REGULAR SEASON
| Laval | 13-3 | 17-4 | Jacques Paiement | ||
| Concordia | 9-7 | 11-9 | John Dore | ||
| UQAM | 8-8 | 13-13 | Olga Hrycak | ||
| McGill | 8-8 | 15-16 | Craig Norman | ||
| Bishop’s | 2-14 | 6-19 | Eddie Pomykala | ||
In the regular season, Laval finished atop the standings with a (13-3) record.
Non-qualifier Bishop’s Gaiters: Emmanuel Jr Nicholas, Andrew Wright, David Joseph, Rob Findlay, Tim McAleenan, Hermon Tesfaghebriel, Josh Crone, Jordan Winnett, Kevin Selman, Doug McCooeye, Benjamin Guay, Damon Thomas Anderson, Cam Mowat, coach Eddie Pomykala, assistant Brian Forsythe, assistant David Guay
In the semis, Concordia edged the UQAM Citadins 80-77 as point guard Damian Buckley dominated the floor. The Stingers blew an early third-quarter 8-point lead to fall behind 74-70 with 5 minutes left until Buckley took over, scoring most of his 10 second half points down the stretch including a steal and “and 1” with about 2 minutes remaining to give the Stingers the lead for good. The Citadins got a tremendous effort from 6’3” Joseph Atangana, blocking 5 shots and slamming home a pair of dunks including a freakishly athletic play in which he caught the ball with his back to the basket in the low post going away from the rim but somehow immediately rose up and slammed it with 2 hands over his head, leaving the overflow crowd in disbelief. Concordia led by five at halftime and then started the third quarter on a 5-2 run before 6’4” Mario Joseph started a big UQAM run with a clutch 3 pointer which energized the Citadins. UQAM then began creating turnovers and getting out in transition for easy scores. When Concordia coach John Dore tried a zone, the Citadins were able to get the ball inside at will. But then Buckley went to work to save the Stingers. Damian Buckley paced the Stingers with 30 on 10-21 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 7-8 from the line, 5 boards, 6 assists and 2 blocks. Jamal Gallier added 18 on 8-11 from the floor, 2-6 from the line, 10 boards and 2 blocks. Levi Vann notched 9 on 3-5 from the arc. Decee Krah added 8 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-3 from the line and 4 assists. Andre Johnny notched 6 on 3-7 from the floor and 8 boards. James Clark added 4, Pierre Thompson 3 and Sebastien Martin 2, while Desmond Murphy and Jevon Francis were scoreless. Concordia shot 30-64 (.469) from the floor, 7-16 (.438) from the arc and 13-19 (.684) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 20 fouls, 13 turnovers, 8 steals and 6 blocks. Mario Joseph paced UQAM with 16 on 3-6 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 9-10 from the line and 3 boards. Joseph Atangana added 15 on 5-8 from the floor, 5-9 from the line, 6 boards and 5 blocks. Jules Diagne added 14 on 6-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 3 boards. Kevin Boucher added 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 7 boards and 3 steals. Samuel Johnson scored 8 on 4-9 from the floor. Arthaud Plesius notched 6 on 2-5 from the floor and 2-3 from the line. Renaldo Maignan added 5, while Abdoukarim Gueye and Olivier Boyard were scoreless. The Citadins shot 27-58 (.466) from the floor, 4-8 from the arc and 19-27 (.704) from the line, while garnering 21 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 17 fouls, 17 turnovers, 3 steals and 5 blocks.
In the other semi, the Laval Rouge et Or pounded the McGill Redmen 89-54 after leading 19-7, 39-24 and 61-42 at the quarters. Jean-Francois Beaulieu-Maheux paced Laval with 25 on 9-20 from the floor, 3-9 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards and 4 steals. Jean-Philippe Morin added 19 on 6-16 from the floor, 7-14 from the line and 11 boards. Jerome Turcotte-Routhier added 16 on 5-11 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Xavier Baribeau added 10 on 4-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Martin Verreault added 5, Marc-Andre Lefebvre 4, Francois-Olivier Gagnon-Hebert 4 and Marc-Andre Cote 4, along with 12 boards. Etienne Wilsey added 2, while Kevin Crevant, Maxime Cloutier and Yves-Andre Levassseur were scoreless. The Rouge et Or shot 30-66 (.455) from the floor, 9-25 (.360) from the arc and 20-32 (.625) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 21 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 20 fouls, 21 turnovers, 11 steals and 3 blocks. Moustafa El Zanaty paced McGill with 11 on 4-9 from the floor, 3-6 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Matthew Thornhill added 10 on 3-11 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 2 boards. Nickolas Pronovost notched 9 on 3-8 from the arc. Kyle Bernard scored 6, Michael White 6, Sean Anthony 4, Louis-Philippe Lagredelle 2, Colten Allinger 2, Daniel Martin 2 and Pawel Herra 2, while Jeff Cumming and Yannick Chouinard were scoreless. The Redmen hit 18-62 (.290) from the floor, 4-23 (.174) from the arc and 14-20 (.700) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass, 1 assist, 30 fouls, 21 turnovers, 13 steals and 2 blocks.
