WATERLOO, Ont. - Laurier had its three-game win streak snapped on Saturday night, after a 57-42 defeat to the Queen's Gaels at the Laurier Athletic Complex Gym.

Queen's came out strong defensively, holding Laurier scoreless for the first half of the opening quarter. Ally Smith got Queen's on the board with a layup at 9:01, followed by two free throws from Eleanor Take to extend the lead to 4-0.

Queen's capitalized on Laurier's turnovers, with fast-break layups from Eleanor Take and Ally Smith to create a 10-0 run.

Laurier finally broke the scoring drought at 4:33 with a three-pointer from Cassidy Hirtle.

From there, the momentum began to shift, and Laurier clawed back into the game with a 10-2 run of their own to end the frame down 12-10.

Laurier came alive in the second quarter, led by Kate White's sharpshooting from beyond the arc. She opened the quarter with a three-pointer, giving Laurier their first lead at 13-12.

The game turned into a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading baskets and defensive stops. Laurier built up their largest lead of the game at nine with just under two minutes left in the half. They ended it strongly, with White drilling another three-pointer in the final seconds, pushing Laurier ahead 25-20 at halftime.

Queen's started the third quarter with renewed energy. Amy Hagman and Eleanor Take contributed key baskets despite early misses from both teams to close the gap.

Laurier quickly regained control with the third of White's eventual game-high five three-pointers, extending their lead.

White, along with Janet Enge and Miranda Campbell, played well defensively for Laurier, with White and Campbell eventually forcing a combined nine turnovers over the course of the game and limiting Queen's opportunities.

Laurier's fast-paced transition offense kept the visitors on their heels, and by the end of the quarter, the score was deadlocked at 35-35.

The final quarter saw the Gaels' trio of Katrina Renon, Mikayla McFarlane combine for 18 of their team's 22 points in the frame while holding Laurier to just seven. 

The double-digit lead proved too much to overcome as the purple and gold fell by 15.

White, with a game-high 19 points, and Enge, with 13 points in a career-high 32 minutes, were the lone Golden Hawks to finish in double-digits.

 
Up Next:
The Golden Hawks (3-5), sitting fifth in the OUA West, will head to St. Catherines on Wednesday to take on the #10-ranked Brock Badgers (5-1), who are currently second in the OUA Central division.
 
Tip-off is at 6 pm. Catch the game live on OUA.tv and follow @WLUAthletics on X for updates.