The Stingers hosted the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RESQ) division leaders, the McGill Martlets, on Saturday to close out their 2013-2014 season. The Stingers were coming into the game having beaten the Martlets twice, handing McGill their only losses of the season. Saturday was no different as Stingers beat the Martlets 61-54.
The Stingers dominated the turnover game which proved to be a difference-maker. The Martlets committed 26 turnovers, which led to 26 points scored by the Stingers. Another strong factor in Concordia’s game was their free throw attempts. The Stingers made the Martlets pay for their fouls, hitting 19 out of 22 shots from the line.
The Martlets would grab the first points of the game with a basket by guard Carolann Cloutier. The Stingers would respond a couple of seconds later with a basket by forward Marilyse Roy-Viau.
It was a competitive first quarter, but the Martlets would take the early lead on a three-pointer by forward Helene Bibeau. Concordia centre, Tina Mpondani, would make it a two-point shot heading into the second as the Stingers trailed the Martlets 16-14.
The Stingers would strike first in the second quarter with a bang, taking the lead with a three-pointer by point guard Ashley Clarke. The Martlets however would respond in a big way, going on a 9-0 run to lead 25-17. The Stingers refused to be outdone as they stormed back late in the quarter, as Concordia guard, Kaylah Barrett, scored four free throws to tie the game 27-27 heading into halftime.
Barrett, a two-time RESQ MVP and two-time all-Canadian, went down in the fourth quarter with a high ankle sprain. According to Stingers head coach Keith Pruden, Barrett won’t be able to practice this week.
As the game continued to be an up-and-down battle, the Stingers would grab the lead with two three pointers by guards Alex Boudreau and Clarke. The Martlets would end the quarter with a three-pointer by point guard Dianna Ross, which cut the Stingers lead to three. The third quarter ended 43-40 for the Stingers, setting up an exciting finish.
A turning point came early in the fourth quarter when the Stingers stated the fourth with a 7-0 run. The Martlets only would score at the seven-minute mark of the quarter on a basket by forward, Jennifer Silver, which would start a 6-0 run by the Martlets. McGill would tie the game 52-52 with a minute left, but Barrett would get four points late in the quarter to preserve the victory for Concordia.
The Stingers ended the season with a record of 11-5, which put them in second place in RESQ. Concordia is now off to Quebec City to play in the RESQ playoffs. They will be playing the ‘’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins on Friday night. Concordia hasn’t had that much success against UQAM as they posted a 1-3 record against them in the regular season.
