Women's Basketball - Final Four Game Report

Hi Folks,

Hosting the Final Four this weekend, we were disappointed in coming away with only a Silver medal.  We defeated Windsor in the opening round, 64-56 before falling to Carleton 41-49 in the Gold medal match.  With the Silver medal, however, we have qualified for the National Final 8 and will be heading to Victoria this week.

Queen’s Athletics did a fantastic job in promoting and hosting the OUA Final Four Weekend.  About 1,500 people were on hand for our Friday game against Windsor creating a terrific atmosphere and excitement.  Extra stands and floor seating were brought in for Saturday’s Gold medal match in anticipation of a sell-out …… and with good reason.  With seating capacity of just over 1,900 (without the extra seating), we topped 2,000 people for the game, which, along with the additional floor seating, included standing room around the atrium and catwalks.  It created an exciting, electric atmosphere, complete with posters, signs, and noise makers.  It was a lot of fun.

OUA All-Star selections were announced this week, and Queen’s was well represented.  Robyn Pearson garnered her second consecutive First Team All-Star selection, while Emily Hazlett was also selected to the First Team.  Andrea Priamo received a Second Team All-Star nod, and Bridget Mulholland was recognized on the All-Rookie Team.  Our coaching staff received their second Coach of the Year honours in the last four seasons.

Queen’s 64 – Windsor 56

The game was very tight off the start, trading baskets for the first couple of minutes, before we went on a 9-2 run to take a 13-6 lead.  Windsor scored 4 unanswered to pull within 3, before we opened the lead back to 7.  A late 3 by Windsor brought the score to 17-13 in our favour at the end of the opening quarter.  Our pressure defense continued to pay dividends as we ran the lead up to 11 mid-way through the second before hitting a scoring drought and finishing the half in a 32 all tie.  The third quarter was a back and forth affair, with the score tied numerous times, and Windsor, grabbing a 1 point lead mid-way through the quarter.  Their lead was short-lived and we finished with a 2 point lead after out-scoring them 18-16.  Our lead remained in the 2-4 point range until the just under the 4 minute mark, when Windsor’s fatigue seem to take hold.  We closed the game very well, holding Windsor to only 8 points in the quarter, while scoring 14 to finish with the 64-56 victory.  Emily Hazlett had an outstanding game with 22 points, 6 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals.  Andrea Priamo finished with 13 points, while Robyn Pearson chipped in with 11 points and 7 boards.

Q’s SID Report:  http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/3/3/basketball-w-hazletts-hot-hand-leads-gaels-past-lancers-to-critelli-cup-final.aspx?path=wbball

Queen’s 41 – Carleton 49

Carleton has the number 1 ranked defense in the country, and we are ranked number 5.  To some extent, this explains the score, although throw in some ugly shooting stats (even when uncontested) and you end up with a score like this.  Not really much to report on this “slug-fest” as the quarter scores were: 11-12, 10-14, 7-10 and 13-13.  Despite taking 76 shots to their 59 and outrebounding them 61-47, we only shot 19% from the floor (to their 27%), leaving us with the 8-point deficit and our second Silver medal in 4 years.  Emily Hazlett finished with 14 points and Marianne Alarie added 12.  Robyn Pearson hit double digits with a whopping 18 boards to go along with her 7 points.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/3/4/wbb_v_carleton_oua_gold.aspx?path=wbball

Up Next on the Road:

U Sports National Final 8 – Victoria, BC

Opening round games: Thursday, March 9 (teams & times to be announced)

Website:  http://en.usports.ca/championships/wbkb/2017/championship

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Playoff Game Report

Hi Folks,

We had success in our opening round playoff matchup, beating Lakehead 81-53.  Lakehead, the #9 seed in the tournament, upset the #8 Brock Badgers on Wednesday, February 22^nd to advance to the quarter finals against us.  Western, the #11 seed upset #6 Ottawa, then lost to #3 McMaster.  Laurier #7 beat Toronto #10, before losing to #2 Carleton.  Ryerson #5 beat York #12, but then fell to Windsor #4.

The top four seeds have now advanced to the Final Four, hosted by Queen’s this coming weekend: #1 Queen’s vs. #4 Windsor, and #2 Carleton vs. #3 McMaster. 

