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Stingers Victory Puts Them in First Place in RSEQ

SportsDavid Kaufmann — Published February 3, 2013

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team fought hard and it paid off as they defeated the McGill Martlets last Friday for the first time since Nov. 24, and the first time on McGill’s home court since Nov. 10, 2011.

“We played with some composure at the end so it’s a good win for us,” said Stingers head Keith Pruden.

Unlike the teams’ last two meetings, the Stingers put in a four-quarter effort against McGill, in a game where the Martlets lost their cool when it counted most.

“I just think we were undisciplined in some key areas, and they capitalized on it,” said Martlets head coach Ryan Thorne.

This can be said as the Martlets were called for three fouls in the fourth quarter, allowing the Stingers to get six extra points at a time when McGill was just getting back into the game.

Yet it wasn’t just the home team’s errors that paved the way for a Concordia victory.

“Some of our players hit some really big shots on offense, and our defense was really strong at the end,” said Stingers guard Kaylah Barrett, who carried her team with 16 points. The statistics proved as much, as the Stingers sank 43 per cent of their shots in the first half.

But while they distanced themselves from the home team with a 61-45 lead after 30 minutes of play, the Stingers nearly let the game slip out of their hands in the final frame.

“We weren’t being aggressive offensively or defensively so we let them get into a scoring rhythm,” explained Pruden.

The Martlets spent the first five minutes of the fourth quarter encroaching on Concordia’s lead with the help of forwards Mariam Sylla and Helene Bibeau, who had 23 and 17 points each on the night.

But the Stingers weren’t going down without a fight. With the help of Barrett’s four sunken shots from the free throw line and a couple of baskets from guard/forward Tamara Pinard-Devos, the Maroon and Gold were able to eke out of this one with a victory that put them atop of the ranks in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec.

“We normally go 2-2 against McGill, and we know this game really counted to put us in a position for first place, so we’re really excited that we’re back and tied,” said Barrett.

The Stingers road trip continues this Friday with a stop in Lennoxville to take on the Bishop’s University Gaiters. Tipoff is at 6:00 p.m.