REGULAR SEASON
| Laval | 12-4 | 24-9 | Guillaume Giroux | ||
| McGill | 11-5 | 23-8 | Ryan Thorne | ||
| Bishop’s | 8-8 | 15-12 | Craig Norman | ||
| UQAM | 5-11 | 10-17 | Albena Branzova-Dimitrova | ||
| Concordia | 4-12 | 10-13 | Tenicha Gittens | ||
Playoff non-qualifier Concordia Stingers: Caroline Task, Aurelie d’Anjou Drouin, Marvia Dean, Jessika Joly, Ashley Moss, Jazlin Barker, Elise Roy, Coralie Dumont, Sabrina Stambouli, Sabrina Lineus, Kim Lehoux, Ornella Zaatar, coach Tenicha Gittens, assistant Natasha Eadie, assistant Farid Charles, director of operations Marilyse Roy-Viau, manager Sean Fredrick, manager Tylea Cole, therapist Inderpreet Kela, student therapist Danaee Vachon, student therapist Alyssa Zemaitaitis
In the semi-finals, the 2nd-seeded McGill Martlets clubbed the 3rd-seeded Bishop’s Gaiters 72-50 after leading 20-11, 41-21 and 59-33 at the quarters. “It’s an amazing feeling (to win in the playoffs), the girls played hard, they really went after it today,” said McGill coach Ryan Thorne. “They knew that this is a tough Bishop’s team — Coach Craig Norman has done a terrific job with them — and we took them seriously. We were focused and I think that you saw the result of that.” Thorne added that Alexandria Kiss-Rusk’s double-double determined the outcome. “The difference is Alex can play inside or step out and knock down some jumpers. She did that early in the first half and when she starts to hit (both inside and outside) and she stretches the defence like that and Mara Marchizotti (her 6-foot-4 counterpart on the Gaiters) has to come out and that allows more drive lanes for our guards. She’s a great leader, on both ends she’s solid, offensively and defensively. Alex is a legacy player, both of her parents played at McGill and hopefully, if she has some kids one day, they will also play for McGill. To have a player like that is great and it’s going to be tough to see her (graduate). She’s helped our program get to another level. We’re recognized nationally because of her and the work she has done with the Canada Basketball program.” Although the Gaiters took an early 6-0 lead, the Martlets effectively double-teamed Bishop’s point guard Edith Noblecilla, picking her quickly in the backcourt and making her work deep into the shot clock. The strategy was highly effective as McGill soon took a double-digit and was never threatened. Gaiters coach Craig Norman said “McGill has championship pedigree, never underestimate the heart of a champion. Give them full credit. I thought we were tight and learned some valuable lessons. I was proud of the girl’s effort, I just felt we made so many mistakes and lost too many individual battles in the first three quarters that we couldn’t overcome.” Alexandria Kiss-Rusk paced the Martlets with 15 on 6-15 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 15 boards, 2 assists and 3 blocks. Frederique Potvin added 13 on 5-13 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Geraldine Cabillo-Abante added 8 on 3-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Chiso Ufondu added 7 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 2 steals. Gladys Hakizimana notched 7 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 steals. Ruth Tshikudi-Tshila scored 7 on 1-2 from the floor, 5-7 from the line and 4 boards. Maggy Chabot added 6 on 3-8 from the floor and 0-2 from the arc. Marie-Love Michel scored 5 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Kamsi Ogbudibe added 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 4 boards, while Kiana Scantlebury, Charlotte Clayton and Stephanie Guinois-Cote were scoreless. Clayton nabbed 6 boards. The Martlets hit 27-64 (.422) from the floor, 2-10 from the arc and 16-21 (.762) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 8 steals, 4 blocks, 12 turnovers and 12 fouls. Edith Noblecilla paced the Gaiters with 21 on 8-13 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Ashley Milhomme added 12 on 6-11 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 5 boards and 2 steals. Mara Lis Marchizotti added 7 on 3-9 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 blocks. Maude Archambault added 4 on 2-15 from the floor, 0-6 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 assists. Marie-Evrardine Berrouette added 3 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Eve-Marie Houle notched 3 on 1-1 from the arc, while Metchline Gabelus, Jessica Dodig, Eva Kuhar, Noemie Hamel-Petit, Sara Bazinet and Maevea Dinalle were scoreless. Gabelus nabbed 3 boards and Dinalle 2. The Gaiters hit 21-62 (.339) from the floor, 5-20 from the arc and 3-10 from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 5 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 17 turnovers and 15 fouls.