Queen’s 81 – Lakehead 53

We opened the game very well forcing a couple of quick turnovers, leading to run-out layups, and by getting the ball inside to our bigs.  Lakehead, however, battled back, as our shooting went ice-cold.  We finished the quarter in a 17-17 tie.  Lakehead opened the second quarter with a bucket that game them their first (and only) lead in the game.  While our shooting was not great, our defense forced Lakehead into 9 second quarter turnovers, allowing us to put up 19 points to their 9 and grab a 36-26 half-time lead.  We opened the third quarter quite well, but slumped again in the mid part of the frame.  We finished the quarter very well, however, outscoring Lakehead 21-12.  We continued to dominate on the glass and force multiple turnovers in the fourth, adding to our lead, 24-15 to finish with the 81-53 win.  Marianne Alarie led the way with 19 points and 4 steals, while Andrea Priamo and Bridget Mulholland each had 12 points.  Robyn Pearson chipped in with an efficient 10 points and 7 boards.  Once again, our depth was a big factor in the game, with 37 points and 22 of 53 rebounds coming from the bench, along with 7 of our 16 steals.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/2/25/basketball-w-no-5-gaels-and-lakehead-oua-quarter-final.aspx

Up Next at Home:

The Critelli Cup (Ontario Championship)

Friday, March 3

Queen’s vs. Windsor  6pm

Carleton vs. McMaster  8pm

Saturday, March 4

Bronze Medal  6pm

Gold Medal  8pm

Tickets can be purchased on-line at: www.gogaelsgo.com/tickets

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks, Just the one game to report on this weekend, as we closed out the regular season with a win over York 76-52.  We finish with an 18-1 regular season record, and locked up 1st place in the province and home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The 18 league wins represents the highest win total in Queen’s basketball history.  After climbing to a #3 ranking in the country, our loss last weekend to Carleton, dropped us back to #5.  We do, however, remain ahead of Carleton in the RPI ratings (used for our playoff seedings).  We each have an 18-1 regular season record, but their loss was to a lower ranked team (Algoma), thus adversely affecting their rating. Following the game, we recognized 5th year graduating players, Gemma Bullard, Robyn Pearson and Emily Hazlett – all three making huge contributions to our program and leaving a legacy of winning, commitment, selflessness, and determination. Queen’s 76 – York 52 We opened the game very well, utilizing our pressure defense to force turnovers, which were quickly converted into points.  We hit on 12 of 12 first quarter shots to lead 25-12 after one.  We kept the pressure on in the second quarter, forcing another 6 turnovers, but our conversion rate dropped connecting on only 6 of 22 shots, but adding a few points from the foul line to outscore York 18-12 and go into half time with a 44-24 lead.  We opened the third quarter very well as our shooting touch returned.  Defensively we were a little careless, ending up with a 25-16 margin in the quarter.  Our shooting went very cold again in the fourth quarter, but with the game well out of reach, we cruised to the 76-52 win.  Bridget Mulholland picked up where she left off in the Ottawa game, dropping a very efficient 17 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 2 steals.  Despite scoring 76 points in the game, no one else scored in double digits – a testament to the balanced scoring we have been seeing all season.  Of note, however, Robyn Pearson collected another 9 rebounds, moving her into 4th spot in the OUA all-time rebounding with 866 rebounds. Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/2/17/WBB_York.aspx For a look at the opening round of the playoffs scheduled for Wednesday, February 22nd (we have a bye) please see:  http://oua.ca/sports/wbkb/2016-17/postseason/schedule We will host the winner of the Lakehead @ Brock game. Up Next at Home: OUA Quarter-Finals* Saturday, February 25 vs. Brock or Lakehead  6pm *please note that due to OUA regulations, season’s passes and complimentary tickets are not available for any playoff games Have a great week! Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

For the first time this season, I have to report a loss, as Carleton beat us 52-60.  I am pleased to report, however, that we bounced back the next night to beat Ottawa 55-44.  We had climbed to #3 in the country, although the loss this weekend will set us back – Carleton came in ranked #5.  We do maintain our #1 ranking in Ontario – Carleton lost early in the season to Algoma, adversely affecting their RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), which is what is used to produce our Provincial playoff rankings.  (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rating_Percentage_Index for more info)

