For the first time since the season began, the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team can no longer look at the very top of the standings to see its name.
A loss to the McGill Martlets on Saturday night, Concordia’s third loss in a row, has dropped the Stingers into second place, a win behind McGill, though Concordia has played one less game.
Concordia went into Saturday’s game coming off a road loss the previous night at Bishop’s, and was hoping to get revenge against the Martlet team that handed the Stingers their first loss just over a week ago at the Loyola campus gym.
However, It was not the Stingers’ night.
Concordia shot just 27 per cent from the field, compared to McGill’s 40 per cent. The Stingers started slow and found themselves trailing by five after the first quarter. While they awoke in the second frame, a sluggish start to the third sent Concordia into the final quarter trailing by eight points.
Ice cold shooting prevented the Stingers from mounting any type of comeback.
Stingers coach Keith Pruden spoke about the inconsistencies that have been resulting in the recent losses. “We’re only playing defence the way we should be about every second possession and we’re only executing well on offence every third possession and that’s just not enough,” he said.
Despite the recent struggles, Pruden is not ready to press the panic button just yet. “There’s still quite a few games left, and we’re still 6-3. We’re still right there near first place. I would be worried if [the recent problems] were things we could not correct, but I believe these are things we can correct, the question is whether or not we will correct them.”
Pruden also said that although the goal was to go undefeated, it wasn’t something he was counting on. Pruden did not let players speak to reporters after the game.
While it would be unfair to place the losing streak on one person, it has not helped the Stingers’ cause that their best player, Kaylah Barrett, has gone in a mini-slump of her own. After averaging 22.3 points per game to begin the year, Barrett has averaged just 11.3 during the losing streak.
The Stingers will take the court next against the Laval Rouge et Or at Loyola campus at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3.
