Perfect Season Not to Be

Mid-Game Scoring Drought, Fatigue Lead to Loss

Photos by Amanda Laprade

Concordia 52 McGill 57

Concordia’s women’s basketball team will not be finishing the 2011-12 season with a perfect record after dropping the ball in last Saturday’s matchup against the McGill Martlets, falling 57-52.

Both teams started hot from downtown, with Stingers forward Anne-Marie Prophete capitalizing five times from three-point range and Martlet forward Hélène Bibeau hitting four from beyond the arch.

“Today when I hit my first three, I felt confident from then on,” said Bibeau. “We made a statement that we can beat the number one team in the league. However, we will have to work harder if we want to beat them again next week.”

In the first, the Stingers held the fort and stopped McGill’s inside game as guard Tiye Traore and Stingers forward Serginha Estime battled it out in the post positions.

ConU came out the first quarter leading 13-11, and enjoyed success in the second quarter too, leading 19-13 at one point. But a trey from Bibeau, coupled with undisciplined play from the Stingers, allowed for the Martlets to take over and never look back, as taking a 26-23 lead into half time.

“It was an all-around frustrating game,” said Stingers guard Natasha Raposo, who nearly tied the game with a missed three-pointer.

McGill took advantage of Concordia, who struggled to score for a five-minute period in the third. Before long, the Martlets held a 39-31 lead.

Before the Stingers had a chance to play catch-up, their fate was sealed in the fourth when both Bibeau and Martlet guard Marie-Eve Martin each scored three-pointers to put the game out of reach for ConU.

The Stingers made a late offensive surge and would close in with four quick points, but it wasn’t enough. Frustrated, Concordia’s head coach Keith Pruden voiced his concerns to the officials—and was given a technical foul.

Despite the loss, the Stingers saw this game as a blip on the radar screen, and believe they’ll come out on top the next time these two teams face each other.

“We played with great intensity, and there’s no doubt we’ll get them when it matters,” said Raposo.

The Stingers will have their chance to redeem themselves this Saturday when they visit the Martlets 24 hours after paying the Bishop’s University Gaiters a visit. Both games are at 6:00 p.m.