Tag: basketball

Categories
Sports

UQAM leaves Stingers’ hive with no honey

James Clark (22) rejects Alexandre Bernard in Concordia's five-point home victory. Photo by Navneet Pall

After Concordia’s 68-63 victory at home on Saturday afternoon, the UQAM Citadins’ locker room ranked somewhere between the dentist’s and your in-laws’ house, for places you’d want to be.

James Clark (22) rejects Alexandre Bernard in Concordia's five-point home victory. Photo by Navneet Pall

The Citadins’ second straight loss in as many games against Concordia, drew the ire of their head coach Olga Hrycak, who could be heard from the hallway berating her team for the lackluster performance.

“When we give a game away I’m not very happy, and I mean that, because we can play 10 times better than we did,” the frustrated Hrycak told reporters afterwards.

Offensive rebounding was a specific area of disdain for the fuming coach, who saw her team out-rebounded 17-9 on the offensive glass. “Concordia killed us on the offensive boards; they certainly didn’t kill us with their three-point shooting,” she said, alluding to Concordia’s ugly night beyond the arc, making only three of 18 three-point field goals. Hrycak did commend Concordia, though, for being able to prevail in another tough game. “They have that killer instinct and we just don’t right now.”

The game’s start was also delayed over two hours after Concordia’s Sheldon Moore channeled his inner Shaq in warmups and shattered the glass backboard with a dunk. Unfortunately, the RSEQ is not the NBA, and replacing the backboard was not a quick job, delaying the start of the game over two hours. “We’re not really sure why it took so long,” said Stingers coach John Dore.

While the delay affected both teams, Stingers forward Kafil Eyitayo believes the wait played a part in the Stingers slow start. “To try and get our focus back and then start the game was a little bit hard,” he said.

Concordia looked sloppy in the first quarter, trailing by six into the break. However, the Stingers went on a 10-0 run midway through the second quarter, and took a four point lead into halftime.

In almost a mirror image of last week against UQAM, though, Concordia let the Citadins back into the game by committing several fouls. The result was a 15-point lead getting whittled down to four in just over three minutes.

“It seems like every time we play UQAM we have a big stretch where we just put them on the free-throw line for five minutes straight and all they do is (score points) with no time going off the clock,” said Stingers guard Kyle Desmarais, who scored a season low seven points on the night.

The Citadins were able to hang around, trailing by six in the game’s final minute, before an Evens Laroche jump-shot sealed the victory for Concordia. Laroche led the Stingers in scoring with 17 points and has been arguably their best all-around player the past two games.

Another factor Moore’s dunk had on the game was that the net was not regulation height, after it was improperly installed when the glass was fixed. The rim was 10 feet two inches high for the game, which is two inches higher than regulation. The officials conferred before the game with both coaches and agreed that the game would be played regardless.

“It’s something both teams had to deal with,” said Dore. “But if you look at how many first foul shots were missed at that end of the floor it was a tough adjustment for the players to make.”

The video of the dunk has already made its way on to YouTube and has created some buzz.

“I had some people from Laval who had heard about it, calling me,” said Dore. “It’s good that it has created some conversation about our team.”

Dore is hoping the proper adjustments are made in time for the Stingers’ home game against McGill next Saturday.

The Stingers’ next game is on the road Friday Jan. 20 at 8 p.m. against Laval.

Categories
Sports
Graphic by Sean Kershaw

As the new calendars get hung on the wall, it’s time to pull out the crystal ball and see what the future holds for Concordia’s winter sports teams. Two teams can expect great things to come.

Men’s basketball

Concordia has twice flirted with conference perfection in recent memory, going 15-1 against Quebec schools in 2004-05 and again in 2006-07. This year they will achieve that elusive, perfect conference season.

Concordia will finish with a 16-0 record against an unusually weak RSEQ conference and advance to nationals for the second year in a row. Concordia will face a tough task at nationals, though. The Stingers have lost both games they’ve played against top 10 opponents. I predict that Concordia will advance to the semi-finals before bowing out and eventually winning a bronze medal.

