Bishop’s goes 3-1 vs. Concordia

Coming off last weekend’s tough losses, both teams came up short by just a few points. The Gaiters entered the new week with a bitter taste in their mouths, hungry and motivated to get back in the winning column. The game against the Concordia Stingers was set to be a prime opportunity to regain some confidence and momentum, since each game becomes more critical heading towards the playoffs.

For the women, this was a chance to remind the league of their ability to dominate, and for the men, to show that although they got off to a slow start, they are more than capable of making some noise in the second half of the season.

Thursday, in the first matchup of the two-game series, the game got off to a slow start, both teams struggling to find the bottom of the basket. After the first quarter it seemed as if the tale of the tape would be a scrappy and defensive battle. Though, as the game transpired, both teams picked up the pace and found their offensive groove going into the half with Concordia leading only 2928.

The Stingers started the second half ferociously, gaining a considerable lead in the third quarter, at one point leading by as much as 10 points. Despite this, the Gaiters’ energy and focus never wavered.

The women stayed locked in and took control of the game down the stretch, outscoring the Stingers by 10 in the final period and escaping with a 4-point win. Amaiquen Siciliano and Jael Kabunda provided the majority of the scoring, combining for 50 points on efficient shooting at all three levels. Jennifer Louis and Katerina Stoupas both contributed strong efforts as well, both nearing double-doubles.

The men followed at 8 p.m., eager to leave Montreal with two wins for the programs. The boys started the first half slow and were out-competed by a poised Concordia team, strong contenders in Quebec in the season so far. Going into the second half down 12, the Gaiters needed to take control, and quickly.

They entered the second half with urgency, attention to detail, and a doglike mentality that took the Stingers by surprise, turning the game around with speed and efficiency. Bishop’s took the lead late in the final period of regulation, and in the last seconds were able to get a critical stop to force overtime. The following events were as unexpected as ever.

The game saw three overtime periods, a rarity in any sport and certainly the criteria for a suspenseful and exciting match the whole way through.

Key plays included a big-time shot by Zachary John to force the second overtime. This shot, as well as timely baskets and lock-down defense down the stretch by Carl Dubois, solidified the win for the Gaiters by a final score of 98-94. here at Bishop’s wants. The club spoke to everyone about upcoming events and surprised the crowd with unveiling new merchandise. This gave the spectators and participants a chance to get their hands on some new and exclusive BU Snow merch.

Head Coach Matt McLean said that the key to turning the game around was “to get back to what we do best: battling for rebounds, competing on defense, and getting the ball inside.” Charles Robert had a career-high 36 points and 15 rebounds, playing the entire game and registering an unheard-of 55 minutes of playing time. Étienne Gagnon was also a big player with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

In the second game of the week’s series, Concordia’s women arrived in Lennoxville with chips on their shoulders. The Gaiters, unsure of what hit them, found themselves in a 26-point deficit, struggling to finish and hit shots that they have become accustomed to hitting.

A strong response in the third quarter held the Stingers to just 2 points, and continued control for the rest of the game, but it still was not enough to come back. The Gaiters came up just 4 points short of coming out with a win despite a valiant effort, and big rebounding performances from Jael Kabunda (23 points and 13 rebounds), and Katerina Stoupas (11 points and 10 rebounds). The women finished the week 1-1, now 7-2 on the regular season, and ranked ninth nationally.

Those who were not able to attend lost out on the opportunity to buy this round of merchandise, but stay tuned for the new merch coming your way during the Winterfest festivities. Also, remember to check up on the BU Snow socials (@ bu_snow), as well as the SRC socials (@bu_src) on Instagram for news on this year’s Winterfest on Feb. 11 and other upcoming events throughout the semester.

The men, eager to prove themselves once again, playing with no time to waste, took control from the tip and found themselves in the second quarter with an 11-point lead. Feeding off the home crowd’s energy, which continued to stoke the fire, they extended the lead to 21 points entering the fourth. Some late mistakes in the final minutes during a last-ditch push by Concordia had the Gaiters on their heels, but the large lead they had held the entire game gave them the cushion and breathing room to cruise to victory, giving them their second win in a row. Zachary John distributed the ball well, totaling nine assists in the game. Charles and Étienne combined for 42 points and 22 rebounds. The pair are proving to become a frontcourt to be reckoned with and look to keep their hot streak going into an important matchup Saturday, Jan. 28 against Laval in Mitchell Gym.

Christina Lépine, Features Editor » thecampus.features@gmail.com