Tag: men’s basketball

Categories
Sports

Ole Miss basketball coach: “We just want to play”

ole miss coach
The Concordia Stingers and Ole Miss Rebels tipped off in a preseason game in Montreal on Aug. 6. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

NCAA coaches see little difference between Canada and U.S.

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team hosted three American schools for a series of exhibition games in early August. The Ole Miss Rebels, South Carolina State Bulldogs and the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks — all NCAA Division I teams — made the trip north of the border.

The Ole Miss Rebels, who play in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) — rated by ESPN as the fifth-best conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) — played the Stingers on Aug. 6. Although the Rebels finished the 2017-18 season in last place in the SEC with a 12-20 record, they’re still considered a top team. They made the second round of the men’s national tournament — meaning top 32 teams in the nation — in 2013 and 2015.

Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis said intense games against Canadian opponents is what his team needs. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The Rebels beat the Stingers 84-77, but Concordia nearly pulled off the upset when they led 45-35 at halftime. After the game, Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic said he hates losing, but was still happy with how his players competed.

“We told [the team] before the game, ‘Yeah they’re bigger than us, but size is just size, it doesn’t mean anything when you have heart, effort and energy,’” Popovic said. “It’s satisfying to know we can play with some of the top teams in the NCAA.”

The game against the Rebels, even though it was just the preseason, was high-intensity, with each side pushing hard to win. When The Concordian asked Rebels head coach Kermit Davis on why he decided to bring his team to Canada for a preseason tour he said, “For [competitive] games just like this.”

He also spoke highly of the Stingers. “I have so much respect for guys that play at Concordia,” Davis said. “Some of them worked today, got off work and came to play. They’ve had six practices. They’re privy to all the [facilities] we have in the Southeastern Conference.

“But basketball is basketball, and this is a university sport. Those guys played with a lot of energy and have a great coach,” the Ole Miss coach added. 

The Stingers’ other opponents, the South Carolina State Bulldogs and Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks, each play in the weaker Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) and respectively had 10-22 and 7-24 records last season. The Stingers beat the Bulldogs 80-72 on Aug. 8 and won 82-76 against the Hawks on Aug. 12.

“The basketball up here is very good, there’s a lot of talent north of the border,” said South Carolina State head coach Murray Garvin. “I believe it opened our guys’ eyes to really what it’s about outside of the United States.”

Garvin pointed out to some rule differences between U Sports and the NCAA. Canadian universities play under the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rules, while the NCAA has its own rules. FIBA rules have four quarters of 10 minutes with a 24-second shot clock, while the NCAA has two halves of 20 minutes with a 30-second shot clock. The three-point line is also a half-metre further from the rim in Canada.

“It’s a much faster and [more] physical game under FIBA rules,” Garvin adds. “The offensive game [in Canada] is very different. I think the coaching is second-to-none in terms of how they coach the offensive game.”

“Yes there’s differences,” Popovic said after the win against South Carolina State. “But at the end of the day, once the referee tosses the ball up, it’s just two teams playing basketball.”

The Stingers host the Concordia Classic tournament from Oct. 5 to 7 before starting their season at home against the Laval Rouge et Or on Nov. 8.

Main photo by Mackenzie Lad. With files from Eric Beaudoin.

Categories
Sports

Buzzing with passion and energy

Dvir Cahana had to make sacrifices for his basketball career, including walking to games. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Dvir Cahana balances religion and basketball while cheering on teammates

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team have their very own Energizer bunny by the name of Dvir Cahana.

Anyone who has attended a Stingers basketball game in the last three seasons has probably noticed Cahana hooting and hollering from the bench to pump up the team.

“I try to bring energy to the team when times are difficult,” Cahana said. “It’s hard to keep a high level of energy on the court so when I’m not playing, I try to spark the team to have cohesive unity amongst ourselves.”

Off the court, Cahana maintains that high level of energy. It isn’t out of the ordinary to find him freestyle rapping, dancing or singing around campus whenever he can. It doesn’t take long for him to bring smiles to peoples’ faces.

Born in Göteborg, Sweden, Cahana and his family moved to Canada when he was only five years old. His father is a rabbi, and one of the first jobs his dad was offered was at a synagogue in Montreal.

“We came to Montreal and felt right at home,” Cahana said. “And we’ve been here ever since.”

It was here that Cahana fell in love with the game of basketball. During his early years, Cahana was always known as “the tall kid.” He used his height to his advantage and started playing basketball to make new friends.

With his basketball career coming to an end, Cahana wants to become a rabbi. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Cahana played forward for his high school team, Hebrew Academy, in Côte St-Luc, and when he wasn’t playing for them, he played in several summer leagues. It was at this point when he started to take basketball more seriously.