In the other semi, the top-seeded Laval Rouge et Or clipped the 4th-seeded Universite du Quebec @ Montreal Citadins 66-56. The Citadins led 20-18 after one quarter and 32-28 at the half. The Rouge et Or led 50-39 after three quarters. “The first step is behind us,” said Rouge et Or coach Guillaume Giroux. “They played different defensive styles, things that we almost never see at the university level, so that made life difficult for us. … (In the second half), I asked the girls to play more north-south, which we managed to do. But when the shots fall, at some point, it opens the field.” Jane Gagne led the Rouge et Or with 17 on 6-13 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 3-7 from the line, 4 boards and 2 assists. Carrie-Ann Auger scored 1 1on 4-7 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 3 boards. Claudia Emond added 9 on 3-12 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 assists and 3 steals. Raphaelle Cote notched 8 on 3-12 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 8 boards and 3 steals. Sarah-Jane Marois added 7 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Genevieve Derome scored 5 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 2 assists. Marie-Pier Champagne added 4 on 1-1 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Naomi Lavallee added 4 on 2-3 from the floor and 2 boards. Lea Dominique scored 1 on 1-2 from the floor and 2 boards, while Koralie Melancon was scoreless. The Rouge et Or hit 23-58 (.397) from the floor, 10-24 (.417) from the arc and 10-16 (.625) from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 11 steals, 3 blocks, 18 turnovers and 14 fouls. Jessica Lubin paced the Citadins with 20 on 9-14 from the floor, 2-3 from the line, 8 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Roxanne Douaire added 9 on 4-11 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 5 boards. Alexe Dufresne notched 7 on 3-10 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 8 boards and 3 assists. Raphaelle Roy-Ash added 7 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Sarah Cabana scored 6 on 2-7 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Inga Aleksaite added 5 on 2-6 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 6 boards and 4 assists. Clara Blachier added 2 on 1-8 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 steals, while Annabelle Baku and Veronique Boivin were scoreless. Baku pilfered 2 balls. The Citadins hit 23-59 (.390) from the floor, 2-15 (.133) from the arc and 8-11 (.727) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 10 steals, 2 blocks, 23 turnovers and 18 fouls.
In the final, the 2nd-seeded McGill Martlets nipped the top-seeded Laval Rouge et Or 56-52 to capture their seventh consecutive postseason title. The host Rouge et Or squandered a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Martlets led 16-14 after one quarter. The Rouge et Or led 36-25 at the half and 50-37 after three quarters but scored only 2 points in the final frame, while relinquishing 17. “I guess we’ve said all year, sometimes we start slow and it’s not a great thing, but at least we know we’re not going to panic in that situation,” said Martlets coach Ryan Thorne. “A 13-point deficit is nothing in basketball. Our talk between the third and fourth quarters was just about chipping away at the lead, not trying to win it in the first two minutes. Just chip away, chip away, chip away. We believed in what we could do defensively and then we got some points off our defence, so that was great. We had to stop the rebounds, that was the big thing. We had to stop giving up so many offensive rebounds, so once we did that we were okay.” McGill also had marked edge from the free throw, garnering 19 opportunities to just 3 for the Rouge et Or. “Two leaders who took over were Fred Potvin and Marie-Love,” said Thorne. “Laval does a really good job of collapsing on Alex [Kiss-Rusk], which makes it tough. Alex was able to pass out of those situations and find open players, so even though she wasn’t scoring as much as usual, she was contributing.” Thorne also said a 19-point loss to the Rouge et Or in the second last game of the season was helpful. “I think it was necessary. After that game we had to really self-assess. We talked about our program and what we wanted to achieve and the commitments that we had to make, not just to be on this team, but to