In the final, Laval stomped Concordia 81-63. Laval was in control for much of the game, leading by 14 at the half, building their lead to 23 midway through the third quarter and then surviving a late third quarter run that got the Stingers back to within 7 early in the fourth quarter but then Laval took over to win easily. “Morin does everything well”, praised Stingers Coach John Dore, “He did everything tonight inside, outside, blocking shots. I’m not sure who will end up as CIS Player-of-the-Year but Morin has to be right there. Laval has great chemistry right now and the better team won tonight.” The Stingers got back in the game by deploying a three-quarter court press and falling back into a zone, which got the momentum back in their favour; after a couple of 3’s and several trips to the line, the Stingers made a game of it early in the fourth quarter. But Morin and Beaulieu-Mahieux reasserted themselves and Laval took over. Laval led 16-13, 43-29 and 59-50 at the quarters. Jean-Philippe Morin paced Laval with 30 on 12-24 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 5-10 from the line, 10 boards and 6 blocks. Jean-Francois Beaulieu-Maheux notched 17 on 6-8 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 3-3 from the line and 3 boards. Xavier Baribeau added 13 on 5-11 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 6 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Jerome Turcotte-Routhier added 7 on 3-9 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 8 boards, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Marc-Andre Lefebvre added 6 on 2-5 from the arc. Etienne Wilsey added 4 and marc-Andre Cote 2 on 1-1 from the floor, 10 boards and 4 assists. Francois-Olivier Gagnon-Hebert added 2, while Kevin Crevant, Martin Verreault, Maxime Clouthier and Yves-Andre Levasseur were scoreless. The Rouge et Or hit 31-67 (.463) from the floor, 10-29 (.463) from the arc and 9-15 (.600) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 16 fouls, 13 turnovers, 9 steals and 10 blocks. Andre Johnny led Concordia with 15 on 3-11 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 8-11 from the line, 7 boards and 2 steals. Levi Vann added 12 on 4-6 from the arc. Damian Buckley scored 10 on 3-11 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 7 boards and 2 steals. Jamal Gallier added 7 on 3-6 from the floor and 4 boards. Decee Krah added 5 on 1-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 5 boards. James Clark added 4, Paget Berridge 3, Desmond Murphy 3, Pierre Thompson 2 and Sebastien Martin 2, while Kevin Bitondo was scoreless. The Stingers shot 20-62 (.323) from the floor, 8-21 (.381) from the arc and 15-20 from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 14 fouls, 15 turnovers and 9 steals.
After the season, Bishop’s coach Eddie Pomykala announces that he is retiring after 25 years as a CIS Head Coach, the last 24 at Bishop’s. He will be moving on to a key position within the University’s general recruitment office and looks forward to the new challenge. “I am excited by this new opportunity to promote Bishop’s. I felt that after 25 years in coaching, the timing was right to make a change”, said Pomykala. “There was nothing better than being the coach of this program. I owe a lot to my wife Heather for her support, and I especially have a tremendous sense of gratitude to all the players who ever played for me.” Athletic director Tony Addona said that “on behalf of the Bishop’s family, we would like to thank Eddie for all his work with the basketball program. Eddie has been a mentor, friend and father figure to many players over the course of his long career. He has given the community many wonderful memories during his illustrious career at Bishop’s.” Pomykala, 50, is the dean of QUBL coaches, having served as Head Coach of the Gaiters since 1984. He passed the 300-win mark earlier this season, and currently holds a record of 303-369 (with three games remaining in the regular season). Pomykala coached the Gaiters to their only National Championship in 1997- 98, when he led them to a 30-6 record (18-2 QSSF) and was named CIAU Coach of the Year. The 1998 title made Bishop’s the smallest school ever to win a Canadian national championship. Under Pomykala’s leadership, the Gaiters won four Québec Championships, the first coming in 1988, followed by three straight titles from 1997 to 1999. The Gaiters qualified for the playoffs 18 times under his reign, playing in 10 finals, and Pomykala has been named league Coach of