“The school league is solid, but when I would play in the summer, the top players would be murmuring on the side, ‘You should play the inter-city divisions because there’s stronger competition,’” he said.

Cahana took their advice and joined the inter-city division for the Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA). His decision was met with uncertainty from his family as it led to more challenges than just tougher competition.

“My family wasn’t sure if I could play basketball at that level because, once we get into the inter-city context, I’d have to play games on the Sabbath,” Cahana said. “In order to keep that up, I’d have to walk long distances because, on the Sabbath, we’re not allowed to use electricity [or drive].”

In CEGEP, when he played for the Dawson Blues, Cahana had to walk to far places.

“I’d walk from my house [in the Town of Mount-Royal] to St-Bruno in the south, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue in the west, past Rivières-des-Prairies [in the east],” he said. “I’d [walk around] cities I had never been to like Boston and Albany [for tournaments], and just learn the lay of the land.”

Although this would seem like a daunting task for most people, Cahana said he believes it was a valuable experience in his life.

“It was important for me to figure out how to make sacrifices without impeding on my ethical compass or religious commitments,” he said.

Clearly committed to both basketball and his religion, Cahana worked exceptionally hard to earn a spot on the Concordia men’s team before the 2015-16 season.

A six-foot-three forward, Cahana said he admires NBA players like Matthew Dellavedova, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. Dellavedova is someone who isn’t necessarily the most skilled player on the court, but he brings grit, toughness and earns every opportunity he gets.

Similarly, Cahana works hard for his opportunities. Whether it’s waking up at 5:30 a.m. to walk to practice, or spending six hours alone in the gym developing his three-point shooting ability, he is always trying to get better.

Even more impressive, his presence is still felt when he’s not playing. The ultimate energizer, Cahana takes tremendous pride in supporting his teammates.

“I want others to experience the energy and passion I have for the game,” he said. “It’s not an individual sport where you’re doing everything for yourself. There’s this altruistic aspect where everything you do has a higher purpose for the team.”

Cahana was rewarded for all of his hard work in the team’s final game of the regular season, which was his final game with the Stingers. On Feb. 24, he played 27 minutes, the most of his three-year Stingers career in a 71-59 victory over the Université Laval Rouge et Or.

“It was an amazing feeling to represent the team for that period of time,” Cahana said. “It wasn’t just that I was playing. Every time I did something well, there was a roar in the crowd that was supportive.”

Following the game, he received a lot of positive feedback from teammates and fans.

“People came up to me to tell me that I inspired them,” he said. “That’s the most important thing, being able to influence people and have a positive impact on their lives.”

Cahana said he hopes he can continue to impact others in the foreseeable future. The third-year student is graduating with a major in political science. His goal is to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a rabbi himself.

“The role of a rabbi is a mixture of a parent and a political leader who guides the community. The suffix of that sentence is always ‘for the community,’” he said.

With a clear passion for inspiring others, Cahana seems more than ready to pursue the next chapter of his life.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers drop RSEQ final against Redmen

The Stingers just didn’t have enough firepower to win their first championship since 2012. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

McGill will go into national championship as the #3 seed

Despite fighting their way to their first final since 2012, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team wore silver medals after losing to the McGill Redmen by a score of 98-79 in the championship game of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) playoffs on March 3.

The first quarter was neck and neck, with both teams scoring 21 points. Stingers guard Ricardo Monge put on an offensive display to open up the game, going 3/4 from three-point range and scoring 12 points in the opening quarter alone. McGill did not falter in face of his hot hand, though, and managed to keep up, coming out of the quarter tied.

In the second quarter, the Redmen began to impose their will on the game. Not only did Concordia’s scoring dry up, but McGill used picture-perfect passing at the other end to create open shots, which they couldn’t seem to miss. They shot 8/12 from the field en route to outscoring Concordia 23-12 in the second quarter.

The Redmen dominated rebounds and battles in the paint. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Concordia’s man-to-man defence was inadequate, as the Redmen continuously found open passes. Redmen guard Avery Cadogan was the x-factor in building the lead, as he scored 11 points in the second quarter, and hit all three of his three-point shots. McGill was up at the half 44-33.

Concordia came out in the second half hoping to stagnate McGill’s domination close to the basket. They switched their defence from man-to-man to zone coverage.

This proved to be a mistake, as McGill used their passing to find gaps along the three-point line. McGill made 75 per cent of three-point attempts in the third quarter, while Concordia only hit five of their 15 shooting attempts.

By the end of the third, the Stingers were down 73-50. The fourth quarter was more of the same for the Stingers. McGill’s biggest lead came with seven minutes left in the fourth, when they led by 30 points. McGill won the championship in convincing fashion by a score of 98-79.

