In the first game of the best of three QSSF Championship series, Gavin Musgrave scored 21 points – 9 from the three point line – adding four rebounds and two assists, to carry the un-ranked men’s Concordia Stinger basketball team past the No. 4 ranked Laval Rouge et Or. The 93-90 overtime win came in front of more than 500 Rouge et Or raucous fans in Sunday afternoon’s game.
The Stingers earned the right to play for the QSSF title by defeating Bishops last Thursday night at the Loyola Gym.
Dilip Nayar barreled his way inside for 17 and four rebounds, and Patrick Perrotte had 16, with 10 rebounds.
Philippe Langlois chipped in 18 and five rebounds and was all over the court.
Langlois was also a key component of this victory as he accepted the second half assignment to cover Laval’s Charles Fortier who had 19 in the first half.
“Langlois did an excellent job of shadowing Fortier,” said Concordia Head Coach John Dore. “Fortier was limited to seven points in the second half.”
The stingers had a seven-point lead with minutes to go and Laval snuck back in to tie the game 84-84 to force the game into overtime. “We let up on defence just a touch and we let them back in.”
It boiled down to winning the overtime period. “We all agreed to keep the same game plan and play hard defence and stick to our offensive strategy,” said Dore. And that agreement resulted in a 93-90 victory.
The Stingers will stick to the same game plan for this Wednesday night’s second game as Laval comes to town to try and fend off elimination. A Concordia victory will mean a QSSF championship. “We would love to win it in front of our home crowd,” said Dore. “Our players deserve to win at home.”
