Swarming the Redmen
The Stingers Edge Out the Redmen in their Final Home Game of the Season
Trailing by four heading into the fourth quarter, the Concordia Stingers rallied to beat their longtime rival, the McGill Redmen, 69-61 on Saturday afternoon, clinching their ticket to the postseason.
The Stingers found themselves losing 47-44 going into the fourth after a fast-paced, back-and-forth first 30 minutes. Third-year forward Michael Fosu scored six of his 17 points early in the quarter as momentum began to shift in Concordia’s favour.
“I knew in the fourth quarter we needed baskets,” said Fosu. “I took it upon myself and I put myself in position to score.”
Concordia tied the score at 53 with 6:57 remaining with a clutch three pointer from forward Ken Beaulieu. The Stingers went on to outscore the Redmen 16-8 in the final minutes to pull out the victory on their home court.
“We could have easily folded. We’re still a young team and we’re still growing and getting better every game,” said head coach John Dore. “We played terrific defense in the fourth quarter and we got the ball to people we needed down the stretch.”
Playing in the final home game of his university career, fifth-year senior Mukiya Post did not disappoint the Concordia faithful, scoring a game high 22 points with 5 coming in the fourth to help lead his team to victory.
“We held it together as a team,” said Post. “We could have easily rolled over at any point, especially when [McGill] made their comebacks.”
Saturday also marked the final home game for Dore. Prior to tip-off, there was a small ceremony to honour the head coach after a 26-year career that saw his team reach the national championship tournament ten times and win it all in 1990.
His smile stretching from ear to ear, Dore said he was happy about getting the win in his last home game. “It’s nice,” he said. “I appreciate the guys and the effort they put out.”
“It means a lot [to get the win]. It’s coach’s last game after 26 years [and] that’s a big deal,” said Post. “I’m very happy to get the win and end on a high note.”
The Stingers conclude their regular season on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. against the UQAM Citadins.