The story of this game was McGill’s hot shooting and stifling defence. The Redmen’s shooting percentages were extremely impressive, as they went 57 per cent from the field, 54 per cent from three-point range, and 58 per cent at the free-throw line. No matter which defence the Stingers threw at them, the Redmen adapted their offence and continued to score.

Concordia’s lack of offence is what killed them. Their defence was actually not bad, but it was just one of those nights for McGill’s offence, which was simply on fire. Concordia’s only hope at winning the game was outgunning the Redmen on offence, which they were unable to do.

The Stingers will look for their shot at redemption next year, when they hope to challenge for the championship once again. Meanwhile, the Redmen strengthened their position as a national championship contender. They will play in the U Sports national championship as the third-best team in the nation.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers advance to first basketball final since 2012

The Stingers will now play in their first RSEQ final in six years on Saturday at McGill. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Home-court advantage helps Concordia beat Laval Rouge et Or, 72-63

With the help of a raucous home crowd, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team kept their championship hopes alive by beating the Laval Rouge et Or in the semi-final of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) playoffs with a score of 72-63 on Feb. 28.

The Stingers won their last three regular season games to finish with a record of 11-5, which was good enough to secure second place in the RSEQ, giving them home-court advantage against the Rouge et Or to open up the playoffs. The Stingers beat Laval just four days earlier in an exciting regular-season final, and it seems this momentum carried over to the playoffs.

“I’m very proud of how we stayed composed, focused, disciplined and executed down the stretch,” said head coach Rastko Popovic after the win. “We got the stops when it mattered.”

The Stingers were dominant in the first half, using fluid passing to find open outside shooters, and protecting the rim from any Laval attacker. With five minutes left in the second quarter, Stingers guard Ricardo Monge hit a three-point shot to put Concordia up 16 points, but by the time the buzzer sounded at half, Laval was only down by eight points. The Stingers led 38-30 after two quarters.

Stingers guard Jonathan Koud scored 10 points in the RSEQ semi-final win against the Laval Rouge et Or. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

The Rouge et Or came out with a ton of energy to open the second half, and their fans who made the trip from Québec City to Concordia were becoming increasingly loud as they continued to chip away at the lead. Laval forward Alexandre Leclerc opened up the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, giving the Rouge et Or their first lead of the game, at 55-54.

Concordia remained calm and weathered the storm. With eight minutes left in the game, Monge came up with a steal and then hit shots on back-to-back possessions to give Concordia a lead again. The Stingers defended well enough in the fourth to allow only 11 points, and they scored 18 points to secure the win.

Monge and guard Jonathan Koud, who were both honoured as second-team RSEQ all-stars in a ceremony prior to the game, were extremely impressive on the court. Monge looked noticeably composed throughout the game, despite the hectic environment and frequent momentum swings.

“I came in ready,” Monge said. “I came prepared to the game to do all I had to do to perform.” The fourth-year player finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists to go along with a steal and a block.

Koud struck fear into the hearts of Laval defenders with his quick drives off the dribble, and was effective at creating chances both inside and outside. He finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

Stingers centre Olivier Simon also played well, as Laval had no answer for him close to the basket in the paint. He displayed a wide variety of post moves and finished with a soft touch, scoring 17 points. Simon had a 70 per cent field goal percentage and made all three of his free throws.

The Stingers will play the top-seeded McGill Redmen on Saturday, March 3 at McGill in the RSEQ final. It’s the first time the Stingers play in the final since 2012, when they won.

Simon stressed that having beaten McGill once this year, his team doesn’t fear their top ranking. “It’s war,” he said. “It’s a playoff game, anything can happen.”

Stingers forward Ken Beaulieu was also presented with an all-star honour. He was named to the first all-star team for the third time in his career. Concordia players Anthony Sanogo and Matthis Guerut both took home all-rookie honours.

Main photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Categories
Sports

Stingers set to tip off RSEQ playoffs

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team will face the Laval Rouge et Or in the RSEQ semi-final. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Head coach Rastko Popovic says team needs to forget about past semi-final losses

Any university basketball fan knows the end of February means the start of playoffs. After a long regular season, the best teams battle across the country to determine who will win their conference championship. For an eighth-straight season, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team will compete in the playoffs.

“It’s going to be fun, and we are excited to get to this time of the year,” said head coach Rastko Popovic. “We are looking forward to the challenge.”

The Stingers will host the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) semi-final against the Université Laval Rouge et Or on Feb. 28. The Stingers went 2-2 against the Rouge et Or this season. They lost the first game, 83-66, on Nov. 12 in Quebec City, then lost the second game at home on Jan. 25, before winning the third game two days later on the road, 84-61. On Feb. 24, the Stingers beat the Rouge et Or, 71-59, in their final regular-season game before the playoffs.

