parpho@rogers.com

Gaels fall to No. 9 Rams in double-overtime thriller
Posted by: Dylan Plain (Sports Information Writer)

1/6/2013 9:07:00 PM
BOX SCORE

KINGSTON, Ont. (January 6, 2013) – The Queen's Gaels men's basketball team (7-3) was very close to an upset of the No. 9 Ryerson Rams (9-0) at the ARC Main Gym Sunday. The Gaels forced the game into double-overtime, where the Ryerson Rams were triumphant, 82-77. The game was a defensive battle, with both teams exchanging hard earned baskets. The Gaels were especially quick to the ball, recording 11 steals.

The first quarter was deadlocked, with the Gaels and Rams exchanging baskets until Ryerson was able to pull ahead with shooting-guard Jordon Gauthier (Windsor, Ont.) netting a three ball—Gauthier was the game leader in scoring with 26 points. It was the Gaels however pulling ahead in the final minutes of the quarter, with guard Greg Faulkner (Kingston, Ont.) knocking down a three followed by a two point play. The Gaels were up 19-18 after one.

Queens opened the second quarter on a 7-2 run with rookie guard Roshane Roberts (Vaughn, Ont.) hitting one from beyond the arc, followed up with a two point play from the foul line. Faulkner capped off the run with a lay-in from a Roberts pass down-low. The Rams closed out the quarter on a 12-8 run to draw even with the Gaels at 34.

Roberts and Faulkner wasted no time getting things started in the second half, with the rookie guard hooking up the third-year star on an alley-oop to get the crowd into the game. Centre Nikola Misljencevic (Ottawa, Ont.) and Faulkner added two more a piece to cap off a 6-0 Gaels run to open the half. Bjorn Michaelsen (Otterburn Park, Que.) opened the scoring in the quarter for the Rams, who marginally pulled ahead until the end of the quarter. With under a minute left in the quarter, Gaels guard Sukhpreet Singh (Toronto) was able to hit his lone three of the game to draw even with the Rams. Misljencevic completed an and-one play to help the Gaels earn a four point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Despite strong efforts from the Gaels at both ends of the court in the fourth quarter, the Rams were efficient from beyond the arc—hitting three of their eight threes-pointers in the fourth quarter. After loosing their lead, the Gaels were able to climb back with a series of well executed plays; including Misljencevic making two foul shots, forward Mackenzie Simpson making a three-point shot, and Singh splitting his free-throw shots with no time on the clock to tie the game at 65—forcing overtime.

The Ryerson Rams opened the first over-time period going up four, 69-65. Singh split another couple of free-throw shots, followed by Misljencevic and Faulkner scoring two each to give Queens a 70-69 lead. Strong efforts from the Gaels along the glass in the final minute allowed them to go up one, however a foul on Rams forward Michaelsen who goes two-for-two from the line ties the game, and forces a second overtime.

Queens opened up the second overtime with a precisely executed three-way pass from Simpson to Faulkner to Roberts, who wasted no time on the easy lay-in. The Rams answered back with an and-one play from Aaron Best (Scarborough, Ont.) followed by Michaelsen cashing in on a series of free throw shots to go up 76-74. Faulkner was able to pull the Gaels within one by splitting his foul shots, however it was not enough as the Gaels ran out of time and were forced into a foul situation against the Rams, who went six-for-six from the line to finish the game and win, 82-77.