After the men’s victory, the Stingers women’s basketball team also confronted the Laval Rouge et Or and they delivered an impressive 72-62 win.
The women had an extremely slow start with Laval leading 13-0 before Anne-Marie Prophete stepped up and scored the Stingers’ first basket two-and-a-half minutes into the game. Stinger Magalie Beaulieu made a basket and teammate Yasmin Jean-Philippe added a three pointer to the score. Luckily, Laval couldn’t make all of their free throws and Jean-Philippe and Kendra Carrie stepped up for another basket each.
But Laval didn’t show any mercy and still Concordia still trailed behind at 23-14. With less than two minutes left in the first quarter, Carrie got fouled and made two more points. Laval’s Catherine Groleau and Stingers Tina Mpondani both got one more basket and Jean-Philippe sank two more making it 27-22 for the Rouge et Or before the buzzer.
The second quarter started with fouls from both teams, but neither could sink all their free throws. Stinger Andreanne Gregoire-Boudreau got a basket and during next play, she passed hard to Mpondani who made the basket.
Elyse Jobin sank a three-pointer for Laval, and after securing an offensive rebound, Stinger Kaylah Barrett added two more points to the scoreboard to close the gap at 33-28. Mpondani got yet another basket, and a pass from Gregoire-Boudreau gave Mpondani a chance for her third basket in the second quarter. Jobin didn’t seem happy with how quickly the Stingers were catching up and scored a basket with three minutes left in the half. Carrie stepped up and delivered a beautiful three-pointer that was matched by Laval’s Marjorie Ferland. Carrie fought back for another two points and when the buzzer sounded, the score was close, 38-37.
The third started out with some hard hits. Jean-Philippe took one and sunk both of her shots, giving them a one-point lead. After two points from Laval’s Groleau and another three-pointer from Jobin, the Rouge et Or regained the lead at 39-43.
Beaulieu challenged Laval with another two points and the Stingers started to get fouled against allowing them to rack up single points. Mpondani tapped the ball out of a Laval player’s hand and got the ball to Beaulieu for two more points and handed the Stingers the lead, 47-45. With less than three minutes left in the third period Stinger Gregoire-Boudreau got a three-pointer. Concordia’s Nekeita Lee forced a foul under the basket and made both free throws.
Right before the buzzer sounded, Carrie made her 12th and 13th points of the night, securing Concordia’s three-point lead at 54-51.
Almost two minutes had passed in the final quarter with no basket from either team, until Carrie broke the pattern and put up two points. Barrett netted a beautiful three-pointer and inspired Jean-Philippe to do the same.
With the score at 66-56, Barrett made an incredible grab for the ball in order to maintain possession and after a time out, Prophete got another basket. Laval’s Sandrine Ducruc matched it and Barrett fought back keeping the 10-point advantage. Another time out was called and after back and forth baskets by Barrett and Genois finished the game but the Stingers came out on top with 72-62.
Barrett finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double of the season. Carrie netted 15 points for the Stingers.
Head coach Keith Pruden commented that the team wasn’t happy about how they started the game, but he was extremely proud of the girls for not coming in with “their tails between their legs, but instead fighting for the win.”
The Stingers will be back in action during the break at the Concordia-Reebok Tournament Dec. 29, 30, and 31. All games will be played at the Concordia Gymnasium.
