The Stingers men’s basketball team was faced with a tough away playoff game in Sherbrooke last Wednesday, as the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec playoffs got underway.
Concordia missed their chance to secure home-court advantage for this playoff match after failing to beat the last-place Laval Rouge et Or in the final match of the regular season. For finishing third in the conference, the team had to visit the second-place Bishop’s Gaiters in the semi-finals.
The first quarter was a roller-coaster. After Concordia’s 8-0 to start the game, Bishop’s scored eight straight points to level the score. The Gaiters stayed strong and were up 18-11 with 1:45 to play. The Stingers scored seven straight points to tie the game after the first 10 minutes.
Concordia held a small lead for most of the second quarter. The home Gaiters team kept answering their opponents and pulled ahead with a four-point lead at halftime.
Both teams traded baskets throughout the third quarter. Concordia feverishly tried to pull ahead to no avail. It finally happened when Taylor Garner scored with 44 seconds to go. Bishop’s hit a basket right after to have a marginal one-point lead going into the final frame.
As expected, both teams went back-and-forth knowing the RSEQ championship game was on the line. Concordia managed to tie the game early on, but Bishop’s was able to pull ahead with a couple of baskets. The Stingers were unable to get any closer than that. Bishop’s took the game 70-63.
This ended the Stingers’ tough season. The team finished the regular season with a 9-7 record. The seven losses account for more defeats than their last two seasons combined.