Women’s basketball

Like the men, the women’s future also looks bright. However, I do not foresee the women going undefeated in conference play. Coach Keith Pruden is aware how difficult it is to go undefeated, having only done it once in his lengthy career. A very impressive 14-2 season is in store for the Stingers.

I predict the women to also advance to nationals after losing in the RSEQ semi-finals last season. Like the men, though, the women will be coming home with a bronze. Guard Kaylah Barrett will also take home the award for RSEQ’s most outstanding player.

Men’s hockey

Concordia is a middle of the pack team who will finish fifth in the OUA’s East conference (they currently sit in seventh place). The high scoring Stingers will play an exciting, high-scoring playoff round and upset their higher seeded opponent. However, Concordia will go home in the second round losing to a very talented McGill squad that will repeat as national champions. Concordia will pull another upset win against rivals McGill in the regular season, though.

Women’s hockey

The bleakest future of any of the winter teams. Mired in a four-game losing streak, and clinging to the final playoff spot in the conference, Concordia is in trouble. The Stingers’ woes will continue, but they will manage to stave off Ottawa and make the playoffs. Unfortunately, they will be grossly overmatched against McGill, Canada’s number two ranked team, and will be swept from the playoffs in a very lopsided series.

Categories
Sports

Concordia heads into holiday break in first place

Evens Laroche rises for a layup in Concordia's 71-59 win. Photo by Chris Hanna

The Concordia Stingers and Bishop’s Gaiters men’s basketball teams were evenly matched for every quarter except one last Friday night.

Evens Laroche rises for a layup in Concordia's 71-59 win. Photo by Chris Hanna

Concordia outscored Bishop’s 25-15 in the third quarter, enough to propel the Stingers to a 71-59 victory. The win keeps Concordia perfect after its first three games. Bishop’s, on the other hand, will head into the Christmas break winless.
Concordia looked a bit off early on and went into halftime with a slim one-point lead over a team that it is, quite frankly, much more talented than.
Whatever coach John Dore said to his team at the break must have worked.
After Bishop’s took a 29-28 lead early in the third (it would be the last time the Gaiters led in the game) Concordia, led by forward Evens Laroche and guard Kyle Desmarais, finally took a hold of the steering wheel and put the pedal to the floor.
The Stingers outscored the Gaiters 22-7 in a span of just over six minutes to take a commanding 51-37 lead. Laroche and Desmarais would finish with 17 and 14 points respectively, leading the team.
The win sends Concordia into the winter break in sole possession of first place, something coach Dore was stressing at halftime with Concordia lagging.
“It was something he just kept telling us,” said Desmarais. “It really hit us hard because we wanted to win that game to go into the break on a high note. We had a lot riding on that game.”
The Stingers are still waiting to see if they have been able to crawl into the CIS Top 10 rankings. The team still feels it was unfairly left out of the rankings.
Laroche commented last week that the team’s goal is not just to win, but to win big.
Desmarais echoed the feelings of Laroche after Friday’s contest. “We do care [about the margin of victory] because it will effect our ranking nationally,” he said. “Right now we’re not in the top 10 and that’s something that resides with us. We’re not very happy about that; we feel we’re a top five team. But in order to send a message to the rest of the country we need to be beating teams by 30 or even 40 to show people we’re in a league of our own over here.”
The fact that this year the Quebec conference is very weak makes it even more important for Concordia to assert its will over its opponents.
“That’s exactly why we need to be beating teams by that kind of margin,” said Desmarais. “If we play every team really close we’ll look like we’re just as good as the rest of the teams here but we know we’re much better than that.”
Concordia now has over a month off before its next game. While the team has built up some early season momentum, the month long break is still welcomed. Forward James Clark, the Stingers’ best inside scorer, has been sidelined with a broken wrist. The vacation, though, should give him the time he needs to heal and he is expected back when the Stingers return in January.

