Gaels top Rams to close opening weekend

Box Score TORONTO — The Rams men's basketball team is 0-2 to start the season after a 105-100 loss against the Queen's Gaels Sunday on home turf.

While their shooting improved significantly from Friday's low-scoring game, the Rams' weaker defensive performance and high turnover rate resulted in another defeat as the new group continues to find their footing as a team.

"We can't be giving up 100 points in a game and defence has been our Achilles heel so far," head coach David DeAveiro said, "but we've only been practicing together for two months and we played a team ranked [highly] today, so every experience is a learning one."

The first quarter saw the Rams getting buckets, landing 70 per cent of their field goal attempts to Queen's 53 per cent, but lacking on the defensive end. The team committed two times the number of turnovers (eight) compared to their opponents' four, and it hurt them well into the second quarter.

With four minutes left in the second quarter, Queen's had scored 16 points off of the Rams' 12 turnovers, and the team called a timeout.

"I called the guys back because I thought we were being selfish with the ball," DeAveiro said. "So I reminded them to share the ball, use and support one another."

The adjustment in focus produced a comeback in the remaining minutes in the quarter, with a clean block from Rams forward Liam O'Leary-Orange and a game-tying slam dunk from forward Kayode Fakomi. As the team collected five steals, five assists and nine rebounds, the Rams ended the half leading 53-50.

Queen's came back tighter on defence for the third quarter. Even as the Rams shot 80 per cent from downtown (4 of 5 shots), the Gaels consistently drove to the basket, committing only one turnover to the Rams' six and putting up 12 points in the paint. By the end of the third, Queen's led a three-point game.

Despite a disappointing turnout in the fourth quarter with every Rams basket being countered by a long-lived Queen's run, first-year Aaron Rhooms put on a performance in the game's last 10 minutes. Rhooms actively sought out shot opportunities for himself as well as his teammates, finishing the game with 22 points, nine rebounds, and five assists while his team ended on the losing side of a five-point game.

"My team finds me where I need to be and we support each other because we're all we have on the court," Rhooms said. "I get my confidence from them and from coach Dave. They make me believe I can contribute and be impactful."

Rams guards Tyler Sagl and Tom Dumont also played significant minutes and produced throughout Sunday's game, with Sagl putting up 22 points and Dumont shooting 75 per cent of his three-pointers and 100 per cent of his free throws.

It's clear that what the team possesses in individual talent and work ethic, they lack in practices spent training together and development as a unit. But according to DeAveiro, the Rams' success throughout the season will come with time and patience.

"We hadn't trained for nine months, being in lockdown in Toronto when other schools were able to train, and we also have new faces who haven't played together," DeAveiro said, "so our focus this week will be defence and not giving up easy buckets in the paint. As long as we're seeing progress, I think we'll be a pretty good team by the time Christmas rolls around."

The Rams are headed to North Bay next weekend to face the Nipissing Lakers for a pair of games. Friday's tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m., and you can watch at OUA.tv.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

#4 Tyler Sagl: G; 6' 5"; 2

#12 Liam O'Leary-Orange: F; 6' 7"; 4

#5 Aaron Rhooms: F; 6' 6"; 1

#9 Kayode Fakomi: F; 6' 7"; 1

Players Mentioned

#4 Tyler Sagl
: 6' 5"; 2
: G

#12 Liam O'Leary-Orange
: 6' 7"; 4
: F

#5 Aaron Rhooms
: 6' 6"; 1
: F

#9 Kayode Fakomi
: 6' 7"; 1
: F