Just two games into league play, or eight games since the two victories and winning the Nike Tournament last October, the Men’s Concordia Basketball team have begun to feel the heat, as they lost their second straight league game 73-67 to the McGill Redmen last Friday. Rookie Forward Patrick Perrotte collected 23 points and six rebounds, sank seven of 11 field goals, and went nine for 12 at the line. He accounted for 34.3 per cent of the Stingers’ scoring in the losing effort. Kurt MacAlpine, who has been playing consistent basketball, scored 11 points and snapped up seven rebounds.
“In the last ten minutes we lost our focus and strayed away from the game plan.” The Stingers were up by 10 with five minutes to go. “We just stopped defending near the end,” said Dore.
The loss of focus seems to be a concern among the coaches but just may be the signs of a young team experiencing some growing pains.
“Laval and McGill have all their starters returning from last year and that gives them an advantage over us,” said Dore. “But that advantage will not last much longer.”
The team has looked over game tapes. It is not the trips to the line. Concordia hit 20 of 25 for 77.8 percent. It is not about turnovers. The team gave up the ball a mere eight times, which is respectable. “It is all about the small errors,” said Dore. “In this game the slightest errors will hurt you.”
The Stingers season is a little off track. Dore had high hopes at the beginning of the season but is not discouraged. “Our goal was to win all three league games by Christmas. I never thought we would lose the first two games.”