Concordia will travel to UQAM for its next game on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m.

Categories
Sports

Concordia men win convincingly in home opener

Havoc ensues as Kyle Desmarais is tripped up over a loose ball. Photo by Navneet Pall

Despite a few brief mental lapses in the game’s second and third quarters, the Concordia Stingers outscored the visiting Laval Rouge et Or by 18 points during the final 10 minutes, earning themselves an 88-72 victory.

Concordia came out strong in the first quarter, playing typical Stingers basketball. They quickly set the tone of game, playing aggressively on both sides of the ball and getting out in transition, all of which translated into an early 22-17 lead.

However, in what has been the case of late, Concordia’s intensity and focus seemingly all but disappeared in the game’s middle quarters, allowing the visiting Rouge et Or to claw their way back into the game, even grabbing hold of the lead late in the third quarter.

“It’s an issue that we’ve always been talking about in practice,” said Stingers forward Evens Laroche. He was echoing his words from last week talking about how the Stingers want to win big to send a message.

“We have to take our intensity to the next level and that’s what we’re working on. We always start strong and we finish well, but we need to be a killer team that beats teams by 40 points and just doesn’t stop,” he said. “We’re working on it. It’s a long process though.”

Havoc ensues as Kyle Desmarais is tripped up over a loose ball. Photo by Navneet Pall

Kyle Desmarais, who scored 16 points in the night, also chimed in on the issue. “We have to work on playing a full 40 minutes and we’ll just destroy teams,” said the Stingers guard. “We’re trying to see what we can do to get the guys to perform for a full 40 minutes. If we can do that, we’ll be dangerous nationally.”

Entering the fourth quarter down by a bucket, the Stingers seemed to regain their composure and overall sense of urgency as the lackadaisical attitude that characterized their play over the game’s previous 20 minutes was nowhere to be found.

They proceeded to crush the visitors, almost completely shutting them down defensively as they outscored Laval 28-10, turning a two-point deficit into a 16-point victory.

The Stingers were led in no small part by Laroche who had a spectacular game, contributing all over the board. The fourth-year forward registered 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting, to go along with six rebounds, six assists, seven steals and two blocks.

“Evens was all over the court today,” said Stingers head coach John Dore. “He rebounded and he blocked shots. I didn’t even realize he had 16 points. It was the other things that he did that stood out. The intangibles he provided, such as getting in the passing lanes and coming across the court and getting his hands on loose balls was big for us. All those little things that he did for us helped us be successful tonight.”

With the victory, the Stingers are now 2-0 in the season and will play host to the Bishop’s University Gaiters this Friday, Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. 

Categories
Sports

Stingers prevail in nail biter against Rouge et Or

Thanks to a key defensive play by first-year forward Natasha Raposo, the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team was able to secure a 62-60 win over the Laval Rouge et Or.

With approximately three seconds left in the game, Laval’s Chanelle St-Amour dribbled the ball towards mid-court in a last ditch attempt to get a shot off that would either tie or win the game. However, before  she could advance the ball past the half court line, she was met by Stingers guard Magalie Beaulieu who then forced her left towards the sideline. Before she could adjust or make a pass to a teammate, Raposo came over and trapped her against the sideline. With absolutely nowhere to go, St-Amour was forced to hold onto the ball as time expired.

“We got a tremendous defensive stop at the end of the game,” said Stingers head coach Keith Pruden. “Magalie forced the girl left and Raposo came up and trapped. It was an awesome defensive play. [Raposo] picked the right time and the right place.”

“I knew there wasn’t much time left on the clock and I knew that she was one of their star players and would want the last shot,” said Raposo. “When I saw her with her head down I figured ‘why not?’ Good thing my teammates were there to pick up the player that I left behind.”

In a night that saw a plethora of ties and lead changes, it came as little surprise that the game would come down to a single all-important play. The game was very scrappy and physical and was hotly contested from the opening whistle to closing buzzer. Both teams were locked in a virtual seesaw battle in a game in which no single quarter of play was decided by more than two points.

