Stinger men get first win of year

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team finally got that pesky monkey off their backs this Sunday with their first victory of the season, a 60-55 home court triumph over the Bishop’s Gaiters.
In a game that could have gone either way, Concordia finally came out on top.
“We were more intense than the other team for most of the game,” Stinger guard Louis Vigneault, who lead the Stingers in free throws, said. “We haven’t been putting in a full 40 minutes of basketball until today.”
The Stingers offensive spark was lit early on in the game when guard Gavin Musgrave weaved through the Gaiter defence and nailed a bucket, upping the score to 5-4 and giving the Stingers their first lead of the game.
Musgrave continued to have a stellar first half, both netting three-pointers and driving stealthily towards the basket.
The two teams found themselves playing a game of catch-up more than once in the first twenty minutes, with the score never favouring one team for more than two minutes.
The Gaiters’ offence was impressive, netting half of their three-point attempts in the first.
Forward Phillipe Miguel dunked the ball with one minute left in the half, pushing the Gaiters in the lead. Bishops’ defence proved up to the offensive challenges that Concordia threw at them, coming out of the first half leading by a score of 32-29.
Little did they know that they were in for some trouble in the second half.
The home team’s usual formula of dwindling in the latter part of the game was thrown out the window, with the Stingers getting good performances from the entire team. Phillipe Langlois was all over the court, setting up shots and making a few of his own.
Vigneault reigned at the free throw line.
Jonathan Dresner made two consecutive baskets and then added an extra two points on one of the Stingers’ many successful runs to heighten Concordia’s lead to 45-38 with 11 minutes left.
“Around the 10 minute mark we looked at each other and we didn’t know what to say.
“We never knew what it felt like to be up by 5 with 10 minutes to go,” Musgrave, the Stingers leading scorer with 11 points in the game, said with a smile. “I found myself thinking ‘Cherish this moment, we’re going to win this game.'”
Bishops’ frustration began to show towards the end of the game, resulting in some unruly behaviour. Concordia found themselves at the free throw line many times at that point, getting an 11 point lead -their largest of the game.
The Gaiters tried to turn it around, closing the gap to five, but it was too little, too late for the team that beat the Stingers in their last meeting 78-65.
The Stingers, a young team comprised mostly of first and second year players, have been searching for what it takes to win all season.
They’ve been successful at narrowing the scoring gap in their games – working hard but never getting over the hurtle to get a win.
“It’s long overdue,” Stinger coach John Dore said of the victory. “It’s a small step, but it’s a first step for us, and that’s what’s important.”