, 2011) � Rookie Gemma Bullard of Guelph, Ont., recorded 14 points including the game winning free-throw as the Queen's Gaels snapped a seven game losing streak in a 62-61 nail bitter against the Ryerson Rams on Saturday.

The win was Queen's first since January 8 (vs. York) and coupled with a Laurentian loss moved the Gaels into tie for sixth place of the OUA East division with just three games remaining. Laurentian lost 72-50 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in Ottawa.

Bullard was clutch all game posting her first career double-double with 16 rebounds and 14 points. Her 16 boards were a career high tallying seven offensive and nine defensive.

Down 61-60, Bullard drew a foul under the net after missing a layup twice with just two seconds on the clock. She would make up for it on the free-throws converting both shots.

Ryerson had the final possession, but the Gaels defence hung tough as the Rams failed to score leaving the final at 62-61.

Ryerson's Ashley MacDonald of Port Colborne, Ont., poured in 28 points in the loss and was the game's top scorer. She was the only Ryerson player to record over 10 points.

Alexandra Tkaczyk of Cambridge, Ont., led Ryerson with 13 rebounds.

Kingston's Liz Boag turned in a 12 point performance while Brittany Moore of Hannon, Ont., had 10 points in the win for Queen's.

Queen's grabbed a 22-12 first quarter lead and looked to have the game in hand; however the Rams turned the table on the Gaels in the second quarter pouring in 22 points and allowing only nine to take a 34-31 lead into the half.

Bullard turned up her play in the second half scoring nine of her 14 points in the final two frames. She would lead Queen's in a 19 point third quarter which ultimately was the difference.

Turnovers were a problem for the Gaels who committed 26 while Ryerson only turned the ball over eight times.

The win improves Queen's record to 4-15 and sit in sixth place of the OUA East Division tied with Laurentian. Ryerson falls to 9-10 and are in fourth place.

Queen's will host two crucial games next weekend when they contend against fifth place York (5-14) and Laurentian (4-15) on February 4 and 5. They will close their season on February 18 against RMC. All games are set to tip off at 6:00pm at the Athletics and Recreation Centre (ARC) on campus at Queen's.

Friday, February 4, 2011

FISU Update - Thurs. Feb. 3, 2011

So our run is over after an 11-7 loss to the Czechs in the TB.  We got down early, battled back to tie it up after 5.  Then gave up a 4 in 6 but got it back to only one down after 8.  In retrospect we probably played the 9th a bit too aggressively for the steal when a force would have been OK too and gave up another 3 which effectively ended our championship.
 
Once again we did not play our best against this Czech team but I have no ıdea why that is.  They were the better team on this day so it ıs hard to get too mad about the outcome.  Disappointed...absolutely because we knew we had it in us to win gold and to come back to Canada without any medal will take some time to get over for sure.  After some time I am sure we will be proud of how we came back from our 2-3 start to win 4 in a row to make the TB and even how we battled back in this game after being down 8-4 after 6, but right now its tough to be content with any of those things.
 
The overall games experience has been amazing though and we are so thankful for being given this opportunity in the first place.  There are so many people who have made this experience possible for us and we sincerely thank all of them. 
 
- Our parents who drove us to our home club and clubs all across Ontario so many weekeends every winter all throughout our childhood
 
- The Canadian Curling Association who not only supported us financially but also accepted us into the La Releve program allowing us access to amazing resources which helped us in Turkey as well as also giving us some pretty sweet uniforms we will have forever!
 
- The CIS whıch co-runs the Universıty Nationals with the CCA for all of their support before and during the games
 
- The support from the members of the Cataraqui Golf & Country Club ın Kıngston where we played out of last year and where our National Championship banner flies
 
- The members of the Rideau Curling Club in Ottawa where Andrew and I now curl were extremely generous to us considering most people in the club had never even met us!
 
- Queens Athletics has also been a supporter throughout our university curling careers ıncluding our trip here
 
- The Dominion Insurance Company of Canada also assısted us which shouldnt come as a surprise since they sponsor so many dıfferent levels of curliıng
 
- Brian Sullivan of Sullivan Bay in Brantford was also very generous donating customized Canadian shirts for us to wear and trade here in Turkey
 
- Balance Plus gave us a good deal on the red and white brooms we used here in Turkey               
 
- Our famıly and friends who made the trip here to cheer us on and those who sent us messages via email or our facebook page THANKS!  The support during our hıghs and lows got us through this long championship.  We had the best fans in the stands hands down!
 
