Stingers Women’s Basketball team beat the McGill Martlets on Saturday night, with a close score of 67-65.
The Martlets took the lead early in the first period with a quick basket, but Stingers guard Yasmin Jean-Philippe sank two beautiful three-pointers, making the score 6-2. Concordia gained a solid nine-point lead with less than six minutes left in the first, with strong offensive bursts from Kristin Portwine and Jill Verhesen. Anne-Marie Prophete suffered a foul and sank one out of the two free throws; then, seconds later, swooshed two more baskets. Unfortunately for the Stingers, the Martlets stepped up and with one minute left in the first, the score was a close 18-17. Portwine was fouled and made both the baskets with eleven seconds left. The final score of the first period was 20-17 for the Martlets.
Portwine started the second period the same way she ended it, adding two more points to the scoreboard. McGill responded with a three-pointer. Stingers forward Andréanne Grégoire-Boudreau netted a basket and took a foul, getting three more points for the Stingers to keep the lead at 27-22. The Stingers got another three fouls and gained three points out of the six, holding the lead by eight points. With less than a minute left in the first half, McGill closed in with two free throws and a three-pointer, ending the second period at 30-27.
Prophete stepped up early in the second and sank a basket, but Concordia’s lead didn’t last long as the Martlets sank another three-pointer, a basket, and two more free throws, bumping the score to 38-32. Prophete, an offensive powerhouse, netted another basket. Stingers’ Jean-Philippe and Verhesen then scored a basket each leaving the Stingers trailing by only two points at 40-38. A foul on Carrie and Portwine gave them one more point each, and the third period finished with a score of 41-40.
The fourth period started with Grégoire-Boudreau taking a foul and sinking both free throws, turning the tables on the Martlets, leaving them trailing by one point. After McGill racked up the points off a foul, Grégoire-Boudreau stepped up with a three-pointer and secured the lead by two points, making it 45-43. Portwine scored again and McGill netted a three-pointer and another basket. After Portwine scored again, a time-out was called with six minutes left with the score at a close 50-49.
McGill rebounded with another three-pointer, but Verhesen sank two free throws and made another basket to tie the game at 53-53 with five minutes left. With just one minute left in the game, Verhesen scored and Portwine, after a hit, sank both free throws to tie it at 63-63. Stingers forward Nekeita Lee was fouled and sank both of her free throws, but Mcgill tied it up again. Portwine finally won her team the game when she capitalized off of a strong defensive play made by Lee, making the final score 67-65.