“We kind of adjusted what we wanted to do defensively [after] the first game,” Popovic said. “We have to force them to do things they don’t like. They’re not a great shooting team, and we’ve done a good job this year at mixing up some defences versus them.”

The Rouge et Or have three of the top scorers in the RSEQ with Frantson Démosthène, Joël Muamba and Alexandre Leclerc. Popovic said Démosthène scores a lot in the paint, Muamba’s speciality is mid-range shots, while Leclerc could score from three-point range.

The Stingers will eventually have to beat McGill if they want to win the championship. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

“You’re not going to fully stop them because they could put the ball in the basket,” Popovic said. “For us, it’s important to make sure we don’t give Leclerc any open threes, or don’t give Démosthène any offensive rebounds and second-chance points.” The head coach added that limiting those players’ scoring chances is easier said than done.

As for the Stingers, they will need to rely on their veterans to provide offensive scoring. Fifth-year forward Ken Beaulieu, third-year centre Schneiders Suffrard and fourth-year guard Ricardo Monge led the Stingers in scoring this season.

Popovic said Monge, the team’s captain, has consistently worked hard for most of the year. “He does [well] on both ends of the floor every night,” Popovic said. “He often has to guard the best [player] on the other team.”

Popovic added that Beaulieu had a strong second half of the season, improving his rebounding. “We’re going to need Ken to do all the little things to help us win.”

Beaulieu, Monge and Suffrard are the only players on the team who experienced the Stingers’s two semi-final losses in the past two seasons.

In the 2015-16 season, Popovic’s first as head coach, the Stingers had a 10-6 record but lost to the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins, who had a 7-9 record, in the first round. Last season, the Stingers once again had a better record than the Citadins but lost in the do-or-die game.

“Hopefully they’ve learned from those situations,” Popovic said about his team. “Sometimes, you have to go through those situations to learn what’s necessary to win.”

However, Popovic said he will need his players to focus on playing the game against the Rouge et Or, and forget about the past.

“The team that makes the least mistakes is going to win the game,” Popovic said. “We have to follow our game plan and really understand what’s necessary to beat Laval.”

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

The value of versatility

Ken Beaulieu is in his fourth and final season as a member of the Concordia Stingers. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Graduating forward Ken Beaulieu describes himself as an unselfish player

A basketball player capable of performing every aspect of the game, and doing so admirably, is hard to come by. Most players tend to specialize in one or two areas—some are dominating rebounders and defenders, others excel at the three-point shot, and some are gifted at playmaking and setting up teammates.

Rarely does a player come along who can seemingly do it all, and this type of versatility has established Ken Beaulieu, a forward on the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team, as a star and a leader.

Ken Beaulieu is known for his dunking. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

When asked about his adaptability, Beaulieu came off as a highly coachable and open-minded player. “In my second year, I was scoring more, but this year my coaches want me to focus more on defence and rebounding, so I’ve been working more on that,” said Beaulieu, a fourth-year player.

Beaulieu’s aptitude for all aspects of basketball helped him become one of the most heavily-recruited players coming out of CEGEP in 2014. After being named a first-team all-star in 2014 playing for Cégep Édouard-Montpetit in his hometown of Longueuil, almost every team in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) was after Beaulieu. This forced him to choose between Université de Laval, Bishop’s, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Concordia.

Beaulieu said his admiration for the coaching style of former coach John Dore, whom he only played under for his first year, influenced his decision to play for the Stingers. Current head coach Rastko Popovic was an assistant under Dore, which helped make Popovic’s transition to head coach in 2015 easy for Beaulieu.

Beaulieu is certainly making it look easy, as his name is all over the RSEQ individual stats leaderboards this season. He ranks seventh in the conference in scoring at 12.5 points per game, third in rebounding with 7.7 per game, sixth in steals with 1.7 per game and seventh in assists with 2.4 per game. He has achieved these numbers while shooting at an impressive 61 field goal percentage. These stats illustrate just how multi-dimensional he is, while also being extremely efficient.

His athleticism permits him to be all over the place on the court.

One of the challenges that comes with being capable in every facet of the game is that, as a player, he doesn’t always get to utilize all his talents.

Ken Beaulieu said he is not a vocal leader, but would rather lead by example. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“My coaches right now want me to drive the basket a lot more this season, to get layups and post up, so my shot has gotten worse because I don’t practice it as much,” Beaulieu said. “It can be frustrating.”

Beaulieu said his mid-range shot is currently “nowhere to be found” and that he takes considerably fewer three-point shots, which has made his shooting a little rusty. Yet, this does not create tension between Beaulieu and his coaches, as he is happy to do whatever is asked of him.