While pleased with the result and proud of his team’s determination, Pruden came away impressed by the opposing team’s performance. “It was a very close game and I have to say that Laval played very well. I’ve watched a number of their tapes so far this year and this was probably the best game they’ve played this year.”

Stingers guard Kaylah Barrett, who scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds in the victory, was not at all surprised by Laval’s level of play, given the recent history between both squads. “It was a tough game,” she said. “Last year we beat Laval four times. They were definitely coming at us and they weren’t backing down at all. They came out and played hard and we just fought back.”

 

The Stingers will host the Bishop’s University Gaiters this Friday at 6 p.m. If they win, they will become the first Stingers women’s basketball team to begin a season 3-0 in a little over a decade.

Categories
Sports

Peaceful silence helps team make noise on the court

Basketball is a fast sport, filled with defensive pressure, quick passes and meticulous technique that could make or break the game. Little room is left for error.

Graphic by Maya Pankalla

When this amount of pressure is put on players it is no wonder that many teams have resorted to yoga and alternative therapies as a mental release. For the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team, the release is group meditation.

A group of 6’5” giants sitting in a dark room and sharing a soothing meditation moment with their coach before a game may seem strange. For Concordia head coach John Dore, though, the positive results speak for themselves.

It all began when Dore was approached last year by Rob Hart, a former University of Arizona football player. Hart holds strong beliefs about the power of meditation in sports, and he had an idea for Dore.

“He approached me about doing something out of the box,” said Dore. “We’re always looking for an edge, something that will make you a little better than the next guy, so we tried it out with him.”

So what exactly is this meditation experience?

“We do it before every game. We turn off the lights and we just sit there in total silence and everybody kind of does their own thing for five minutes to visualize and prepare for the game, breathe, and relax,” said Dore. “It’s about breathing and meditating and slowing your heart rate, so we tried it with the kids on the team to see if they would like it and we did it as a group. Most of them bought into it right away.”

“Most of the guys like it, it’s a team thing,” said Stingers guard Decee Krah.

“I am a very open-minded person so I was willing to try it,” said forward James Clark, who was convinced when Hart showed them statistics of how different athletes improved when they started meditation. “If professional athletes are doing it, I am open to doing it.”

Indeed, over the years more and more professional athletes and teams have been embracing meditation, including the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

George Mumford, a sports psychologist who taught meditation to the Lakers and  coach Phil Jackson, said in a 2006 interview with Mind Body Awareness Project, a youth-geared non-profit, that meditation is “warrior training.”

“There’s a lack of self-consciousness, there’s a relaxed concentration, and there’s this sense of effortlessness, of being in the flow,” he said about player meditation.

According to the book Cognitive Models and Spiritual Maps by Jensine Andresen and Robert K.C. Forman, meditation has been proven to reduce heart rate and blood pressure, reduce chronic pain and improve sense of well-being.

The Stingers said that they visualize themselves successfully executing their plays in their minds while they meditate.

“We concentrate on our breathing and we visualize things that you want to focus on during the game,” said guard Kyle Desmarais. “So if you want to focus on defence or foul shots, or whatever you want to succeed, you visualize that while you meditate.”

Desmarais said that although people may be sceptical, he personally felt the positive effect of meditation on his performance on the basketball court. “I remember last year when I started my meditation, my free throws were something I really wanted to improve, and while I was doing the meditations I was shooting them at about 80 per cent, and then I stopped doing meditation, and it dropped down to about 60 per cent,” he said.

“I started again this year and so far I am 100 per cent from the free throw line,” he said with a grin.

Dore can agree with Desmarais. “When you go into shooting free throw you want to remain calm, so if you know how to breathe properly you can slow your heart rate and you can calm yourself down,” he said.

After adding group meditations for five minutes at a time before and after a game, the Stingers haven’t looked back.

If the meditation keeps working, Dore isn’t going to mess with the winning strategy.

