Last weekend, the Gaels’ woman’s basketball team showed that they have the potential to top the CIS this year.
The Gaels continued their preseason, hosting Acadia University, Laval University, and the University of Alberta for the Tindall Invitational Tournament. The Gaels finished off the tournament with a 2-1 record, only losing to a skilled Laval squad.
In last year’s regular season, the Gaels finished with a 14-5 regular season record, giving them second place in the OUA Eastern Division standings. However, the Gaels’ playoff run was cut short by the McMaster Marauders, who beat the Gaels by a score of 65-55 in the quarter finals of the OUA championship.
For this season, the Gaels plan to sur last year’s success.
“Our goals are as high as they possibly can,” said assistant coach James Bambury. “This is one of the deepest teams that we have possibly seen here.”
After this weekend, it’s clear that Queen’s is a defensive minded team. The Gaels utilized a variety of pressure defenses that led to turnovers and missed scoring opportunities for opposing teams. On Saturday, they forced 31 turnovers against Alberta, which led to 25 points to secure the Gaels’ victory.
“We are going to play a high intensity game, not letting the other team rest on offense or defense,” Bambury said.
At the heart of this effort was Queen’s defensive leader, guard Emily Hazlett, with nine steals this weekend.
This basketball season is the last for Hazlett — an experienced veteran whose entering her fifth and final year of CIS eligibility. Bambury recalled that when Hazlett stepped onto Queen’s campus, she was relatively unknown.
But the Gaels’ coaching staff received the best possible outcome from Hazlett. Through multiple seasons of consistent improvement, Hazlett transformed herself from an uncertain prospect, into a floor general on a very promising Gaels’ squad.
“She enjoys defense. She enjoys locking down someone,” Bambury said. “Her love for defending really spearheads what we want to do with this team.”
While the team has a lot of veteran experience, the Gaels have a bright future. Recruits Adriana Conti, Emma Ritcey, local high school star Bridget Mullholland, and University of Albany transfer Veronika Lavergne, they showed that these young players have the potential to contribute greatly for the squad this season.
“They can actually set a corner stone going forward.”
Bambury said. “They are really one of the best recruiting classes in the country, and we couldn’t be happier with all of them.”
The Gaels will continue their preseason on Friday, October 21, against Thompson Rivers University in the first game of the Metro Gelebe Tournament in Ottawa. The Gaels will kick off their regular season in Toronto on November 11, where they’ll face York.
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