“I’m not a selfish player. I don’t come in looking to score 30 a night; some nights it’s more about rebounding and defence,” Beaulieu said. He added how much he trusts his teammates, which makes passing a pleasure for him. “If you’re on my team and you’re open, I don’t care who you are, I’m passing the ball.”

Beaulieu said when he misses his first couple of shots, it can ruin his momentum for the whole game and affect him mentally. He was quick to acknowledge this is the biggest hurdle he is working to overcome.

“The mental [aspect] is something I’ve struggled with probably my whole career,” Beaulieu said.

Although he is not very vocal, Beaulieu is aware of his responsibility to lead his team by example. He sees a correlation between his energy and his team’s, which is why he wants to stay positive around the team on and off the court. When asked how he’s attempting to improve his mentality, Beaulieu said he reminds himself of two words he hears from his teammates and coaches all the time: “next play.”

“When you miss a shot, you can’t take it back. All you can do is focus on what’s next,” he said.

Beaulieu hopes what comes next is success in the playoffs, where he said he thinks the Stingers have a good chance of winning the championship. “We’ve beat every other team [in the conference] so far, so we know we can win,” he said.

Recently, Beaulieu was named the Concordia male athlete of the week. His performances against the UQAM Citadins on Feb. 1 and 3 helped the Stingers sweep a two-game series. He had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds in the first game, and was one point shy of another double-double in the second. These impressive stat sheets Beaulieu continues to produce prove why he is the Stingers’s human Swiss army knife, and why they love having him in their back pocket.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers split basketball doubleheader against McGill

Stingers guard Caroline Task attempts to make a shot against the McGill Martlets on Feb. 10. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Women’s team breaks eight-game losing streak, while the men drop the ball

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team clinched a tight win to break an eight-game losing streak, while the men’s team failed to keep up in the basketball doubleheader against McGill on Feb. 10. The women won 67-62, and the men lost 86-63.

Women’s Game

After finishing the first quarter leading 14-11, the Stingers kept their lead for most of the game. The team held on against a tenacious Martlets squad that nipped at their heels until the final buzzer, including a 25-point fourth quarter.

The first quarter was a good team effort for both sides in terms of scoring. In the second, however, Stingers guard Caroline Task claimed the lead for the Stingers, putting up 10 points. McGill only managed to sink eight points in response to Concordia’s 20 by the end of the second quarter, making the score 34-19 for the Stingers at halftime.

The Stingers extended their lead to 53-37 in the third quarter with Task putting up seven points and guard Sabrina Stambouli scoring six.

In the final quarter, the Martlets tried to stage a late comeback, with Alex Kiss-Rusk scoring eight out of the 25 points McGill claimed in the fourth. Stingers guard Jazlin Barker and forward Coralie Dumont carried Concordia over the finish line, scoring seven points a piece in the fourth to help the hosts secure their victory.

Concordia’s #7 Garry Merisier goes for a dunk against the McGill Redmen. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Men’s Game

McGill took an early lead in the first quarter with all five starting players getting at least two points, and three of them scoring four or more. Forward Francois Bourque scored six for the Redmen.

Stingers guard Jonathan Koud lead Concordia in scoring in the first quarter, putting up nine points to help keep the score close. The high-scoring first quarter ended 27-21 in favour of McGill.

The Redmen extended their lead in the second, with guards Alex Paquin and Dele Ogundokun scoring eight and seven points, respectively. Stingers forward Schneiders Suffrard scored seven points in the second quarter, but it wasn’t enough for a comeback, as the Redmen led 53-39 at halftime.

Scoring was more even in the third quarter with Concordia scoring 14 points and McGill scoring 13, but the Redmen still had a 66-53 lead.

Concordia ran out of steam in the fourth quarter, only managing to put up 10 points against McGill’s 20. Veteran forward Ken Beaulieu only managed to put up two points for the Stingers in the fourth quarter.

The women’s team improved to a 4-9 record, while the men’s team remains in second place in the division with an 8-5 record. The next game for both teams is on Feb. 15 away against the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers drop doubleheader at home against McGill

Concordia Stingers guard Ken Beaulieu dunks against the McGill Redmen on Jan. 11. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Women lose halftime lead, while men fall short in tight game

The new year has yet to be good to Concordia’s basketball teams, as the Stingers lost both games in their doubleheader at home against McGill on Jan. 11.

Women’s game

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team lost to the McGill Martlets by a score of 70-55. The game was tight in the first half, going back and forth with not much ground given on either side. Concordia went into halftime leading 34-31.

In the second half, the Martlets erased the deficit and slowly built up their lead. When asked about the most prominent factor in losing this game, head coach Tenicha Gittens was critical of her team’s rebounding effort. “We have to be better on the boards,” she said, adding that they have to “find a body and box out.”

