That Sukhpreet Singh would lead the Queen’s Golden Gaels in scoring should not really surprise anyone anymore. He does it routinely.

That he would surpass 30 points in a game is starting to get a little familiar, too. Singh did that for the third time this season—and the second time in three games—Saturday night.

It was how Singh fashioned his 36-point performance that most pleased coach Steph Barrie.

"What we want out of Sukh more than anything is efficiency,” Barrie said, in a release, after Queen’s defeated the Lakehead Thunderwolves 80-72 in an Ontario University Athletics basketball game Saturday night at the Athletics and Recreation Centre.

“He has some games where, although he still scores, the efficiency part may not be exactly where we want it to be. Tonight, 36 points is great, but he also got nine rebounds, two assists, was great from the free-throw line, and had zero turnovers, so his positive impact on the game is that much greater.

“He was just an efficient player tonight for us."

Queen’s led for most of the game but it was close throughout, with the Gaels holding leads of 20-16, 37-34 and 53-49 at the quarters. The Thunderwolves got to within two points of the lead early in the fourth quarter, and to within one point with four and a half minutes to play, but immediately after that Queen’s went on a 13-4 run—with Singh scoring eight of those points—to build a 10-point lead with 76 seconds left that the Gaels more or less kept to the end of the game.

Ryall Stroud, with 13 points, and Tanner Graham, with nine, were the other top shooters for Queen’s. Mike Shoveller had 11 rebounds and Graham had 10 in the winning effort.

Bacarius Dinkins scored 25 points for Lakehead, while Henry Tan added 19.

The win was the second in as many games for Queen’s, which improved to 9-5 but remains six points behind East division-leading Ryerson. Lakehead fell to 7-6.

The Gaels will resume their schedule Friday, when they will host the Western Mustangs.