“As long as the guys believe it and it seems to help us, we’ll do it.”

Categories
Sports

Concordia falls to the Citadins in playoff semifinals

Yasmin Jean-Philippe was one of two Stingers honoured last Wednesday. Archival photo by Alumenda Romero

Yasmin Jean-Philippe was one of two Stingers honoured last Wednesday. Archival photo by Alumenda Romero

After ending the season on a winning note, the Stingers quickly bowed out of the playoffs following a 65-54 loss in the semi-final game against the UQAM Citadins this past Wednesday. Although it appeared that the Stingers were evenly matched coming into the game, since they only finished two points behind the Citadins in the regular season, nerves and a key injury made all the difference on the court.

“I thought it was 50/50. Either team could have won this game, but UQAM made their shots and we didn’t,” said head coach Keith Pruden. “We were nervous and I think it showed.”

Citadins head coach Jacques Verschuère noted that they had taken the season series 3-1 but echoed Pruden’s thoughts on the game. “It’s always a close game against the Stingers,” said Verschuère.

The Stingers were also missing a key component in their lineup. Veteran guard Kendra Carrie, who averaged 10.3 points and four rebounds a game, sat out while recovering from a concussion suffered earlier this season.

“It was pretty hard not playing tonight,” said Carrie. “It’s not exactly how I imagined my university career finishing.”

From the opening tip off UQAM applied pressure and built up a comfortable lead over the Stingers. About four minutes in the Stingers took an early timeout after falling behind 9-2 and missing easy points. The breather was not enough to calm the Stingers down, and the Citadins pulled further ahead while maintaining a strong defence. By the end of the first quarter, the Stingers were down 23-11.

The second quarter continued much like the last and the Stingers were unable to slow down the Citadins or sink shots in their own end. Pruden called another early timeout three minutes in after falling behind 27-13. The timeout seemed to work as the Stringers woke up offensively and began taking more shots but the team still had trouble turning chances into points. The Stingers closed out the half down 39-25.

The Citadins did not let up in the third quarter but the Stingers seemed to find some sort of defensive rhythm following a timeout two minutes in. Stinger guard Magalie Beaulieu showed strong defence as she stepped up the pressure on the Citadins ball carriers. Concordia also managed to pull down more rebounds in the offensive zone but could not capitalize on the points. The Citadins were sitting comfortably ahead 50-35 at the end of the third quarter.

With their playoff hopes on the line, the Stingers stepped up their offence and began putting points on the board in the fourth. The Citadins began taking fouls and the Stingers were given bonus free throws with about seven minutes left in the game. The extra opportunities at the free throw line and strong defensive play left the Stingers behind 58-53 with just under two minutes to play. But after a punishing three-point shot by Citadins forward Karine Boudrias, the Stingers were not able to come back.

The Stingers finished the game with only 30 per cent of their field goals finding the net but fared better at the free throw line with 58 per cent made.

“I guess we weren’t focused and we missed a lot,” said Stinger guard Yasmin Jean-Philippe. “All those missed shots probably cost us the game.”

Before the game, Jean-Philippe and Stinger guard Kaylah Barrett were honoured as all-stars in the Quebec conference this season. Barrett was selected as part of the first all-star team and rookie team, named the rookie of the year and as the defensive player of the year. Jean-Philippe was selected as part of the second all-star team.

Categories
Sports

Women’s basketball team cap off regular season with scrappy win

photo by Almudena Romero

The Concordia Stingers pulled off a 52-46 victory ver the visiting Bishop’s University Gaiters in an ugly, physical and low-scoring game that was utterly meaningless to either team.

“The game didn’t mean anything,” said Stingers head coach Keith Pruden.

“Bishop’s was already out the playoffs, we were already in third because UQAM had already clinched second place when they beat McGill on Friday, so basically you had two teams trying to find something to be motivated to play for. We wanted to finish on a win and Bishop’s didn’t want to get swept out by us,” he said. “So it was nasty. That’s the nastiest game we’ve played against them. It was real physical, they weren’t happy to be there, and we weren’t happy to be there either. The end result was a not very pretty basketball game to watch.”