The Martlets won the game by out-hustling the Stingers on rebounds, especially at the offensive end, where they secured 19 offensive rebounds, many of which led to second-chance points. Gittens explained that, when her players don’t secure rebounds, it makes it tough for them to get in transition and use their speed, limiting most of their offensive talent.

Guard Aurelie d’Anjou Drouin led the team in scoring with 10 points coming off the bench, while guards Caroline Task and Sabrina Stambouli each scored nine points.

Forward Marvia Dean shoots a free-throw against the McGill Martlets on Jan. 11. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Men’s game

The men’s team played the second game of the doubleheader, and again weren’t able to stop McGill, as they lost to the Redmen by a score of 88-81.

The game was back and forth to say the least, with eight lead changes and four ties throughout. The Stingers looked best in the first half when, at one point, they were leading by 13 points. Eventually, McGill began to pressure the Stingers in Concordia’s half of the court, hoping to create turnovers and close the gap. The plan worked. Soon enough, Concordia’s lead was gone, and they were instead playing catch-up.

Guard Ken Beaulieu made a valiant effort to help the Stingers complete a comeback, leading the team with 24 points—14 coming in the fourth quarter alone—and adding seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.

The Redmen were proficient in the paint, scoring 52 points within close range, compared to 38 from the Stingers. The abundance of high percentage shots and a couple of timely threes by guard Dele Ogundokun of the Redmen in the fourth were enough to put the nail in Concordia’s proverbial coffin.

Both Concordia Stingers basketball teams will get their shot at redemption against McGill. They play a doubleheader at McGill on Jan. 13, with the women playing at 4 p.m. and the men at 6 p.m.

Categories
Sports

A basketball career taking him around the world

Dwight Walton joined the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team this season as an assistant coach. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Men’s team assistant coach Dwight Walton shares his road to success

Montreal native Dwight Walton loves football, The Flintstones and Tony Romo’s broadcasting skills. However, nothing competes with his passion for basketball.

Walton is a former professional basketball player and a former member of the Canadian Olympic team. He is also an assistant coach for the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team.

From a young age, Walton knew what he wanted to do with his life. “Since I was seven years old, I knew I was going to be a professional athlete” he said.

Walton grew up playing hockey and baseball before picking up basketball in high school. His love for basketball came from his brother, and has blossomed ever since the eighth grade.

After attending Wagar High School in Côte St-Luc, Walton played for the Dawson Blues basketball team in CEGEP, where he received All-Canadian honours. His talent earned him the opportunity to play for a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I team. He played for Siena College in Albany, N.Y., but transferred after one year to the NCAA Division II Florida Institute of Technology, where he would eventually become a three-time All-American.

In 1986, Walton joined the Canadian men’s national team, and two years later, he competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Canada finished in sixth place in the basketball tournament.

“To this day, [representing Canada] is my proudest and most cherished accomplishment as an athlete,” Walton said. “I am not a braggadocios person. I am well aware of all my accomplishments, but to be recognized as one of the best that Canada’s ever had will definitely go down as my best accomplishment.”

In addition to playing for the national team, Walton maintained a 10-year professional basketball career in Switzerland and Israel. He attributes part of his successful career to his professionalism.

“I took pride in myself being a professional,” Walton said. “Because of my character off the court, that’s why I maintained a good, 10-year career.”

According to Walton, his work ethic was also a factor in his long playing career. “If you want to get to that next level, you have to have that special quality where your work ethic is second to none.”

That attitude made him an ideal fit for Concordia. On Oct. 15, the Stingers announced that Walton would be joining the men’s team as an assistant coach. Walton said his experience has been very good so far and that “as long as [head coach] Rastko Popovic wants me here, I will continue to be around and to do my best, as well as I can.”

So far, the addition of Walton has paid dividends for the Stingers. The team is off to a 3-1 start after defeating rival McGill Redmen 70-58 on Nov. 18. They beat the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins 82-66 on Nov. 25, and return to regular-season play on Jan. 11.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers basketball teams dominate Gaiters in home opener

Stingers forward Ken Beaulieu dunks the ball in front of a mural of himself. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Aurélie d’Anjou Drouin, Ricardo Monge finish as leading scorers in their games

The Concordia Stingers men’s and women’s basketball teams opened up the regular season at home on Nov. 9, and both came away with wins against the Bishop’s Gaiters. The women won 82-59, and the men won 88-71.

Women’s basketball

The women’s team set the tone for a winning season this year. It was a tight first quarter, ending with the Stingers up 19-18, but that was the last time the score was close. Guards Caroline Task and Aurélie d’Anjou Drouin got off to very hot starts, both scoring early and often. Task finished the game with 26 points, and d’Anjou Drouin scored 30 points.

