Quick Exit for Concordia

Women’s Basketball Team Is Eliminated From RSEQ Final Four

Stingers guard Kaylah Barrett (left) scored 20 goals in her final game as a Concordia Stinger on Thursday. The Stingers lost 54-47 to the UQAM Citadins in the RSEQ Final 4 Semi-Finals. Photo Julian McKenzie

Smiles were a rarity on the Stingers bench following their 54-47 loss against the UQAM Citadins on Thursday night at Bishop’s University’s Mitchell Gymnasium. The Citadins clinched a berth in the Réseau de sport étudiant Quebec basketball finals with their win, eliminating Concordia from the four-team playoffs.

It was deja-vu for the Stingers, as they were eliminated by the UQAM Citadins in last year’s RSEQ semi-finals, losing 59-48. It was also the final game of Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Canadian Kaylah Barrett’s collegiate career, as she dropped 20 points in a losing effort.

Immediately following the game, Stingers men’s basketball assistant coach, Rastko Popovic, posted a tweet, congratulating the fifth-year player on her career. “Great career by Kaylah Barrett. [One] of the greatest to ever wear a Concordia uniform.” the post read.

The Maroon and Gold had a good start to the game, as forward Marilyse Roy-Viau scored the first six points of the game, and held a 25-23 point lead at the end of the first half.

However, the Citadins found their mojo at the start of the second half. When the Stingers would drop a ball or miss a shot, UQAM would take advantage and score on transition. UQAM scored 31 points and held Concordia to 22 points in the second half.

UQAM’s Jessica Lubin, who recorded a double-double, scoring 21 points and 20 rebounds, was one of the main reasons for their comeback.

The six foot one centre had a big size advantage over a Concordia team that did not have a player over five foot ten on the floor.

As the buzzer marked the end of the game, the score read 54-47 for the UQAM Citadins. The MVP of the semi-final was unsurprisingly Lubin who stood head and shoulders above everyone else.

As for the Citadins, they will now face the number one seeded McGill Martlets on Saturday in the RSEQ Final 4 Championship game.

The winner of this game will represent the conference at the CIS National Championships next weekend at Laval.