The game was indeed far from pretty. It was an extremely messy affair that saw both teams combine for a whopping 51 turnovers.

photo by Almudena Romero

The Stingers controlled the opening quarter quite easily, as the Gaiters shooting was abysmal. Concordia’s shooting wasn’t much better, but they converted some a few easy baskets and had 13 points to show for it while UQAM could only muster five.

The second quarter was characterized by more sloppy physical play, but the Stingers remained firmly in control and took a 25-16 lead into halftime.
In similar fashion to the last time these two teams met, the Gaiters started to press late into the third quarter and most of the fourth. However, the Stingers successfully held them at bay, allowing Bishop’s to tie the game, but never relinquished their lead.

They would go on to win by a score of 52-46.

photo by Almudena Romero

Though he wasn’t blown away by his team’s performance, Pruden was impressed with the Stingers’ effort given the circumstances, seeing it as a promising sign heading into the playoffs.

“I would have been concerned had we lost, so I am happy with the win despite the circumstances. As close as the score was, we were pretty much in control of that game from the get-go. They never had a lead. It was a hard game to get up for, which a playoff game won’t be, so if we can get the job done in a game that doesn’t mean anything, to me that’s a great sign heading into the post-season.”

The Stingers will take a trip to the Centre sportif UQAM to square off with the Citadins March 1 at 7 p.m.

Categories
Sports

Concordia men end regular season in style

photo by Almudena Romero

The Concordia Stingers pulled off an 89-85 victory over the Bishop’s Gaiters at home last Saturday evening.

Last season, the Stingers were the bottom dwellers of the division, coming in dead last with a disappointing 4-12 record. What a difference a year makes.

With the victory, the Stingers ended the season with a 12-4 record and clinched the RSEQ division.

The team was lead by guard Decee Krah, who drained four three-pointers on his way to a 20-point night.

“I’ve said before that Decee is one of the best shooters in the country,” said Stingers head coach John Dore. “Every time he shoots the ball it has a chance to go in. In fact, he’s a guy we beg to shoot the ball. He’s made some big shots for us all year long.”

Stingers guard Kyle Desmarais and forwards Evens Laroche and Zach Brisebois also made a significant impact on the game.

photo by Almudena Romero

Laroche chipped in with 12 points and 10 boards and Brisebois added 17 and grabbed eight rebounds of his own. Desmarais contributed 16 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals.

The Stingers looked good in spurts in the game’s first half. They were aggressive on both ends of the floor in first quarter, pouncing on the visitors and taking an early 23-14 lead.

However, in the second quarter, the Stingers’ defensive intensity dropped significantly as they gave up 29 points, more than double the points they had allowed in the first. This allowed the Gaiters to cut the Stingers’ lead to 46-43 at halftime.

In the second half, the Stingers tried to regain control of the game and were successful early on but their intensity gave away again, as Bishop’s was able to out-rebound them and consistently knock down open threes.

Concordia failed to properly close out on Gaiters shooters, allowing them to shoot nine-for-18 from three-point land, good for 50 per cent. Considering the Gaiters usually only make 30.1 per cent of those very shots, that was somewhat significant.

Fortunately, the Stingers were able to weather the storm in the game’s final minutes and came away with a four-point victory.

Concordia heads into the provincial playoffs as the 10th ranked team in the nation.

Dore attributes the drastic turnaround to an overall gain in experience and improved personnel.

photo by Almudena Romero

“We’re a year older, we’re more mature and we’re more experienced,” he said. “We got rid of some players that didn’t fit into with what we trying to do this year and we added players such as Zach Brisebois and Kyle Desmarais on top of the players we already had such as Decee Krah, Evens Laroche and James Clark.”