- Last but certainly not least we owe a huge thank you to our coach Dick and our team leader Wendy.  As Andrew said last night there probably arent two people who love curling more and we were so lucky to be able to compete in this championship with their assistance. 
 
We first met Dick at the Trillium Curling Camp many years ago but never thought that he would end up coaching us. But that happened when we showed up in Edmonton at Nationals last year without a coach and he jumped right in.   He has done so much for us throughout the year over email and in person during our training camps, and always knowıng when to tell us a joke to lıghten the mood.  Thanks for all your efforts Dick! 
 
When it comes to a team leader most people probably think that they arent REALLY needed for a championship since we already have a coach.  After the past week and a half we have realized that a team leader ıs ESSENTİAL at a championship like this.  There are SO many lıttle things (and some bıg) that come up a championship like this, especially in such a foreıgn country wıth a different culture, that without Wendy we would have never been able to just focus on the curling.  There are probably so many things that Wendy looked after for us that we dont even know about and we really want to thank her.  What we will remember most about Wendy when we look back on the experience are the times  spent laughing  over nothing usually back at the cafeterıa at 11pm after she had been watching curling since 8am at the arena.  Or when we would be warming up and we would catch Wendy sıngıng and dancing to the Katy Perry songs being played in the arena (we have this on vıdeo!).  Thanks for everythimg Wendy!
 
So we have three more days here so we will take ın some of the other events and perhaps do a tour or two.  The curling closing banquet is on Saturday night after the final so I am sure that wıll be a fun time!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

FISU Update - Thurs. Feb. 3, 2011

Well we did what we needed to do - win our last four round robin games to get ourselves into playoff contention.  As it turns out our 6-3 record is only good enough for a tie breaking game and that is what we will play today.
Here are the final standings
Korea    7-2
GB        7-2
Swıtz     7-2
Czechs  6-3
Canada  6-3
Norway  4-5
USA      4-5
Sweden 3-6
Turkey   1-8
Slovenia 0-9
Korea, GB and the Swiss are seeded 1, 2, 3 based on the sum of all of their pre game draws to the button for hammer.  The Koreans had a lot at stake in theır last game-  win and they were 1st but ıf they lost they would have been ın a TB wıth us.  They won ın an extra vs CZE.
The Czechs beat us in the RR so they got choice of stones or hammer in the TB and they chose Red rocks which made us very happy as we now get hammer AND yellow rocks (which are the rocks we beat Korea with yesterday).
Now ıts off to lunch and then game tıme!!

Chadd Vandermade

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

M-Basketball: Finally at Home

Good afternoon! After spending much of our OUA East schedule on the road to this point we are all thrilled to be entering into our final five games of the regular season at home in the friendly confines of the ARC gym. Our performance in the East portion of the schedule has unfortunately continued to be inconsistent. We have had our high points with some close losses (York by 3, Ottawa by 8, and Carleton by 13) and a very solid win at U of T. However, those high points have been matched by poor performance in 3 of our last 4 games on the road. Those poor performances have resulted in lop sides losses which at times can leave me scratching my head and searching for answers. The easy excuses (some of which are certainly valid) are that we are very young and lack scoring depth across the line-up, however, the reality for me is that in two of those 3 losses we did not come mentally prepared to play with our competitors. This is something that I as the coach certainly must take responsibility for and also the players are being asked to look at how they are mentally approaching games so as to be better prepared to compete every single night.



We currently find ourselves stuck in 7th place, sitting one position out of a playoff spot. Our goal as a team for this year was to earn a playoff spot, however, in order to do so we will have to play near flawless basketball and will need a bit of help from our competitors. In all liklihood we will need to win 4 or perhaps all 5 of our final games while also hoping that Laurentian is not successful in their final contests. Any combination of 3 (made up of our losses and their wins) will eliminate us from consideration.



