The Gees may have been the favourite heading into the gold medal match on their home floor, but instead it ended in a 66-60 upset.
Basketball
“A loss like last night’s could change anybody. We knew our season was on the line and if we lost we might not get this wildcard.”—Matt Plunkett, Gee-Gees forward.
As a whole, the Gee-Gees teams were incredibly well represented, showing the strength of their seasons.
The university’s website calls the Sports Complex ‘the university’s state-of-the-art sports facility’, which may have been so 15 years ago, but is no longer true.
In a packed and deafening Montpetit Hall, the Gees were able to vanquish the Gryphons in a hard-fought affair.
“We have to get in the gym and get ready for Final Four. We’re not going home yet.”—Mike L’Africain, Gee-Gees point guard.
The Gee-Gees spread the ball out incredibly efficiently, as four of their starters scored in double figures. As always, Caleb Agada and Mike L’Africain were the leaders for the team in the 74-49 win.
A tough full-court defensive effort and high shooting percentage was the key to Gees’ victory. Julia Soriano scored the team high for the night with 21 points, shooting seven of nine from three.
After a successful season, the women’s hockey program is in a strong place and has benefited from increased attention being the only hockey team at the U of O.
The weekend was also significant for the team as it marked seniors night, where the Gees celebrated three of their graduating players, forwards Kellie Ring, Catherine Traer, and Krista Van Slingerland.
The team started all of the players being honoured for their time in garnet and grey, including Zach Traer who is not a mainstay in the team’s lineup.
The Gee-Gees were more prepared to fight this year, and they finally slayed their dragon on one of the grandest stages.
The game ended with an emphatic score of 73-50 in favour of the Ravens, who dominated throughout the game—leaving the Gees looking unlikely to overturn the deficit at any point.
The fifth-year senior carved up the Gaels for 30 points, seven assists, seven rebounds, and five steals.
Forward Katherine Lemoine had a game-high 15 points. There were no signs of fatigue from the team after a highly physical game the night before.
For once in their history, the overshadowed stepchild of Ontario collegiate basketball defeated the Ravens and Gee-Gees in succession.
Point guard Julia Soriano had the hot hand for the Gee-Gees, as she scored eight of Ottawa’s 12 overtime points, including a clutch three pointer with just 5.1 seconds left in OT.
The rivalry between the Gee-Gees and Ravens women’s basketball teams is mostly a product of proximity rather than emotional and physical battle.
“When Ottawa plays against Carleton, it’s not even the same sport—it’s war out there.”
The Gee-Gees will hope to take the cold-blooded clutch moment as foreshadowing for more key wins against top teams.
As sports fans, we hate seeing old players whose physical abilities fall a crucial step behind their mental experience.
Shooting a killer six-for-eight from beyond the arch, Tihani dazzled with 20 points and three assists, rebounds, and steals.
For the Gee-Gees men, being the number one team in the nation means every competitor has the game circled on their calendars, looking to take their shot at the best.
The teams’ long-awaited shared home opener was an overwhelming success, and left its audience ecstatic to see garnet and grey on the floor at Montpetit Hall once again.
Sports media, love it or hate it, is a vital facet of the sports landscape. Unfortunately, sensationalism sometimes overshadows what otherwise would be a fantastic medium of expression.