On another positive note, Desmarais was named to the RSEQ First All-Star Team as well as being voted league co-MVP. Jérôme Turcotte-Routhier from Laval shared the MVP honours with him.

The Stingers take on the UQAM Citadins in the playoff semifinals at home tonight at 7 p.m.

 

Categories
Sports

Weekend of wins puts Concordia in top spot

Evens Laroche evades three Rouge et Or players on his way to the basket. Photo by Faiz Imam

Evens Laroche evades three Rouge et Or players on his way to the basket. Photo by Faiz Imam

How much can happen in just a minute? It’s a saying we often use but don’t usually take to heart.

At the Concordia Gym last Friday night, it took the Stingers and the Laval Rouge et Or “just a minute” to turn what began as a close game into a classic nail-biter.

Evens Laroche, in his first game back after being out with an ankle injury, scored with six seconds left to give the Stingers an 87-85 win.

“I’m at 90 per cent, but I still feel good. It was an important game and I came in and did the best I could,” he said after the game. His best amounted to 14 points and seven rebounds.

Going in, both teams had 9-3 records and each boasted two of the top four scorers in the conference on their roster.

The win put Concordia in a tie with Laval for first place, and after beating UQAM on Saturday night, the Stingers are now in sole possession of first.

“The mood before the game was that it’s a playoff game,” explained Kyle Desmarais, who scored 19 points. “We’ve got to win the rest of our games if we want to finish first.”

Concordia got off to a slow start in the first quarter. Laval had a 19-7 lead when head coach John Dore called a timeout with about five minutes left to play.

What did he say to his team to get them going?

“Focus, calm down a little bit […] they got off to a really good start, and just to tighten up on defence a little, help each other a little bit more and play well together,” he explained.

The Stingers got back into the game and led 22-21 by the end of the first.

Laval took the lead after Étienne Labrecque hit a three-pointer, but Laroche answered back with a three of his own to put Concordia back on top. The Stingers wouldn’t relinquish their lead until seven minutes into the third quarter, when Laval’s Jean-François Beaulieu Maheux made two jump shots in a row, giving them a 57-55 lead.

Laval led for the rest of the third and into the fourth until Stinger Decee Krah, who led the team with 27 points, attempted a three-pointer but missed. He recovered his own rebound, and passed to Morgan Tajfel, who hit his three and tied the game.

Tajfel, who broke his nose last week in a win against UQAM, had to wear a mask to protect his nose.

“The mask kind of impedes my vision but if I’m out there, I’ve got to play the same way,” he explained. “So I was open, took the shot and it went in.”

With 59 seconds left in the game, the Stingers were ahead but Marvin Vebobe, who was fouled by Tajfel, sank one of two shots to make the score 84-83.

After being fouled by Xavier Baribeau, Laroche made one of two shots and gave Concordia back its two-point lead.

Laval, trying to run down the clock, passed back and forth before getting the ball to Beaulieu Maheux, who attempted a three-pointer but missed. Vebobe grabbed the rebound and put it up to tie the game at 85 with six seconds left.

Concordia was awarded possession of the ball at half court. Stinger Jean-Andre Moussignac inbounded the ball to a wide open Laroche, who went for the layup, turned around and watched the ball fall into the net, giving the Stingers an 87-85 lead.

With just three seconds left on the clock, Jérôme Turcotte-Routhier passed across the court to Labrecque, who took a three-point shot that would have won the game for the Rouge et Or.

The crowd erupted into cheers when the shot went just wide.

According to Dore, the plan for the next night’s game against UQAM was to “win,” which they did with a score of 76-66.

Desmarais and Krah led the way once again with 23 and 21 points respectively.

The Rouge et Or have three games left while Concordia has only two, and it may prove to be harder for Laval to get back into first than for Concordia to stay there. Two of their three games are against UQAM, a team that has given them trouble this season.

The Stingers will play McGill, who has beaten them in their last two meetings, for the last time this Saturday, Feb. 19. The game starts at 8 p.m.

Exit mobile version