Teams are now transitioning to off-season training
With four Gee-Gees teams in the playoffs, it was an exciting time for the University of Ottawa community.
Unfortunately, three of those teams were eliminated on the weekend. And the other? Edged out just days before.
The wrong side of an upset
The Gee-Gees men’s basketball team was a dominant squad throughout the 2021-22 season.
Sitting confidently in the U Sports Top 10 all season long, the Gees only dropped 3 games all year.
Earning a bye to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East semifinal game, the U of O patiently waited to see who they would welcome to Montpetit Hall for the Saturday night playoff battle.
Queen’s University showed up ready to fight.
Earlier in the season, the Gee-Gees defeated the Gaels in both their games.
The game highlighted the defensive ability of both teams, ending as a low-scoring affair.
Despite how talented the U of O squad is with Guillaume Pepin putting up 19 points and Josh Inkumsah following with 12, Queen’s was able to generate more on offence, coming out on top with a score of 59-55.
The victims of a cinderella story, the Gee-Gees weren’t the only team upset by Queen’s as the long-standing top team in Canada, the Carleton Ravens, were also upset by the Gaels 86-80 on Wednesday at Raven’s Nest.
End of the road at the Raven’s Nest
After rolling through Laurentian to kick off their playoff run, the Gee-Gees found themselves back at the Raven’s Nest for the OUA semifinals.
In their last matchup, the U of O was able to take down their rivals, but weeks before that, the Ravens came out on top in the Capital Hoops Classic.
There was no doubt this was going to be a heated game.
The Ravens definitely had the game under control, starting things off with a lead and maintaining it throughout the half.
Things were tight for a while, but in the third, the Ravens pulled ahead.
The Gees made it exciting, Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu, Natsuki Szczokin and Nadine Katumbayi orchestrating what looked like a comeback.
Still, the Ravens were able to keep the Gees down.
The 61-58 loss was the end of the road for the U of O.
A long drive home
The U of O men’s hockey team was on the road for the first round of OUA playoffs, taking on the Nipissing Lakers.
The teams had not met since the 2019 season, when the Gees fell in a shootout.
This time around, the Lakers were definitely in the power position, being 7-3 on home ice. Not to mention, they finished second in the OUA East (10-8-0).
To put it lightly, the game started badly for the Gees and they were simply unable to pick things up.
When the final horn blew, the scoreboard read 4-0, marking the end of the Gee-Gees season.
The Gees team filled the bus for what was surely not the kind of ride home they desired.
Bishop’s takes the series
After being sent to the consolation bracket, the Gee-Gees women’s hockey team was matched up against the Bishop’s University Gaiters for a best of three series.
In the regular season, the Gees came out on top in all three of the teams’ meetings.
The U of O hosted the first game on March 17.
This one went in favour of the Gaiters, who took the game 4-0.
Game two was a different story. This time, it was the Gee-Gees who came out on the winning side of the 4-0 score.
Heading back home the next day for game three, the U of O’s bronze medal dreams were still alive.
The next day, back at Minto Sports Complex, the Gaiters closed out the series.
Not only was that it for the women’s hockey team, but that marked the end of a rough weekend for Gee-Gees athletics.
Teams are now transitioning to off-season training in order to prepare for next year.