Queen’s 52 – Carleton 60
This was the tough, physical battle we’ve come to expect from a very talented and very tall Carleton team.  Our defense was quite solid to start the game, and we shot a reasonable percentage, however, it was our turnovers that was the problem.  We committed 9 turnovers in the opening frame and trailed 12-13.  In the second quarter we did a better job of taking care of the ball, but our shooting percentage dropped to 33%.  Carleton outscored us 11-14 to take a 23-27 lead into half time.  At this point, shooting percentages were almost identical across the board (2’s, 3’s, foul shots).  In the third quarter, our shooting percentage improved (43%) and we held Carleton to just 25%, however they were able to connect on 3 of 7 from 3pt. range.  We outscored them 17-12 to take a 1 point lead heading into the fourth.  Our shooting percentage deserted us in the fourth connecting on only 4 of 21 shots, including only 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.  We trailed by 4 with just over a minute remaining – intentionally fouling did not help, as Carleton converted their free throws to finish up 8, 52-60.  We actually beat Carleton in virtually every statistical category (rebounding, turnovers, steals), just not shooting percentage 32% to 37%.  Emily Hazlett finished with 16 points and 4 steals, while Marianne Alarie added 11 points and 2 steals.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/2/10/WBBvCarleton.aspx?path=wbball

Queen’s 55 – Ottawa 44
Like Carleton, Ottawa is a very tough team to score against – very physical and well disciplined in their rotations.  Our pressure defense and transition quickness allowed us to get a couple of early run-out hoops (the likes of which we would not see again).  We led 14-9 after the first.  The second quarter, we started to pull away, but Ottawa stormed back to keep it a 5-point game.  We each scored 16 in the quarter.  Again, in the third, we started to pull away, but Ottawa battled back, each of us managing only 12 in the quarter.  We led 42-37 after three.  The game remained at a 5 or 7-point spread through the first 7 minutes of the quarter, until Bridget Mulholland hit back to back 3s to break open the game.  Our defense held and we outscored Ottawa 13-7 in the final frame, for the 55-44 win.  Marianne Alarie led the way with 14 points, 6 boards and 3 steals, while Andrea Priamo added 12 points and 9 rebounds.  Bridget Mulholland scored all of her 11 points in the second half (7 in the fourth quarter).

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/2/11/wbb_Ottawa.aspx?path=wbball

Up Next at Home:
Friday, February 17 vs. York (Graduating Athlete’s Night) (Gemma Bullard, Emily Hazlett, Robyn Pearson)

A look ahead:
We know that we will finish in the top 3 of the province, and therefore receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs (set for Wednesday, February 22^nd).  We will play at home on Saturday, February 25^th at 6pm, opponent to be determined.  If we take care of business against York on Friday, we will finish 1^st in the Province and have home court throughout the playoffs.

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Managed to grab another couple of wins as we closed out our road league games, beating Ryerson 60-59 and Toronto 71-44.  This runs our league record to 16-0, and ensures us a playoff bye in the first round.  We will close out the regular season over the next two weekends at home.  We held steady at the #4 spot in the National Polls.  Our next opponent is Carleton – currently ranked #5.

Q’s SID Feature Article:  http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/2/1/basketball-w-an-inside-look-the-only-undefeated-team-in-u-sports-womens-hoops-the-no-4-gaels.aspx?path=wbball

Queen’s 60 – Ryerson 59

After needing overtime to beat Ryerson 79-75 on January 13^th, it wasn’t surprising to see this game as close as it was.  Despite going down 5 points at the beginning of the game, our pressure keyed our success, grabbing 4 steals in the opening quarter, leading to 6 points.  We held a 14-11 lead after one.  The trend continued in the second quarter, as we grabbed another 4 steals, while stiffening our defense further.  We outscored Ryerson 19 to 9 to go into half time with a 33-20 lead.  The third quarter was a back and forth affair, with neither team able to mount any kind of run.  We extended our lead by two, outscoring Ryerson 14-12 on the strength of our rebounding (51-35 at this point).  Ryerson went on a tear to begin the fourth quarter putting 16 of the first 18 points in the quarter, making it a one-point game.  Shortly afterward, they would tie it up at 58.  We were shooting a dismal 25% to their blistering 67%.  A tough driving hoop by Emily Hazlett put us up 2, followed by a foul shot by Ryerson to close within one.  A last second inbound play by Ryerson missed the mark, leaving us with a very fortunate 60-59 win.  Hazlett finished with a season-high 15 points, along with 4 boards, 4 steals and 3 assists.  Robyn Pearson had another double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Abby Dixon finished with 11 points and 4 steals.

