In a nail-biting semi-final, the Gaels crushed the Ridgebacks hopes to hoist the Wilson Cup, delivering a last-second heartbreak that sent Ontario Tech on a cold, long bus ride back to Oshawa, Ont.
The ARC was packed and rowdy on March 1, when the Men’s Basketball team beat the Ridgebacks 64-62 in a thrilling semi-final matchup, moving one step closer to defending their OUA championship title.
While the Gaels got off to a hot start, over pressuring the Ridgebacks with their full-court press, their inability to find their offensive rhythm led them to trail through the first quarter 16-19.
The Gaels faced their largest deficit of the game in the second quarter. The Ridgebacks, who had begun gaining momentum, went up six points before the Gaels managed to begin mounting a comeback, only trailing by three going into the half time break.
Although offensively struggling, shooting 26 per cent from the field in the first half, it seemed the crowd knew the Gaels were far from out of this game, and star first-year guard Ollie Engen, Kin ’28, came out of the break poised to change the narrative.
Engen exploded and scored seven of his nine third-quarter points consecutively for the Gaels, helping the team take a one-point lead going into the final frame.
Going into the fourth, it became all hands-on deck for the Gaels. Reigning OUA Defensive Player of the Year Luka Syllas, ConEd ’25, hit more than his fair share of huge shots.
Guard AJ Cummings, ArtSci ’26, cashed in on a momentous three-pointer with just over two minutes remaining to bring the Gaels lead up to four points.
To the dismay of the fans, coaches, and players, the Gaels were called for goaltending. The Ridgebacks then drilled a huge three-pointer of their own, giving them a one-point lead with about 20 seconds left in the do-or-die semi-final game.
After a timeout called by Queen’s, the Gaels came out composed and set on taking back the lead. Although the stakes had never been more dire, the team seemed confident in their ability to send the Ridgebacks home with a loss.
Carrying on the legacy of Syllas game-winners, hometown leader Luka Syllas calmly marched down the floor, shaking defenders off of him en route to scoring a that would also send him to the line for an and-one opportunity.
After sinking the free throw, the Ridgebacks would have one final chance to tie or take the lead with eight seconds left on the clock.
Failing to convert, the Gaels stormed the court, celebrating not just a return to the OUA finals but punching their ticket to the U SPORTS National Championships set for Mar. 13 to 16 hosted by the University of British Columbia.
On March 8, the Gaels will tip off against the league-leading Ottawa Gee-Gees on their home court, where they’ll look to defend their provincial title.
Throughout the regular season, the Gaels lost both matchups to the Gee-Gees, 84-89 on Feb. 15, and 82-95 on Jan. 31.
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