Stingers 79, Redbirds 62: Big men beat down McGill rivals
Jaheem Joseph’s 26 points and 15 rebounds cap off Concordia’s win
The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team shut down the rival McGill Redbirds at home 79-62, advancing to a 3-1 record.
“We had a mismatch inside on numerous possessions, that’s why I didn’t like, in the first quarter, when we took too many bad threes,” said Stingers head coach Rastko Popovic. “Once we got inside, our shots got better.”
The opening frame saw Concordia exploit McGill’s shorter roster, allowing the Stingers' frontcourt to bully slashing guards and collect rebounds. Despite closeout defence on both ends of the court, the Redbirds' three three-pointers gave them the slight edge, 17-16, after ten minutes of play.
Coach Popovic’s team grabbed hold of the momentum in the second quarter. Concordia struggled with long-range shooting, as the team made one of ten attempts in the first half. Nevertheless, the Stingers’ stout defence forced seven turnovers in the second quarter. The team’s ten converted field goals for 27 points in the second quarter shot the Stingers out front with a 43-28 lead at halftime.
Notably, the Stingers acquired respectable performances from multiple freshmen players. Forwards Karam Sahly and Bradley Louidon, who had ten and 13 points respectively.
“With the first-year guys, it’s going to be an up and down year,” said Popovic when asked about his freshman class. “I’m playing Karam Sahly and Bradley Louidon at center, which is not an easy position defensively. So, I’m proud of how they’re growing and how they’re improving.”
McGill’s three-point stroke remained intact throughout the third quarter. Redbirds guard Cameron Elliot went two for two from beyond the arc, taking him to 20 points on the day. McGill narrowed the gap but still trailed 58-50.
The Stingers dismantled their opponent in the final frame. Concordia forward Jaheem Joseph capped off an already electric performance by snatching five of his fifteen rebounds and ten of his 26 points in the fourth.
“I came in with the right energy from the start, just trying to go out there and compete and play hard,” said Joseph. Joseph was dealing with a lingering lower-body injury attained after an awkward fall in the first half, but the second-year Stinger brushed off any concern, labelling the injury as just “soreness.”
With phenomenal play in the dying minutes of play, the final buzzer signalled a 79-62 win for Concordia.
Now with three consecutive victories, Concordia will shift their attention to the home court matchup on Nov. 16 against the undefeated Université du Québec à Montreal Citadins. The tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