Q’s SID Report:  http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/2/3/wbb_v_ryerson.aspx?path=wbball

Queen’s 71 – Toronto 44

We jumped out to a 7-point lead early in the quarter, but struggled with our finishing, only shooting 25%.  We did, however, hold Toronto to 14% shooting and led 14-7 after the first quarter.  Despite improving our shooting in the second quarter, our defense was a little looser.  After going up 9 points, Toronto battled back to within 2 points, before we settled down to rebuild a 9-point half time lead, 30-21.  We played a very solid third quarter, racking up 24 points on 48% shooting, while holding Toronto to 11 points on 22% shooting.  We led 54-32 after three.  Determined not to let Toronto claw its way back into the game, we kept the pressure on and finished with a 17-12 quarter and the 71-44 win.  Robyn Pearson had a very efficient 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Marianne Alarie was solid with 15 points, 6 boards and 4 steals.

Up Next at Home:

Friday, February 10 vs. Carleton  6pm

Saturday, February 11 vs. Ottawa  6pm

Friday, February 17 vs. York  6pm (Graduating Athlete Night)

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Nice to be back at home, finishing with two wins to run our league record to 14-0.  We topped Nipissing 96-46 and Laurentian 68-43. We moved to the number 4 spot in the National rankings and remain in the number 1 spot for the Province. 

Abby Dixon was name Athlete of the Week for her combined offensive & defensive performances against Brock & McMaster.

Our team, in addition to the community service and charitable fundraising they do, were involved in the Bell – Let’s Talk campaign in support of mental illness, wearing special warm up t-shirts at our game, and attending an on-campus talk by Olympian Clara Hughes.

Queen’s 96 – Nipissing 46

Playing an injury depleted Nipissing team it did not take long to gain a lead in this one.  We were a little sloppy in the opening quarter, turning the ball over 6 times, but still outscored Nipissing 19-8.  A much sharper second quarter, shooting 77%, saw us dominate the quarter 32-13 to go into half time with a commanding 51-21 lead.  We were a little less focused in the third quarter, committing another 6 turnovers, but still outscored our opponent 24-17 on 50% shooting.  Our defense tightened in the fourth quarter, surrendering only 8 points while adding 21 to finish with the 96-46 win.  Myriam Fontaine led the way with 14 points on a perfect 6 for 6 from the floor and 2 for 2 from the line.  Veronika Lavergne had 13 points and 8 boards, while Marianne Alarie had 12 points to go along with her 2 steals and 2 assists.  Robyn Pearson was her usual efficient self with 11 points on 5 of 9 shooting, and 7 boards.  We registered 22 assists on 40 made field goals, with Emily Hazlett contributing 7 of them.  51 of our 96 points came from the bench.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/27/wbb_v_nipissing.aspx?path=wbball

Queen’s 68 – Laurentian 43

This game was much closer, in the early going, than the final score would suggest.  Offensively, we were producing good scoring opportunities but only connected on 8 of 21 shots in the first quarter.  Laurentian were more efficient, as they continually broke our defense down to score on 8 of their 17 shots and grab a 1 point lead, 19-20 at the quarter.  Our offensive efficiency did not improve in the second quarter, but our defence tightened a little.  We outscored Laurentian 15-9 to take a 34-29 lead into half time.  Our defence continued to be our strength in the third holding the opposition to 8 points, but continued to struggle offensively, scoring 17 on 33% shooting.  We were much more efficient in the fourth (54% from the floor) and continued to smoother them on defence, winning the quarter 17-6 to end with the 68-43 win.  Abby Dixon and Andrea Priamo both finished with 11 points and 5 boards each, while Veronika Lavergne continued her double digit streak with 10 points and 7 rebounds.  Robyn Pearson hit double digits again in rebounding with 10, to go along with her 9 points, while Emily Hazlett added 6 assists and 6 points in only 22 minutes of action.  27 of our 68 points came from the bench.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/28/wbb_v_laurentian.aspx?path=wbball

Up Next on the Road:

