Quebec City, QC— The old saying “Bet on Yourself” applies perfectly to the Queen’s Gaels.
Whether playing on the term as “Bett on Yourself” after Cameron Bett, whose dazzling 16 point first half performance was punctuated by a running buzzer-beater three to end the half. Or taking the term more literally a program that entered the weekend running with history with its first Wilson Cup win in over 50 years.
The Gaels 77-76 win over the Winnipeg Wesmen wasn’t pretty but for a team that already has a piece of history this season, it showed that they just might have the mettle to go all the way. Or as coach Stephan Barrie see it,
“It’s survive and advance, you’re not getting style points in any capacity you’ve just gotta find a way and right now we’re finding ways.”
It was the shot heard around the U SPORTS world
Cole Syllas hitting the walk-off buzzer beater to take down the Brock Badgers and deliver the Gaels their first Wilson Cup since 1957. That win gave Queen’s the trophy as well as the #2-seed in the Men’s Final 8
That set the Gaels up for a quarterfinal matchup with the Winnipeg Wesmen and where Syllas stepped up a week ago, it was Cameron Bett taking the reigns for the Gaels.
The fifth-year dropped 16 points in the first half, including a trio of threes, but the most important was the running buzzer beater to end the first half, which sent a swarm of Gaels to centre court to mob him.
“In the first half we needed a spark and he provided it,” Barrie said. “The reality is we have a pretty deep team with different guys on different nights that are gonna take the helm”
That shot gave the Gaels a 43-35 lead heading into halftime but the Gaels took the pedal off the gas in the third quarter.
A 13-4 run for the Canada West finalists in the first 3:05 of the third quarter put Winnipeg up 48-47.
The sides continued to trade shots in the third, with a pair of Connor Kelly threes helping the Gaels take a slim 65-61 lead into the final frame. Winnipeg continued to go shot for shot with the Gaels into the fourth and that didn’t surprise their coach one bit.
After Queen’s missed with five seconds to go, Elijah Mensah raced down court and went for a desperation three-point shot for the win but it was blocked by Cole Syllas sealing the 77-76 win for Queen’s.
If their quarterfinal win wasn’t perfect, at the very least it was a reminder that nothing will come easy for the Gaels this weekend.
“These teams are not just gonna roll over and let you take the game that’s not gonna happen, everyone is fighting for a national championship,” Barrie said.
And with the win tonight the Gaels are now one step closer to that championship themselves.