QUEBEC CITY — In the end, all Shawn Maranan could do was fall to the floor in disbelief. 

Despite a valiant effort to come back from a double-digit second-half deficit, the Winnipeg Wesmen were left heartbroken Friday, dropping their quarter-final at the U Sports Final 8 77-76 to the Queen's Gaels at Laval's PEPS Gymnasium.

No. 7 Winnipeg's quest for an upset of the No. 2 Gaels was sealed when Elijah Mensah's attempt from three at the buzzer was blocked as the OUA champions celebrated their survival and Maranan and other Wesmen players slumped in shock. 

The loss put an end to the Wesmen's attempt to play for a championship, but they will continue in the tournament on the consolation side, with a 1 p.m. ET semifinal against the UQAM Citadins, who were defeated by Ottawa in the first quarter-final. 

The Wesmen struggled to shoot the ball early but nevertheless opened a 26-16 lead on a Maranan 3 1:16 into the second quarter. From there, however, the Wesmen were held without a point for the next 4:19 as the Gaels stormed back with 13 straight points. 

Queen's would take a 43-35 lead into half after Cameron Bett made a buzzer-beating three for the Gaels. 

However, the Wesmen opened the third quarter on a critical run, outscoring Queen's 12-2 over the first 2:50 to take the lead back at 47-45. Another Queen's 8-0 run put the Wesmen back in the chase position but they were able to go into the fourth down just 65-61.

The Wesmen trailed 77-71 with 1:58 to go and held Queen's without a point for the final 2:41 of the game. Alberto Gordo hit two free throws, followed by a pair from Maranan and a little hook from Gordo with 30 seconds left had the lead down to one. The Wesmen got one final stop with eight second left and in the pandemonium of having to traverse the court as the seconds wound down, Gordo passed out of a triple team to find Mensah in the final second, but Cole Syllas closed out quickly, lept and blocked the attempt, sending the Queen's bench into celebration.

Maranan, the Winnipeg player of the game, had 19 points and was credited with zero assists in what can only be described as an egregious statting error. Mikhail Mikhailov had 13 points with 10 rebounds, Gordo also had 13, and Donald Stewart added 11 and nine rebounds.

Bett's 16 points off the bench led Queen's.