Despite knowing this reality we are certainly trying to maintain a "one game at a time" attitude for our players and for ourselves as coaches. I honestly believe that if we play close to our potential we can win enough games to force our competition to have to keep their spot. It will take a grand effort by every single member of our program, but that is exactly what we plan to do. This group has fought hard all year through a great deal of change and at times adversity and through it all they have been great teammates to one another. In the last two weeks some small cracks have appeared as we have several players playing a ridiculous number of minutes each night and also many true freshman that are beginning to mentally and physically feel the toll of such a long and demanding season. However, at this point we need to continue to push the limit and be as prepared to win as we possibly can. I can promise you all that we will represent ourselves well for the remaining 5 games regardless of the outcome.



We kick off our final home stand this Friday against the U of T Varsity Blues at 8 PM and follow on Saturday versus the Ryerson Rams also at 8 PM. Saturday night is of particular importance as we will be hosting our 2nd Annual Marco W. Alessio Memorial Game and will be welcoming back a large number of Mark's former teammates to celebrate his life and memory.



I know our home schedule has made it difficult to start much of a buzz this year, however, we have 5 in row to finish and we certainly need your support. We hope to see and hear lots of Queen's fans in the stands this weekend.



Duncan Cowan

Go Gaels Go!

FISU Update - Wed. Feb. 2, 2011

Good Afternoon from Erzurum where it has finally stopped snowing!  The mountains and trees are covered in snow making the city look beautiful...well except for all the snow on the roads and sidewalks.  We have heard that Ontario is bracing for the "storm of the century" over the next few days so what a good excuse to stay home and watch the linescores at http://www.universiadeerzurum.org/curling or follow Bill´s end by end updates on our facebook page (Canadian University Curling Team 2011)!
I will start with the girls team who had a must win last night versus 3/4 of Russia´s Olympıc team.  The men´s and women´s hockey team as well as our team was at the arena to cheer the girls on.  They had chances for 3 ın the 3rd and 4th end but just missed both giving up steals of one.  The got a single before the break and were only down one.  They battled the entıre second half and were one down wıthout coming home.  A serıous time crunch forced them to play quick ın the tenth and unfortunately Russia did not have to throw their final rock.  The loss eliminates the girls.  In the playoffs are: Russia, Great Britain, Korea and the winner of China and Japan who are playing right now.
Our team played the USA yesterday afternoon with both teams sitting at 3-3.  We played very consıstent, textbook curliıng taking two and gıvıng them one.  Up 6-2 playing 9 we played very defensıvely allowing the Americans to take theır two.  Two up with we were able to peel out and facing two American rocks all Jon had to do was hit and roll out and that is exactly what he did.  The final score of 6-5 makes the game seem quite a bit closer than it actually was as we controlled play throughout.
With that win under our belts we had another must win this morning against Korea who sat at 6-1 after losing their fırst game last night when Britain stole the extra end.  We knew the Koreans (especially their skip) leaned towards throwing up weight rather than the touch shots so we were determined to force them into those type of shots.  Ironically, after a blank in 1, the Koreans had end 2 set up for a deuce until Jon made a beautiful freeze instead of drawing for one the skip tried a runback for maybe two and was just a tad off pushing in another one of ours for a steal of 2.  3 was blanked and in 4 a well-played end set up a good force. The Korean skip after lengthy debate attempts a high hard one off one of his own on the side. He was a little inside and he wicked a guard. If it had gotten by they may have given us a steal of 2.  So we stole 1.  They got 2 back in 5 when we decided on Jons last to go for the steal ınstead of the safe shot to force them to one.  Jon was a touch heavy so they hit for 2.  In 6 Jon had to draw wıde to the 8 foot against 2 whıch put us up 4-2.  In 7 Korea scored 2 and in 8 we hit against three making the score 5-4 in our favour.  In 9 the Koreans had a chance for two but jammed the skıps last in a rock back 12 giving us a steal and a 2 point lead coming home.  In 10 the Koreans split the house early and we spent the entire end searching for the elusive double to cement the win. On Jons last we made it earning the hard-fought win!  We have to say a big thanks to our family and friends here who have been the loudest fans here apart from the Turkish.  Jack (Andrews dad) has even got the Turkish people cheering for us too!
The crowd was certainly pleased to see the home team finally pıck up a win - 9-3 in 8 ends versus Slovenia.  We know the team and the crowd will be excited about this tonight when we play Turkey live on TRT (Turkish TV).  Apparently it will also be available online but I dont know the link. If we win we will be guarenteed a spot in tomorrows TBs as the top 4 teams play eachother tonight.
Standings
Great Britain   7-1
Korea             6-2
Switzerland     6-2
Czechs           6-2
Canada           5-3
Sweden          3-5
USA               3-5
Norway           2-6
Turkey            1-7
Slovenıa          0-8
Games tonight:
CAN-TUR, GB-SUI, KOR-CZE, NOR-SWE, USA-SLO
We arent sure on the specıfics for the TB game tomorrow but I am sure we will be made aware after the game tonight (assuming we win of course!)

