Gee-Gees 79, Stingers 69: Concordia comeback falls short
Stingers men’s basketball team to play for fifth place at U Sports nationals
The Concordia University men’s basketball team suffered defeat in its first trip to the U Sports National Championship since 2019. Concordia fell to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees by a score of 79-69 on Thursday, March 13 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, B.C.
Stingers guard Alec Phaneuf led all scorers with 19 points, while centre Karam Sahly added 14. Forward Jaheem Joseph scored eight points and 13 rebounds.
In a matchup between the number one seed Gee-Gees and the wild card Stingers, the two teams played their roles to start the game. A stubborn Ottawa defence held Concordia to just eight points on 25 per cent shooting from the field in the first quarter. Ottawa carried that momentum into a 38-22 halftime lead, and the Stingers looked doomed.
However, Concordia roared to life in the third quarter. Phaneuf scored 15 of his points in the frame, leading the charge as the Stingers walked down the Gee-Gees. With just three seconds left in the quarter and Concordia trailing by two, guard Junior Mercy drilled a three-pointer to miraculously put the Stingers ahead 51-50.
Despite the incredible comeback, the Stingers couldn’t close out the match. Gee-Gees forwards Brock Newton and Justin Ndjock-Tadjore combined for 20 points in the frame as Ottawa reclaimed control of the game. Concordia valiantly attempted to claw its way back, but a late avalanche of Gee-Gees free throws buried any attempt for the Stingers to secure an upset.
Newton paced the Gee-Gees with 17 points and Ndjock-Tadjore chipped in 14 of his own. While the Stingers bullied Ottawa on the boards, finishing with 59 rebounds to Ottawa’s 36, Concordia also committed a whopping 24 turnovers, with its self-inflicted wounds contributing to a deflating loss.
Since Concordia was knocked out of championship contention, the Stingers moved to the consolation bracket. They defeated the Bishop’s University Gaiters 81-66 in the consolation semifinal, and will move on to the consolation final against the host University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. The winner will take home a fifth-place finish. Tip-off is set for Saturday, March 15 at 1 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
