In their second exhibition game of the season, Queen’s men’s basketball team dominated Algoma College to earn a decisive 88-47 victory.
The attendance was also strong for an exhibition game, and included three fans each fully painted in a shade from the tricolour.
From start to finish, the Gaels controlled the play. Only a few minutes into the first half they had already accumulated an 11-2 lead.
While Queen’s was putting up points in the paint, strong shooting gave them the lead. Power forward Cameron Eby described the Gaels’ offensive strategy as “motion-oriented.” “Algoma gave us many opportunities to shoot, but it really depends on what the defense gives us.”
Algoma, however, never quite got its rhythm together, and was stifled by Queen’s defense. Their offensive rebounding was average at best, as was their shooting.
“It was Algoma’s third game in 24 hours, I think they were pretty tired,” Eby added.
Shooting guard Ryan Hairsine was the game’s top scorer with 22 points.
“We played some pretty good defense,” Hairsine said.
Queen’s was able to get to most of their offensive rebounds, allowing them to convert many of their second chances.
“Rebounding is something that our coach is really stressing, since, believe it or not, we’re a shorter team,” Eby said.
With four minutes left in the first half, an Algoma player pulled down a rebound and, in an effort to protect the ball, elbowed centre Glen Smith on his jaw.
Tempers flared, but referees quickly intervened and cooler heads prevailed.
“I think it was just a frustration move on their part,” Eby said.
With a 20-point lead at half, Queen’s once again returned to the shooting strategy that had worked so well in the beginning. When the Gaels weren’t able to drive to the net, they moved the ball around easily for clear three-point opportunities.
By the end of the game, Queen’s had won by a margin of 41 points, with three players in double-digit scoring. All but two Algoma players—who had ten points each—were held to single digits.
“We’re a very team-oriented team,” Eby said. “We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of different things, so we’re going to be a little harder to take down on offense this year. If we’re firing on all cylinders, I think we could score 88 points against anybody.”
The Gaels play their third exhibition game against St. Lawrence College on October 5th at home. League play starts in November.
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