Women’s basketball team lose 72-65 in home opener
The Concordia Stingers played the Université de Laval Rouge et Or in their regular season home opener on Thursday, Nov. 6. The Stingers entered the match on a four-game winning streak to end their preseason. However, this momentum wasn’t enough; the Stingers lost 72-65 despite Stingers’ three-time All-Canadian guard, Kaylah Barrett, getting 20 points and 13 rebounds.
The Laval Rouge et Or started the first quarter with scoring the first three points of the game on free throws by forward Jane Gagne. The Stingers would only score their first points of the first quarter at the five-minute mark on a basket by Barrett.
The Stingers would take an early 11-9 lead into the second quarter due to the three point shooting of forward Marilyse Roy-Viau, who hit two three-pointers in the quarter.
In the second quarter, the Rouge et Or took over the game. They opened the scoring and tied the game with a two-pointer by forward Geneviève Derome. The Stingers would respond and take the lead with a three-pointer by Barrett. However, the Rouge et Or then went on a run, scoring 20 unanswered points including two three-pointers by forward Justine Guay-Bilodeau and forward Raphaëlle Côté. The Stingers would end the quarter being down ten points, losing 31-21.
The Stingers would open the scoring in the second half with a basket by Roy-Viau. Laval started to pour it on and got another three-pointer by forward Catherine Belanger to increase their lead to 17 points. Viau would score 10 points in the third quarter and help the Stingers stay competitive, but her team was still down 15 points entering the final frame.
The Stingers made it a game in the last quarter starting with the dominant play of Barrett. Concordia’s guard got the first six points of the quarter. The Stingers, with just under 90 seconds left in the game, had cut the Rouge et Or lead to four points. However, it was not meant to be as Laval’s guard Gabrielle Girard would clinch the game with a basket, ensuring Concordia’s loss.
In close games, it all comes down to the littlest mistakes, and Stingers head coach Keith Pruden recognized his team’s shortcomings.
“We need to execute a little better, we missed a lot of easy shots and free throws,” he said.
Pruden also discussed that the game was a physical one, and as the game got closer, the referees put away their whistles.
“Bodies were bouncing off the court, it was like a hockey game,” he said.
Because of their strong preseason play, in which they went 6-3, the Stingers were ranked tenth in the country.
