RECAP: Gee-Gees close 2021-22 campaign with OUA East semis loss to Queen’s

It was not the result that the Gee-Gees men's basketball team wanted as the Queen's Gaels earned a 59-55 victory at Montpetit Hall on Saturday night. 

In a defensive driven affair that featured seven lead changes, the Gaels were able to break through a fourth quarter stalemate to make enough room to secure the win.

Queen's capitalized on 18 Ottawa turnovers, turning them into 18 points on the night. With both teams struggling greatly from beyond the arc, the battle came inside, where Queen's outscored the Gee-Gees 30-18 in the paint.

Third-year forward Guillaume Pépin led the way for Ottawa with 19 points and seven rebounds. Second-year forward Josh Inkumsah logged a double-double effort with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

"It was a tough one tonight, a lot of credit to Queen's for the way they battled," said Gee-Gee head coach James Derouin. "Unfortunately our offence just didn't get going tonight and they were able to take advantage of us not executing."

"I'm proud of what this group accomplished, especially after a year with a ton of hurdles. Massive credit to our seniors, they gave it their all and I wish we could've seen a better ending for them this year."

The night's matchup marked the last game for the Garnet and Grey for the team's trio of seniors, Gage Sabean, Marlon Kordrostami, and Maxime Boursiquot, who will all be moving on following the season.

In all, the Gee-Gees close the season with a 19-4 overall record against U SPORTS competition, including 13-3 in conference play. Throughout the season, Ottawa was ranked third in the nation in all but one U SPORTS Top 10 ranking.