RECAP: #5 Gee-Gees earn dominant wins over Queen’s and Ontario Tech

JAN. 17 VS. QUEEN'S 

Playing their first home game since late November, the Gee-Gees defeated a quality Queen's team 97-79 to open their weekend of play at Montpetit Hall.

Boosted by a 10-2 run that turned into an early 30-16 lead in the first quarter, Ottawa was able to grab momentum early in their third matchup with the Gaels this season. In a game that was fairly tightly contested throughout, the early deficit spelled defeat for Queen's as they never were able to make up the difference.

The Gee-Gees got outstanding performances from their usual cast of stars and senior talent, with Guillaume Pépin leading the way in a 21-point, five-rebound night. On the defensive end, Borys Minger expertly shut down the Gaels' leading scorer Quinton Gray, who finished the night 0-9 with only four points from the free throw line, despite having scored 40 points the game prior.

Calvin Epistola logged a solid 19 points while Kevin Civil led an onslaught of threes to put the game out of reach for the Gaels, finishing with 18 points and four rebounds. Sean Stoqua rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points. 

JAN. 18 VS. ONTARIO TECH

Hosting the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks for the first time ever at Montpetit Hall, the Gee-Gees had an opportunity to showcase some of their depth in a 110-58 win on Saturday night.

Despite the odds being firmly out of their favour, the Ridgebacks fought valiantly early in the game. Up by one point with 7:32 remaining in the first quarter, Ontario Tech caught the Gee-Gees' attention right away. Unfortunately for the Ridgebacks, the rest of the game was not as intense as Ottawa's offence kicked into gear and secured the 52-point win.

Pépin once again made quick work for the Gee-Gees, getting into the paint and to the hoop with ease. With 14 first half points, he was able to play a quieter role in the second half, letting the Garnet and Grey bench come alive for most of the night.

 The Gee-Gees' bench was responsible for an absolutely monstrous 73 points on the night, with the star of the show being freshman point guard Dragan Stajic. The Waterloo, Ont. native scored a game-high 22 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in 19 minutes of play.

Redshirt sophomore guard Camille Musuakala also made the most of his extended minutes knocking down five three-pointers for his second 15-point performance of the season. Averaging 7.5 and 7.2 minutes per game respectively, Stajic and Musuakala combined for 10 of the team's 19 three-pointers. 

First-year forward Charles-Antoine Gaba also showed out in his extended minutes, scoring 10 points and pulling down seven rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass.

Overall, the Gee-Gees pulled down 25 offensive rebounds converting them to 40 second-chance points on the night.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: 

"We're starting to get closer and closer to the finished product that we hoped for at the start of the season. We've had this next stretch circled on the calendar since the schedule came out. We are very aware of where we're at and how important the next two weeks are." – Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin. 

"We just wanted to come out and produce as a team. A big thing in my game is confidence, so learning that from some of the best players in the country like Calvin, Sean, and Kevin has been key, they teach me a lot about staying ready for my time to come." – Dragan Stajic

"I'm just trying to contribute to this team as much as I can. I love this team and our goal is a national championship, so as much as I can do on my part, I try to bring that out every time." – Camille Musukala

UP NEXT:

The Gee-Gees will travel to Toronto to take on a rival in the Ryerson Rams as well as the Toronto Varsity Blues. Both games tip off at 8 p.m. and will be streaming live on OUA.tv 

The annual Capital Hoops Classic between the Gee-Gees and Carleton Ravens is set for Feb. 7 at the Arena at TD Place. Student tickets are on sale now in Room 102 at Montpetit Hall. Adult tickets can be purchased online at TD Place's website.