Friday, February 3 @ Ryerson  6pm

Saturday, February 4 @ Toronto  6pm

Up Next at Home:

Friday, February 10 vs. Carleton  6pm

Saturday, February 11 vs. Ottawa  6pm

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Not to sound too repetitive, but …… another successful weekend on the road, beating Brock 79-72 and then defeating McMaster (who was ranked #1 in the country), 70-68.  It runs our league record to 12-0 and marks the first time we have knocked off a #1 ranked team in the country.  Our depth continues to be a significant factor in our success.  Despite being second in the country in scoring (as a team), we do not have a single player in the top 50 in scoring.  Over the course of the season, we have had 9 different players lead us in scoring.  Last week, Robyn Pearson was named Athlete of the Week at Queen’s (for the second time) for her outstanding performances against Ryerson & Toronto.  It also marks the 4^th straight week and member of the women’s basketball team has been named Athlete of the Week (dating back to December).

Queen’s 79 – Brock 72

In the early going, this was a back and forth affair until about 4 minutes in when Brock went on an 8-2 run to go up 16-8.  We settled down and went on a 12-0 run of our own and finished the quarter up 22-20.  The second quarter was strictly a back and forth affair until Brock managed a 6-point lead with 2 minutes to go.  We closed out the quarter a little better, ending with a 37-36 lead.  Unfortunately, Emily Hazlett took an elbow to the nose late in the quarter and did not return to action (although she wanted to).  Brock managed to gain the lead, 37-38 before we went back in front for good, although only by a couple of points.  We outscored Brock 22-17 to lead 59-55 heading into the fourth quarter.  We began to pull away midway through the fourth to lead by as many as 15 (75-60) before Brock began chipping away.  We still outscored them 20-17 in the quarter to finish with a hard fought 79-72 win.  Andrea Priamo dominated the game with 24 points and 10 rebounds, with Robyn Pearson not far behind with 12 points and 15 rebounds.  Marianne Alarie also hit double digits with 10 points and 2 steals.

Q’s SID Report:  http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/20/wbb_v_brock.aspx

Queen’s 70 – McMaster 68

We started a little “tight” in this one missing our first six shots, before finding range.  We trailed 2-9 before settling down, outscoring McMaster 14-4 in the last 6 minutes of the quarter to lead 16-13 after one.  Our defense continued to be strong in the second quarter, as we slowly increased our lead to 7, while holding McMaster to only 12 points in the quarter.  We were up 32-25 at the break.  Our defensive pressure continued in the third quarter pushing Mac’s turnovers up to 20, while we outscored them 24-20 in the quarter to take a 56-45 lead into the final frame.  Early in the fourth quarter we managed to get the lead up to 12 (58-46) before Mac started to chip away.  With 3 minutes to go, our lead was down to 1-point (63-62).  For the next 3 minutes, it was a back and forth affair, although we never relinquished the lead, nor was the game every tied.  Mac’s best opportunity came with 6 seconds on the clock and a baseline inbound play, but were unable to convert.  Abby Dixon was fouled on the rebound and converted on 1 of her free throws to seal the 2-point victory, 70-68.  Abby finished with a team-high 16 points, 6 boards and 4 steals.  Her defense throughout the game was outstanding!  Emily Hazlett finished with 14 points and 5 assists, while Veronika Lavergne added 11 points, 3 boards and 2 blocked shots.  Robyn Pearson just missed her double-double, with 10 points and 9 boards, and 4 assists.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/21/wbb_McMaster.aspx?path=wbball

Up Next at Home

Friday, January 27 vs. Nipissing  6pm

Saturday, January 28 vs. Laurentian  6pm

Up Next on the Road

Friday, February 3 @ Ryerson  6pm

Saturday, February 4 @ Toronto  6pm

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

Another successful weekend, as we beat Ryerson 79-75 in overtime, and Toronto 86-63.  In the last 3 weeks, we have beaten the #8, #7, & #6 team in the country, and continue to hold on to our #5 ranking.  We are now the only undefeated team in the country in league play with a 10-0 record.

