Citadins 79, Stingers 69: Men’s Basketball Team Experience Sixth Consecutive Loss

Stinger’s Efforts not Enough as They Lose to UQAM Citadins

SportsJacob Ohanian — Published February 1, 2023 2 minutes

After Concordia extended their lead to 12-2 by minute four, the Citadins clawed their way back quickly by scoring 16 points in the next four minutes. After a big three by guard Samuel Cayo, the Citadins reclaimed the lead. They held the lead for the rest of the game. 

“We held them to 33 points in the second half which is pretty good for a team that’s this good,” said Stingers head coach Rastko Popovich after the game. “We competed with them even though we’re short handed, so I’m very pleased with our effort.” Given that UQAM is first place in the Réseau du Sport étudiant du Québec standings, the Stinger’s efforts on defense really showed what the team is truly capable of. “Overall, I am pleased with how we played for about 35 minutes, I didn't like the last five minutes of the first quarter when they had a little bit of a run.” 

In the second quarter, both teams seemed evenly competitive and hungry for buckets. However, UQAM would eventually outscore Concordia in the second frame by just three points. 

The third quarter saw the Stingers come alive, out scoring the Citadins 18-13, highlighted by the consistency of Joseph’s shooting ability and the potency of Concordia’s defense. Despite the freshman forward’s best efforts, the Citadins entered the fourth quarter up 59-52. UQAM sealed the victory when they eventually pulled away, winning 79-69.

With the team down multiple players, Joseph came up huge for the Stingers. In 40 minutes he racked up 29 points with three rebounds and two assists. “I think I did good, but it could have been better,” said Joseph. “My free-throws down the stretch would have helped the team more,  but I think I did good.”

 “If we can take this to the next three games against McGill, I think we can salvage our season and finish on a strong note,” said Popovich. 

The Stingers losing streak now extends to six games. With playoff hopes, the team aims to put these recent losses behind them and focus on the next games coming up. With four more games left in the season, the team is looking forward to using their bye week to rest, recover and prepare for three consecutive games against McGill. The next game will be played at Love Competition Hall on Feb. 9 at 8 p.m.