Women’s basketball’s season came to an end after the McMaster Marauders knocked Queen’s out of the second round of the playoffs by a 65-55 score. 

After falling behind for much of Saturday’s contest, the Gaels managed to control the momentum in the last five minutes. 

Queen’s called a timeout at the 3:31 mark and came out with intensity, going on an 11-0 run, cutting the Marauders lead to three points. 

“[The Gee-Gees] were making it difficult for us to get to their players through our [defence], so we changed the configuration of our press, and that is what spurred our little run,” head coach Dave Wilson said. 

However, the Gaels were unable to capitalize on their run as the Marauders pushed in the game’s final minute. From the 57-second mark onwards, the Marauders went on an 8-1 streak, hitting eight foul shots to put the game to bed.

“Our execution in the last 50 seconds wasn’t as good as it was from the three-minute mark to the 57-second mark,” Wilson said. 

Poor execution on their shots ultimately sank the Gaels’ chances of winning. 

Queen’s shot 22-75 from the field, 1-13 from behind the three-point line, and 10-17 from the free throw line. While the Marauders shot similar percentages from the field, hitting 16 of 19 at the free throw line made the difference down the stretch.  

Queen’s had troubles in other areas with their own key players. Andrea Priamo and OUA All-Star Robyn Pearson had their post skills tested by a series of Marauder double-teams. 

While the Gaels still managed to score 34 points in the paint, there were a few crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter as a result of the defensive pressure. 

It didn’t help that OUA All-Star Jenny Wright fouled out of the game with 44 seconds left. 

The second highest scorer in Queen’s women’s basketball history, Wright tallied 14 points, 12 rebounds and three steals in the final game of her career. 

Her absence in the final moments of the game had an impact, Wilson said.

“It’s always tough [when a player is fouls out],” he said. “She had a hell of a game … it’d be nice to have her down the stretch, but there’s not much we can do about that. I’m just proud of how she played and what turns out to be her final game as a CIS basketball player.”