Michelle Istead – newest Gael

I am very pleased to announce the signing of Michelle Istead to our 2017 roster.  Michelle, an Ottawa native, is a 5-8 guard heading into the Queen’s Kinesiology program.  She is a 3-time member of the Ontario Provincial Team, 2-time JUEL All-Star, was selected to the JUEL All-Defensive team, and was awarded the Dunbar Medical Community Service Award.  Michelle is a perfect fit for our program: she brings a tenacity on defence, an excellent array of offensive talent, and an incredibly competitive spirit that is becoming the hallmark of our Queen’s team.  Combining all that with outstanding character, and high academic achievement, it is not surprising that Michelle has already been warmly received into our basketball family.

Queen’s 79 – Ryerson 75 (OT)

As one might expect with teams ranked 1 spot apart in the national rankings, it was a very closely contested game which featured 10 lead changes and 12 ties.  Midway through the first quarter, Ryerson grabbed what would be, their largest lead of the game (5 points) before we climbed back to finish with a 16-15 lead after one.  In the second quarter, the pace of the game continued to increase, and while we gave up more shots than in the first quarter, our defense was a little tighter.  We finished with a 20-15 quarter, to lead 36-30 at half, which would prove to be our largest lead of the game.  We went very cold shooting in the third quarter, despite good opportunities, converting on only 3 of 18 shots (after 7 of 17 in each of the first two quarters).  Ryerson outscored us 13-18 to get within 1 point after 3 quarters.  Our shooting percentage was much better in the fourth quarter (5 of 12), but Ryerson was even better (7 of 12), and managed a bank 3 point shot with only a couple of seconds left in the fourth to force the overtime.  In overtime, our offensive execution was outstanding scoring on 6 of our 8 shots and both of our free throws to outscore Ryerson 14-10 in the 5 min. frame.  Abby Dixon recorded a career high with 21 points, 3 assists and 2 steals to go along with her excellent defense.  Four other players also hit double digits in scoring:  Emily Hazlett 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists; Robyn Pearson 11 points, 7 boards; Andrea Priamo 10 points, 7 boards; and Marianne Alarie 10 points, 5 boards and 2 steals.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/13/WBB_v_Ryerson.aspx

Queen’s 86 – Toronto 63

I thought we started this game quite well (having been concerned about the potential letdown after the emotional win the night before).  We shot 50% from the floor, and held Toronto to 21% to take a commanding 22-9 first quarter lead.  From that point on, although our offense continued to be effective, our defense (and careless turnovers) left us with only marginal gains in each of the next three quarters.  We outscored Toronto 22-17 in the second, 20-18 in the third and 22-19.  We did, however, do a good job at exploiting our size advantage in the post with Andrea Priamo, Robyn Pearson and Veronika Lavergne all posting double digits in scoring.  Andrea led the way with 19 points and 7 rebounds – a season high for her; Robyn notched another double-double, with 15 points and 11 boards; while Veronika had 13 points, 5 boards and 3 steals.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/14/WBB_v_Toronto.aspx

Saturday’s game also marked our “Shoot for the Cure”, Breast Cancer Research game.  The players raised $375 in ticket sales, but the showcase event was the hair-cutting at half-time of the men’s game.  Andrea Priamo, who is the driving force behind the event, Adriana Conti, Trainer Katherine Bernard Yip-Choy, and sailing athlete Victoria Restivo all donated locks of their hair for patients needing wigs.  Our team members have combined their efforts with the “Run for the Cure” from the fall, where a number of other team members also joined in including: Sarah Saftich, Bridget Mulholland, Myriam Fontaine, Emily Hazlett, Kat Holt, Veronika Lavergne, Emma Ritcey, Megan Saftich, and trainer, Chris Brooker.  All-in, the have raised more than $2,600!

If you are interested in donating, please click here:  http://cibcrunforthecure.supportcbcf.com/site/TR/RunfortheCureFY17/RFTC17?team_id=102679&pg=team&fr_id=2534

Up Next on the Road:

Friday, January 20 @ Brock  6pm

Saturday, January 21 @ McMaster  6pm

Up Next at Home:

Friday, January 27 vs. Nipissing  6pm

Saturday, January 28 vs. Laurentian  6pm

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Hi Folks,

We had a very successful weekend on the road, beating Western 69-49, and Windsor 73-56, to run our league record to 8 and 0.  We are currently ranked #1 in Ontario and will have to see where we land in the country’s Top 10 (our loss to Acadia in exhibition will hurt us, but wins over St. Mary’s #8 and Windsor #7 will help).

