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Ottawa 88, Queen's 79
Posted by: Michael Grobe (Communications & Sports Information Officer)

1/15/2011 11:06:51 PM
KINGSTON, Ont. (January 15, 2011) – The Queen's Gaels (2-11) men's basketball team squandered an eight point second quarter lead eventually falling 88-79 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees (5-7) at the Athletics and Recreation Centre on Saturday.

Queen's held a 39-31 advantage heading into the final three minutes of the first half, but Ottawa used a 12-0 run in the closing moment to take a 43-39 lead at the half.

The Gee-Gees continued to pour on the pressure scoring 31 points in the third quarter and at one point holding a 17 point advantage.

To their credit, the Gaels never gave up winning the fourth quarter (18-14). However the damage of the third quarter was too much to overcome as Queen's never came within eight points of the lead after relinquishing it in the first half.

Johnny Berhanemeskel of Ottawa scored 16 of his 22 points in the third quarter to help sink the Gaels. Berhanemeskel in his first season with the Gee-Gees ended the game as the top scorer. He also tallied six rebounds and three assists and was seven of 10 from the field.

Dan Bannister of Newmarket, Ont. was Queen's top scorer registering 19 points in the loss. Chris Barrett of Vancouver was the Gaels most productive player with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists, and three steals. Barrett was also Queen's top rebounder.

Nicolia Misljencevic of Ottawa also posted 13 points for Queen's while Kingston's Matthew Baker registered 10 points. Baker's 10 points matched a career high which he set back on Dec. 2 against RMC.

Warren Ward of London, Ont., earned 20 points in the Ottawa victory while Josh Gibson-Bascombe of Toronto and Louis Gauthier of Ottawa each dropped 14 points.

The loss set up an interesting situation for the Gaels next weekend as the Ryerson Rams edged the York Lions 73-72 pushing them four points ahead of the Gaels in the OUA East standings. The Gaels are currently in seventh place with six teams qualifying for the OUA playoffs.

Queen's will visit the Ryerson Rams next Friday evening (Jan. 21) at 8:00pm in Toronto. On Saturday they will contend against the second place Toronto Varsity Blues. The Gaels have yet to face either team this season.

The Gaels next home game is set for Friday, February 4 against Toronto.

NOTES: The loss is the Gaels third straight... Queen's alumnus and former Sports Editor of the Queen's Journal (student newspaper), Neate Sager (Arts '00) made the trip from his home in Ottawa to assist with the TVCogeco broadcast on Saturday. Sager provided play-by-play commentary for both the men's and women's games which can be viewed on Monday evening at 8:30 on local channel 13 (Kingston).