the Year on six occasions, including three consecutive wins from 1996-1998. Pomykala also coached three All-Canadians: Jeffery Szita (2004), Patrice Lemieux (2000) and David King (1989). Pomykala’s coaching career also includes a five-year term as head coach of the Quebec Provincial Team, and he served as an assistant coach with the Canadian National Junior Team from 1989-1991, helping lead Canada to an 8th-place finish at the 1991 Junior World Championship. Pomykala also served as Director of the Bishop’s Gaiters Basketball Camp, and is deeply involved in the development of basketball in the Eastern Townships. Pomykala served as Bishop’s Acting Director of Athletics in 1998-99 and was the University’s Sports Information Director for 12 years prior to that. Pomykala came to the Gaiters in 1984 after spending one season as the head coach of the McGill Redmen, where he led them to the 1984 provincial championship, giving him the rare distinction of coaching two universities to Quebec provincial championships. Bishop’s University Athletic Department announced that Rod Gilpin has been named as the new Head Coach to replace Eddie Pomykala. “Rod deserves this opportunity, and I am very happy for him,” said Pomykala. “He will do a fantastic job because he is an excellent coach, as well as a tireless worker. Bishop’s Men’s Basketball will move forward with Rod at the helm.” Gilpin, 40, has served for 14 seasons as the Head Coach of the Gaiters’ Women’s Basketball team and has a career record of 184-214 overall. In 2004, he led the Gaiters to the QUBL Championship, their first in 13 years, and a fifth-place finish at the CIS National Championship, the Gaiters’ highest finish since winning the title in 1984. Gilpin is a five-time QUBL Coach of the Year, with wins in 1994-95 and 1997-98 followed by three consecutive nods from 2003 to 2005. “The last 15 years have been a tremendous experience with the women’s program, and it is with mixed emotions that I make this change. This is the only job in the country that I would have left the program for,” said Gilpin. “I have learned so much from Eddie, and he was a mentor to me as a young coach. I’m excited about this new challenge, and I’m looking forward to building on the foundation Eddie has laid for the program.” The Sudbury native is a graduate of Laurentian University, where he captained their 1990-91 team to the OUA East Championship and was named an OUAA East All-Star. He was an assistant coach with the Laurentian men’s team in 1991-92 as the team won a second straight conference championship. Gilpin came to Bishop’s in 1992-93 as an assistant for the men’s basketball team. He was named Interim Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball team in 1993-94, was named Head Coach in 1994-95. He has also served as the Assistant Coach of the Ontario Junior Men’s Team in 1996, and as an Assistant Coach with the Quebec Women’s Team at the 2005 Francophone Games.
The co-bronze medalist U.Q.A.M. Citadins: Mario Joseph; Joseph Atangana; Jules Diagne; Kevin Boucher; Samuel Johnson; Arthaud Plesius; Renaldo Maignan; Abdoukarim Gueye; Olivier Boyard; coach Olga Hrycak
The co-bronze medalist McGill Redmen: Moustafa El Zanaty; Matthew Thornhill; Nickolas Pronovost; Kyle Bernard; Michael White; Sean Anthony; Louis-Philippe Lagredelle; Colten Allinger; Daniel Martin; Pawel Herra; Jeff Cumming; Yannick Chouinard; Samuel Goulet; Kyle Bernard; Sebastien Gatti; Victor Mansure; coach Craig Norman; assistant Bill MacArthur; assistant Denburk Reid
The runner-up Concordia Stingers: Andre Johnny; Levi Vann; Damian Buckley; Jamal Gallier; Decee Krah; James Clark; Paget Berridge; Desmond Murphy; Pierre Thompson; Sebastien Martin; Kevin Bitondo; Dwayne Buckley; Christon Henry; Jevon Francis; coach John Dore; assistant Ernie Rosa; assistant Don Caldwell; assistant David Bloom; therapist Sean Christensen; assistant therapist Matt Heron; student therapist Daniel De Palma; manager Hannah Lusthaus; doctor Ian Shrier; social psychologist Alan Turowetz
The champion
Laval Rouge et Or: Jean-Philippe Morin; Jerome Turcotte-Routhier; Xavier
Baribeau; Jean-Francois Beaulieu Maheu; Marc-Andre Cote; Francois-Olivier
Gagnon-Hebert; Etienne Wilsey; Jean-Sebastien Allaire; Kevin Crevant;
Yves-Andre Levasseur; Marc-Andre Lefebvre; Martin Verreault; Maxime Cloutier;
coach Jacques Paiement; assistant Jacques Paiement Jr.; assistant Samuel
Audet-Sow; medical coordinator Gilles Courschesne; therapist Jean-Philippe Boivin;
SID Luc Lamontagne; SID Jerome Pelletier