Queen’s 69 – Western 49
This game was a much tougher battle than the score might indicate, although we did get off to a great start in the game and led 21-12 after the first on 40% shooting.  Our defense, which has been getting consistently better, held Western to 28% in the opening frame.  However, the second quarter was a different story, with Western exploiting some sloppy defense on our part and getting their shooting percentage to a respectable 40%.  However, despite only shooting 34%, we were able to capitalize on second chance point and turnovers to outscore Western 15-14 and go into half time with a 36-26 lead.  The third quarter was much a repeat of the second – our defense not as solid as we would like, but crashing the offensive glass and getting second chance points.  The third quarter ended in a 16-16 draw.  The first 3 minutes of the fourth were the same, until a Western player (Alex Van heeswyk) went down and stayed down with an injury.  Taking the proper precautions, she was transported via spinal board to hospital (she is now recovering with no permanent damage).  Following the 30min. delay, we came out as sharp as how we started the game, and quickly turned the 10-point lead into 20, surrendering only 1 field goal in the quarter, while outscoring Western 17-7.  Andrea Priamo lead the way in scoring with 15 points and 9 boards, while Veronika Lavergne had 12 points and 6 boards.  Emily Hazlett finished with 10 points, and Robyn Pearson hit double digits with her 14 rebounds.

Q’s SID Report: http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/6/WBB_v_Western.aspx?path=wbball

Queen’s 73 – Windsor 56
Ranked #7 in the country, we knew we were in for a battle in Windsor’s gym, however, it was us that took the aggressive approach and it paid off.  Windsor executed their quarter court offence well early in the game, only to have us beat them down the court and score in transition – both after misses and after scores.  We opened up a 4 point first quarter lead, 19-15.  Then our defence took over: our ability to pressure the ball carrier and their wings almost completely shut down Windsor’s offence forcing 9 turnovers in the quarter.  We outscored them 22-8 in the second to carry a 41-23 lead into half time.  Our defense continued to dominate in the third quarter, although our offense struggled. We again, held Windsor to 8 points while putting up 13.  The lead did not fluctuate through the first half of the fourth quarter, but Windsor managed to chip away in the final 5 minutes to reduce the 23-point margin down to 17.  Despite scoring 73 points, we only had one player in double figures – a very balanced attack.  Abby Dixon scored 15 points and had 5 steals, but it was all the other “pressures” she exerted that really made her a standout in the game.  Emily Hazlett set a new career high with 10 assists as she continued to draw defenders and find the open player.  Robyn Pearson continued her dominance on the boards with 11 rebounds.

Q’s SID Report:  http://gogaelsgo.com/news/2017/1/7/wbb_v_Windsor.aspx?path=wbball

Fittingly, Emily Hazlett has been named the Queen’s Athlete of the Week.

One sad note to pass along: former Women’s Basketball Student Trainer, Julie Moon has passed away at the age of 38 from Pancreatic Cancer.  Julie served as our trainer from 1999 to 2001 and was the recipient of the “Hal Dunlop Shield” in 2001, which is awarded each year to the top student trainer.  Julie was not only an outstanding trainer, but a great friend and confident to the players, helping the team to our first National Championship appearance in 2001.  Julie’s older sister, Wendy, was a member of the Gaels for the 5 years prior to Julie’s tenure.  Our thoughts go out to her family and friends.

Up Next at Home:
Friday, January 13 vs. Ryerson  6pm
Saturday, January 14 vs. Toronto  6pm (Shoot for the Cure – Breast Cancer game)*

Up Next on the Road:
Friday, January 20 @ Brock  6pm
Saturday, January 21 @ McMaster  6pm

* Some of our players will be cutting their hair at half time of the men’s game to be donated for the production of wigs for cancer patients.  Monetary donations can be made at the following site:
http://cibcrunforthecure.supportcbcf.com/site/TR/RunfortheCureFY17/RFTC17?team_id=102679&pg=team&fr_id=2534

This site has been in place since the fall, when the players started raising money through the Run for the Cure program and are continuing with our Shoot for the Cure initiative.

Have a great week!

Dave.

Women's Basketball - Game Report

Happy New Year!

