Head coach Rastko Popovic says George Lengvari is a supporter of university basketball
The McGill Redmen hosted the first annual Lengvari Cup against the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team on Jan. 19. The Stingers walked away with a 69-61 win at the Love Competition Hall at the McGill Sports Centre.
Concordia and McGill organized this annual trophy to honour George Lengvari, who played basketball for both schools. He played for the Loyola College Warriors from 1959 to 1963, winning a league title in his final season. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1963, he studied law at McGill, and joined their basketball team until graduating in 1966.
“He’s somebody who’s a supporter of both institutions,” said Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic. “It’s to honour his contributions to both [teams] as a player and then as an alumni. He’s a financial supporter and I think it’s a great idea for both schools to honour him.”
Although the Lengvari Cup has no meaningful status to the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) season, it adds a level of pride to the fierce Concordia-McGill rivalry. In men’s hockey, the two teams play for the Corey Cup once a year, a trophy donated by former Montreal Canadiens president Ronald Corey. The Corey Cup is like any other regular-season game between Concordia and McGill, but playing for a trophy adds an exciting element.
Popovic doesn’t think his players needed extra motivation heading into Saturday’s game against McGill. “I think there [was] extra motivation on our side to get better,” Popovic said. “[We were] taking another step towards finishing first, and good teams find a way to win on the road.”
The Lengvari Cup will change host every year, with Concordia hosting it next year. Concordia beat McGill 86-69 at the Concordia Gym on Jan. 17.
With files from Simon Prud’homme. Main photo by Gabe Chevalier.
