Queen’s Golden Gaels overcame a 12-point first-quarter deficit before rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat the York Lions 87-75 in an Ontario University Athletics women’s basketball game in Toronto.

The win was the fifth in a row for the East division-leading Gaels, now 9-1 and the No. 9 ranked team in the country, and it avoided the embarrassment of losing to a York team that has won just two of its 10 games this year.

York’s lead was in the double digits through much of the second quarter, but Queen’s cut the deficit to five points, 37-32, by halftime. The lead changed hands several times in the third quarter, one that ended with York ahead 58-54, but the Gaels came to life in the fourth, scoring 33 points.

Queen’s scored eight straight points to start the final period, and took control of the game with a 10-2 run in the middle part of the quarter.

Robyn Pearson, last week’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport female athlete of the week, hit a pair of jump shots to start the fourth-quarter rally, and she scored seven of her 15 points in the final period.

Seven different Gaels scored in double digits, led by Pearson, who was 5-for-6 from the field and added eight rebounds. Jenny Wright contributed 13 points and seven rebounds for the Gaels, while Marianne Alarie and Myrian Fontaine came off the bench to score 12 and 11 points, respectively.

It was a career-best performance for the rookie Fontaine, who was 4-for-5 from the field and reached double figures for the first time this year.

Sandra Nagowska came off the Lions’ bench to lead her team with 13 points.

It was the third time in their last four games that the Gaels, a remarkable 25-for-32 from the free-throw line on Saturday, scored 80 points or more in a game.

The Gaels resume play next weekend in Ottawa, where they will play the 10th-ranked Gee-Gees Friday night and the Carleton Ravens on Saturday.