Richelle Gregoire leads the Stingers in an 85-61 victory on Friday night
The Concordia Stingers defeated the Waterloo Warriors at the Concordia Athletic Complex Friday night by a score of 85-61.
Stingers forward and fourth-year player Richelle Grégoire had a double-double in the victory with 25 points and 14 rebounds. The Stingers were great on defense as they forced the Warriors to turn the ball over 25 times.
“We lacked energy and intensity in the first half but in the second half we made some adjustments and came out with intensity, especially in the first five minutes where we got a couple of quick steals and some easy layups,” said Stingers coach Tenicha Gittens.
The Warriors scored the game’s first few points on baskets that included a three-pointer by Warriors guard Emily Wilk. The Stingers had a slow start to the game but got their groove going after Grégoire scored the team’s first basket two minutes into the quarter.
With a 7-3 lead early in the game, it seemed as though the Warriors were in control. However, the Stingers came storming back and then hit a couple baskets which gave them a 10-9 lead. Marie-Éve Martin helped give the Stingers the lead with a three-point score. At the end of the first quarter, the Stingers had maintained their lead and the score was 21-15.
The second quarter started with a bang as Warriors guard, Elizabeth Holmes hit a three-pointer. Her score would be matched only a few seconds later by Martin of the Stingers. The Warriors had a 6-0 run led by free throws and jump shots by third year guard, Jacqui Rodrigues and Emily Wilk. The 6-0 run cut the Stingers lead down to two points. At this point in the game, the Stingers had a 29-27 lead. The Stingers would eventually increase their lead by going on a 5-0 run to end the first half which was capped off with a buzzer-beater by rookie guard, Latifah Roach. The Stingers led 36-29 at the end of the first half.
The third quarter started with the Stingers scoring two straight baskets by forward Shanica Baker and Martin. The Warriors got their first points of the second half a minute later with a basket by Rodrigues. Later on in the quarter, Stingers shooting guard, Aurélie d‘Anjou Drouin hit back to back shots in the quarter and finished the quarter with eight points. The Stingers scored an impressive 33 points in the third quarter which allowed them to take a commanding lead. Despite a late-quarter 5-0 run by the Warriors, they still found themselves down 69-51 going into the final quarter.
The Stingers put away the game at the start of the fourth quarter after baskets by d’Anjou Drouin and Grégoire. Grégoire scored 10 points in the final quarter and led the team to a 24-point margin of victory.
“Our coach put us in situations that played to our strengths so we just executed that,” Baker said when talking about the team’s strategy.
The team’s next match will be an away game against Carleton University on Oct. 30.
