Men's basketball: Stingers overcome 10 point deficit to punch their ticket to FInal 8

Last week, after a game that saw them open up a 19-4 lead in their semi-final against McGill, Concordia Stingers centre Jamal Gallier told me that's the way they like it because it makes it easier for them the rest of the way.

Their Quebec championship win, 79-76 over UQAM, was not easy. The Citadins came out shooting. They shot 80% in the first quarter, 56% in the first half and took a 46-36 halftime lead. UQAM took a 7-0 lead to start the game.

The Stingers started the third quarter once again a little bit slow. Concordia trailed by 12 early in the quarter, 51-39. Then Concordia started to turn it around with defence. The Stingers used a 14-1 run to cut the gap to 52-51, and finally took the lead 56-54 on two free throws from freshman big man Evens Laroche. UQAM kept fighting back. Souleyman (Jules) Diagne had an outstanding game and led both teams with 30 points. He scored back-to-back baskets in the fourth quarter to give UQAM a 71-69 lead with five minutes remaining.

Concordia took the lead for good with a Decee Krah basket with 1:40 left. UQAM cut the lead to 77-76, but two big free throws by Laroche after a key offensive rebound with under a minute left made the game the 79-76 final.

Laroche had a huge game. He was 11/12 from the field, 6/6 from the line for 28 points and had six rebounds - all on the offensive glass.

Damian Buckley had 21 points and 11 assists, while Gallier and Dwayne Buckley had relatively quiet nights. Gallier had 6 points, 4 rebounds while the older Buckley had 8 and 4.

For UQAM, besides Diagne, had solid games from Adil El Makssoud who had 17 points, three assists and five rebounds. Gregory Saint-Amand had 13 points and 6 rebounds.

The Stingers will be the only Quebec representative at the Final 8 and my best guess is that they will be in the 4-5 game in the first round.
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5 comments:

  1. My best guess is that they will be the 7th or 8 seed in the first round.

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  2. And what do you base that on?

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  3. It will be interesting to see the final seeding. I base 4-5 on this: I see Carleton, UBC and Calgary as the only locks ahead of Concordia.

    If you consider Ottawa (assuming the get past Windsor) at 4, that leaves the AUS champ, Concordia, Western and the wild card team. Concordia has beat St. FX, and have won eight straight games, six of which have come against the same team in back-to-back days.

    I think Concordia could get to the 4. The Quebec conference is stronger than people give it credit for.

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  4. Quebec is indeed stronger than people give it credit for (and Ottawa not as strong as people give them credit for).

    McGill (yes 5-11 McGill) beat Ottawa in the nation's captial in a fall tourney (they beat Western too).

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  5. Concordia can't be seed any lower than 6th...that's pretty much the rule for a conference champ.
    McGill looked pretty good early in the year, but faded badly as the season progressed.
    When Ottawa played McGill they were without Josh Wright and at that point of the season were not playing particularly well.
    It's hard to judge the Q because interconference play is more infrequent.
    But one stat is is irrefutable....in the 40+ year history of the national tournament Quebec has won the championship only twice.
    I don't see Quebec adding a third this time.

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