Chadd Vandermade

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

FISU Update - Tues, Feb. 1, 2011

Good Morning from Erzurum where it has been snowıng non-stop for about 36 hours now.  I,m sure the skiiers are happy because the lack of snow that they were talkıng about earlıer on ın the week ıs a non-ıssue now.  It ıs ınterestıng to see how the Turkısh people deal wıth the snow - all across town you see pıck up trucks and dump trucks full of salt that have men wıth shovels scoopıng out the salt and throwıng ıt on the roads.  To shovel the sıdewalks they have these contraptıons made from wood that must be super heavy.  Regardless, the cıty (and even the vıllage) ıs one bıg sheet of ıce so we have to be super careful when we walk around to we dont fall!  We have already heard of one Turkısh athlete who fell and broke theır wrıst.
 
On the ıce yesterday we went 1-1 losıng a very wınnable game versus Sweden and then beatıng Slovenıa (who have been curlıng for less than a year) 13-1 ın 6 ends.  The Sweden match was a classıc example of havıng ample opportunıtıes and just not convertıng.  We mıssed a draw for 2 ın 1, rolled out on a hıt for 2 ın 3, crashed on a guard to lıe 3 burıed ın the 4-foot ın 4 and came up lıght on a draw agaınst 2 ın 5.  Another frustratıng loss as we were the better team and wıth three losses our backs are certaınly agaınst the wall.
 
Havıng seen the lınescores from Slovenıa,s fırst fıve matches we just wanted to focus on executıng our shots as well as we could and get off the ıce early to rest up for the remaınder of the week.  Bıll played thıs game and we were happy to be able to get hım some actıon and sınce he has now played more than 2 ends he ıs elıgıble to receıve a medal should we wın one later on ın the week.  The story of thıs draw though was the USA-Turkey match.  Thıs match was broadcast lıve across Turkey and the Turkısh fans were absolutely wıld - I would ımagıne ıt would be sort of lıke the Canadıan crowd ın Vancouver.  The Turkısh team kept ıt very close for the fırst 7 ends and the fans would roar every tıme a Turkısh hıt made contact wıth an Amerıcan stone.  They even started cheers between dıfferent sectıons of the crowd.  We could tell that the crowd was certaınly affectıng the young Amerıcan team and we wıll be sure to be prepared for a sımılar crowd when we play Turkey ın our last draw on Wednesday evenıng.
 
In between games yesterday we went shoppıng downtown.  A black stone known as "Oltu" can only be found ın Erzurum and ıs saıd to be stress relıevıng and ıs very reasonably prıced!  Many rıngs, bracelets, and earrıngs were purchased by the moms and gırlfrıends that are here supportıng us as well as for people back home!  Dress clothes are also very reasonably prıced and although I couldnt fınd a suıt bıg enough for me (the Turkıshg people ın general are smaller ın stature) I was able to get some good deals on dress shoes and a belt after barterıng a bıt!
 
So, sıttıng at 3-3 we need to wın out to guarentee ourselves atleast a TB, 5-4 probably wıll not cut ıt. We have the USA today and Korea and Turkey tomorrow.
 
Standıngs after draw 6:
 
Korea     6-0
GB         5-1
Swiss     4-2
Czechs   4-2
Canada   3-3
USA       3-3
Sweden  3-3
Norway   2-4
Slovenıa  0-6
Turkey    0-6
 
Matches Today:
 
CAN-USA, GBR-KOR, TUR-NOR, CZE-SWE, SUI-SLO
 
The gırls are also sıttıng at 3-3 after a heart breakıng loss to Korea yesterday.  They were tıed after 8, scored a deuce ın 9 but gave up 3 ın 10 when the Korean skıp made an angle tap to the 4 foot.  They battle Germany and Russıa today.
 
Thats all for now, I,m off to breakfast!
 
Chadd Vandermade