On the other end of the court, the team’s defence was ferocious, forcing the Gaiters into a total of 20 turnovers. Forward Ashley Moss led the way on the defensive end, finishing the game with 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.

By the end of the first half, the Stingers were up 45-40. Task and d’Anjou Drouin continued their strong performances in the third quarter, and were able to stretch the lead to as much as 36 points. The Stingers ended up beating the Gaiters by a score of 82-59.

Guard Caroline Task looks for an in-bound pass in the Stingers home-opener on Nov. 9. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

It felt good to come out with a bang,” said Task after the game. “We trained all summer, and it’s good to see hard work pay off.” When asked about her individual performance, she kept it simple: “My shot was dropping, and I had a lot of energy.”

In addition to her 26 points, Task had two rebounds, three assists and four steals. Along with d’Anjou Drouin, Jazlin Barker was the third guard to hit double digits with 13 points. It was an all-around dominant performance for the women’s team, one they can build on moving forward.

 

Men’s basketball

The first half of the men’s game was a dogfight, with the Stingers and Gaiters matching each other on every possession. It was a gritty, low-scoring half which ended tied at 33.

In the second half, the Stingers really kicked into gear. Midway through the third quarter, they began putting tremendous pressure on the Gaiters, creating steals and defending their basket to generate blocks. Six of Bishop’s 15 turnovers came in the third quarter alone.

The Stingers defensive pressure led to the play of the game, when Concordia forward Ken Beaulieu soared to catch an alley-oop pass from guard Nicholas Noble, and threw it down for a reckless slam dunk. This put the Stingers up by 12, and seemed to kill whatever drive the Gaiters had left.
The dynamic defensive play by the Stingers guards is what sparked their offence. Guard Ricardo Monge played a very efficient game offensively, as he went 3/4 in three-point shooting, and finished with a team-leading 23 points. Guard Jonathan Koud scored 19 points coming off the bench, and was a nightmare for Gaiters defenders, using his speed to attack the rim. Stingers forward Olivier Simon and Noble each scored 10 points.
The Stingers men’s and women’s teams will be going on the road to take on the Laval Rouge et Or on Nov. 12.

Categories
Sports

Stingers basketball teams successful in Concordia Classic tournament

Guard Caroline Task drives towards the basket in a game against the UPEI Panthers on Oct. 6. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Women’s team wins tournament with 3-0 record, while men’s team finishes second with 2-1 record

The Concordia Classic Basketball Tournament, which ran from Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, was a success for the Concordia Stingers. The Stingers host the pre-season tournament every year, and this year, six schools sent teams to play in the men’s and women’s tournaments. The Stingers women’s team won the tournament with a 3-0 record, while the men’s team finished in second place with a 2-1 record.

Women’s Team
Forward Ashley Moss, who missed the entire season last year with a knee injury, was named MVP of the tournament. She averaged nine points and 11 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of 59 per cent.

Guards Caroline Task and Jazlin Barker were named tournament All-Stars. Task led the team in scoring throughout the tournament, averaging 14.7 points per game. Barker had a dominating performance in their final game against Toronto, stuffing the stat sheet with 21 points, seven assists, three rebounds and five steals.

The tournament opener for the women was against the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) Panthers. This game had a quick start with the Stingers outscoring the Panthers 30-25. From there, Concordia did not let go of the lead and won with a final score of 60-53.

Rookie forward Coralie Dumont looks for a pass against the UPEI Panthers on Oct. 6. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The Stingers’ second game was against the Algoma Thunderbirds, which they won in dominant fashion, 80-38. After the first quarter, the Stingers led 18-3, and by the end of the third quarter they were up by 23. They played well the entire game but especially in the fourth quarter. Everything seemed to be working for them offensively in transition, and their hustle was clear. The Stingers dove for loose balls, caused jump balls and forced turnovers with stout defence. It was a coming-out party for rookie guard Coralie Dumont, as she had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

The final game of the tournament was against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. Barker stole the show with her 21 points and secured the tournament win. Moss was also instrumental in this win, as she had 10 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocks. Thanks to these strong performances, the Stingers won the game, 73-64.

Men’s Team

The Stingers opened the tournament against the Regina Rams with a convincing 92-74 victory. Concordia’s offence was extremely well balanced, as five players had more than 10 points each. Point guard Ricardo Monge had 16 points and seven assists. Six-foot-seven forward Olivier Simon also had a strong showing, putting up 15 points, grabbing seven rebounds and adding two blocks.
Their second game came against a very strong opponent, Halifax’s Dalhousie Tigers, who finished last season with a record of 16-4. After the first quarter, the game was tied at 16. In the second quarter, the Stingers were able to grab a seven-point lead, but an aggressive half-court press by Dalhousie trimmed that lead to two by halftime.

