The Waterloo Warriors women's basketball team threw everything they could at the nationally-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees, but the black and gold came up just short in an OUA quarterfinal rematch from 2023. 

The Gee-Gees used a strong fourth quarter to avenge their playoff loss at Waterloo last year, as Ottawa advanced with a 74-65 victory over Waterloo on Saturday night at the PAC gym. 

Waterloo's Summer Pahl (Kitchener/) and Ottawa's Natsuki Szczokin shared the game-high in scoring with 21 points apiece, with Pahl draining 5 of her 6 three-point attempts on the night. Warriors forward Nehita Oko-Oboh (Ottawa, ON) had a dominant game in the paint, scoring 16 points while pulling down 14 rebounds, while Carina Fiore (Newmarket/) chipped in with 6 points and 7 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench. 

The Warriors came out with their trademark ferocity on defense, and forced the high-flying Gee-Gees into a slugfest during a back-and-forth first quarter. Ottawa led 13-10 late in the opening frame, but the Warriors started getting some shots to fall and swung momentum their way. The hosts went on a 13-0 run that straddled the first and second quarters, and they outrebounded the Gee-Gees 19-11 in the first half. The result was a slim Warriors lead at the break, as Waterloo went into halftime up 33-28. 

The Warriors held on to the momentum out of the break, and extended their lead to 11 points midway through the third. But the veteran Gee-Gees responded, led by Szczokin – she went 3-3 from the field and 3-4 from the line to register 10 points in the third quarter, as Ottawa went on a 16-7 run to cut the deficit to 52-50 heading into the fourth. 

The Gee-Gees rattled off five straight points inside the first minute of the fourth quarter to take the lead for the first time since early in the second quarter. The Warriors hung within a possession for much of the final quarter, but they couldn't get their shots to fall to draw even again. Ottawa pulled away late, outscoring Waterloo 24-13 in the final stanza. 

Despite the loss and the end of Waterloo's season, it was another successful year for head coach Jessica Roque's squad – the black and gold made their third straight playoff appearance and claimed their second straight West division crown. The Warriors will now turn their attention to the offseason, where they'll no doubt be amongst the OUA's top contenders again next fall.