We made our way to the east coast on the 27^th of December to compete in the Thunder Selects Basketball Tournament held at St. Mary’s University in Halifax.  We opened with an ugly win over the #8 ranked St. Mary’s Huskies, followed by a disappointing loss to Acadia, and then a decent win over Dalhousie.  We did manage to squeeze in time to take the team out to Peggy’s Cove on what turned out to be a beautiful sunny morning – the players loved it.

Queen’s 55 – St. Mary’s 47

Given that we (and St. Mary’s) had almost a month off since our last full team practice, it is not too surprising that precision was not the order of the day.  This seemed to affect our shooting percentage more than anything, but our passing suffered also.  On the positive side, our “grind-out” defence, in particular the pressure we exerted on the ball, allowed us to pull out the win.  The first quarter showed little finesse by either team and resulted in a 13-8 lead for us, shooting only 29% to St. Mary’s 20% from the floor.  St. Mary’s turned the tables in the second quarter, outscoring us 11-16 to go into half in a 24 all tie.  We shot only 26% in the quarter compared to St. Mary’s 36%.  The third quarter, while still not great, was our best of the game, outscoring St. Mary’s 17-8 while shooting 46% and holding our opponent to only 10%.  St. Mary’s outscored us by 1 in the fourth, 14-15.  No question our defence, and our ability to challenge St. Mary’s 3-point shooters, made the difference.  This game did emphasize the depth of our team, however, as 27 of our 55 points came from our bench.  Emily Hazlett (playing closer to home – she’s from New Brunswick) finished with 10 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, and was named Player of the Game for Queen’s.  Marianne Alarie also scored 10 points to go along with her 4 boards and 2 steals.  Abby Dixon continued her tenacious defensive work, exerting enormous pressure on the St. Mary’s guards and shooters.

Queen’s 52 – Acadia 73

As disappointing as this performance was, I must give a lot of credit to Acadia, who came out with a great deal of intensity, looking to avenge their loss to us in the pre-season.  It was evident early on in the game that our “legs were not with us”.  There was no lift in our shots and everything fell short.  Acadia outscored us 11-15 in the first, despite the fact that we had more shots than them.  We were 0 for 5 from behind the arc.  The game picked up in the second quarter, but our turnovers led to more scoring opportunities for Acadia, and they capitalized stretching their 4-point lead to 8 with a 20-24 quarter.  Acadia continued to execute in the third quarter and added another 8 points to their lead, 14-22.  Our execution in the fourth continued to struggle, only managing 7 points (to Acadia’s 12) on 12% shooting.  Our overall game shooting was only 27% and we turned the ball over 27 times.  Marianne Alarie finished with 14 points, 4 assists and 4 steals (and was named Player of the Game for Queen’s), while Myriam Fontaine chipped in with 10 points and 4 boards.

Queen’s 77 – Dalhousie 48

We got off to a very slow start in this game against a very young, but talented Dalhousie team.  Despite taking 5 more shots than Dal in the quarter, they led 14-17 after one.  Our defence really clamped down in the second quarter, forcing 10 turnovers.  Unfortunately, we struggled to convert the turnovers into points and only outscored Dal 12-6 to take a 26-23 half-time lead.  The third quarter looked like our team in mid-stride from the fall, dominating every aspect of the game.  We outscored Dalhousie 30-10 shooting 52% from the floor, 50% from the 3pt line and 83% from the foul line.  We continued to roll in the fourth quarter, winning 21-15.  Once again, our team depth was evident with 32 of our 77 points coming off the bench.  Gemma Bullard showed signs of her previous all-star status with a very efficient 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals (and was named Player of the Game for Queen’s), while Marianne Alarie and Robyn Pearson each added 12 points.  Robyn just missed her double-double, with 9 rebounds.  Emma Ritcey had a perfect game shooting (2 for 2 from the floor, 1 for 1 from the 3pt line, and 4 for 4 from the foul line), to finish with 11 points.  Abby Dixon was recognized as a Tournament All-Star, primarily for her outstanding defensive work, but with a solid all-around performance as well.

Up Next on the Road:

Friday, January 6 @ Western  6pm

Saturday, January 7 @ Windsor  6pm

Up Next at Home:

Friday, January 13 vs. Ryerson  6pm

Saturday, January 14 vs. Toronto  6pm (Shoot for the Cure – Breast Cancer Research game)

Have a great week!

Dave.