The second half was a back-and-forth affair, with the lead changing hands on several occasions. Concordia was in the lead for most of the game, but Dalhousie continued to turn to the half-court press to apply pressure and force turnovers. Then, down by two points with 18 seconds left in the game, Dalhousie’s Alex Carson hit a dagger three-point shot to put them up by one. Concordia had time for one more shot but unfortunately missed. They lost a hard fought battle, 72-70.
The third and final game of the tournament for the men’s team came against the York Lions. The Stingers won the game, 85-80. The win was due in no small part to the hot start Concordia got off to, outscoring York 27-14 in the first quarter.

Forward Olivier Simon shoots a free throw against the Regina Rams on Oct. 6. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The Stingers were actually outscored in each of the following three quarters by a total of eight points. However, York’s comeback was clearly not enough to erase the 13-point deficit created in the first quarter. The Stingers offence was incredibly well balanced again, with five players scoring in the double digits. Guard Jonathan Koud led his team with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Two Stingers were named tournament All-Stars: Koud and forward/guard Ken Beaulieu. Koud led the team in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. Beaulieu was an outstanding sixth man, averaging an even 15 points per game coming off the bench. He provided huge boosts for his team throughout the tournament.

The women’s team plays various pre-season games for the rest of October before starting their season Nov. 9 in a home game against the Bishop’s Gaiters. The men’s team plays in a pre-season tournament at Queen’s University from Oct. 13 to 15, before starting their season Nov. 9 at home against the Bishop’s Gaiters.

Main photo by Alex Hutchins.

Categories
Sports

Stingers host six American schools in exhibition games

IMG_8962_AHutchins: Ricardo Mongue dribbles towards the basket in preseason action against the University of New Hampshire. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Head coach Rastko Popovic looks to evaluate young talent with preseason series

For the second year in a row, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team will host NCAA Division 1 teams in a series of exhibition games. The Stingers tip off their preseason with six games from Aug. 21 to Sept. 1.

For Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic, the exhibition series is an opportunity to prepare the team for their upcoming season, which starts in November.

“It gives us the chance to play some early games,” he said. “It gives us the chance to get some extra reps in, watch some extra video and give our young guys a chance to play a lot in games.”

New York’s Canisius Griffins, Hofstra Pride, St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers and Siena Saints, Boston’s Northeastern Huskies, and the New Hampshire Wildcats will make the trip to play at Concordia.

Like in every preseason, Popovic’s goal is to evaluate how some of his younger and newer players will integrate with the team. After last year’s five-game exhibition series against NCAA teams — which saw the Stingers win three games —  he noted some young players were able to contribute more offensively and defensively when the season started.

“If they get on the floor and they’re not nervous and they’re able to do things, it shows they are able to play under pressure early in a season,” he said.

Adrian Armstrong looks for a teammate in a preseason game against the University of New Hampshire. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Popovic, who is set to begin his third season as head coach, has four new players joining the team. Oge Nwoko, Michel Hakizimana and Mattis Gueret are first-year players, while Jonathan Koud becomes a Stinger after transferring from Northwest Junior College in Wyoming.

“It’s important for them to get some meaningful playing time so that they gain some valuable experience,” Popovic added.

While he is particularly focused on testing out the rookies, Popovic said it’s also important for the veterans to play in the exhibition series. He wants to see how his returning players improved over the summer, and how his team plays as a unit.

In addition, Popovic said the preseason games will allow him to scope out the Stingers’ strengths, particularly because they will be playing against strong teams.

“There’s a good chance the games will be competitive,” Popovic said, adding that Canadian university teams are finally able to play at the same level as some American teams. “There’s a good chance there are some games [the NCAA teams] won’t win.”

Popovic was a shooting guard during the 2005-06 season, when the Stingers were decimated 123-66 during an away game against the Duke Blue Devils — a top NCAA powerhouse. Over a decade later, though, his Stingers are now capable of beating other NCAA teams, as they proved with their three wins during the preseason series last year. This shows the growth of the men’s basketball program at Concordia and of the sport in Canada as a whole, since many teams now have the skill level to compete with American teams. The Carleton Ravens, for example, recently beat the Alabama Crimson Tide, a top American basketball team, 84-71.

“I think it’s good for U Sports basketball because it shows we can compete with these Division 1 teams,” Popovic said, adding that, “For people who want to see what our team will look like, it’s a good opportunity to come and watch some basketball.”

So far in the series, the Stingers have suffered three defeats: 82-69 against Canisius, 75-45 against Northeastern and 94-81 against New Hampshire.

They play against the St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers on Aug. 29, against Siena on Aug. 31 and finish the preseason against Hofstra on Sept. 1.

Exit mobile version