each other. We had a real good session, it lasted about an hour, just sitting there and talking after the game. Ever since then I think there’s been a real difference in our commitment and our turn-around.” Rouge et Or coach Guillaume Giroux said “we did not have any more juice. The girls who were fighting suddenly did not fight anymore … The Martlets did not change anything, they just kept doing what they were doing and we stopped doing what we were doing. … I spoke to the group about four minutes from the end. I told them to focus on the present moment. I felt they were watching the score every time and they were starting to panic. On the other side, they were hunting something. And we, we looked at our predator. For me, the feeling of disappointment is greater (than the defeat in the Canadian final last year), because we were in control of the game, we had them where we wanted. That’s what’s disappointing. But I’m not disappointed in that group. They fought. I do not think the best team has won today. In previous years, I think McGill had better training, but not this year.” Frederique Potvin paced the Martlets with 16 on 5-19 from the floor, 2-8 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 3 boards and 5 assists. Marie-Love Michel added 13 on 6-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 2 steals. Alexandria Kiss-Rusk notched 9 on 2-10 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 16 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Stephanie Guinois-Cote added 7 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Chiso Ufondu scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Gladys Hakizimana added 3 on 1-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 steals. Geraldine Cabillo-Abante scored 3 on 1-4 from the floor and 1-3 from the arc, while Maggy Chabot, Ruth Tshikudi-Tshila, Kamsi Oggudibe and Charlotte Clayton were scoreless. Clayton nabbed 2 boards. The Martlets hit 19-54 (.352) from the floor, 4-17 (.235) from the arc and 14-19 (.737) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 8 steals, 3 blocks, 16 turnovers and 9 fouls. Raphaelle Cote led the Rouge et Or with 17 on 7-17 from the floor, 2-10 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 7 boards. Claudia Emond added 11 on 4-11 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 3 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. Jane Gagne scored 8 on 4-11 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 5 boards and 3 assists. Lea Dominique scored 6 on 3-5 from the floor, 7 boards and 2 assists. Sarah-Jane Marois added 5 on 1-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Carrie-Ann Auger added 3 on 1-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 2 assists. Naomi Lavalle scored 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 6 boards, while Marie-Pier Champagne and Genevieve Derome were scoreless. Derome nabbed 3 boards and dished 2 assists. The Rouge et Or hit 21-60 (.350) from floor, 7-24 (.292) from the arc and 3-3 from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 16 turnovers and 17 fouls.
The co-bronze medalist Bishop’s Gaiters: Edith Noblecilla; Ashley Milhomme; Mara Lis Marchizotti; Maude Archambault; Marie-Evrardine Berrouette; Eve-Marie Houle; Metchline Gabelus; Jessica Dodig; Eva Kuhar; Noemie Hamel-Petit; Sara Bazinet; Maevea Dinalle; Layla Mahoubi; Jenae Grayer; coach Craig Norman; assistant Steve Cassivi; graduate assistant Diane Andreville; director of operations Keith Kobelt; strength & conditioning Michael Fullum; life coach Roslyn Ballard
The co-bronze medalist U.Q.A.M. Citadins: Jessica Lubin; Roxanne Douaire; Alexe Dufresne; Raphaelle Roy-Ash; Sarah Cabana; Inga Aleksaite; Clara Blachier; Annabelle Baku; Veronique Boivin; Audreanne Jean; Eve Labissiere; Stephanie Robichaud; Audrey Methot; Jacqueline Reine-Fouda; coach Albena Branzova; assistant Vladimir Dimitrov; assistant Janice Quintos; assistant Antonin Jadoul; assistant Alejandro Hasbani; trainer Anthanasio Destounis; trainer Dhia Amara; therapist Karl Falardeau
The runner-up Laval Rouge et Or: Genevieve Derome; Raphaelle Cote; Claudia Emond; Jane Gagne; Marie-Pier Champagne; Koralie Melancon; Sarah-Jane Marois; Naomi Lavallee; Gabrielle Raiche-Marcoux; Laurie Pelletier; Carrie-Ann Auger; Frederique Beauchamp; Kim Letang; Djamila Amidou Triquet; Lea Dominique; coach Guillaume Giroux; assistant Marie-Pascale Nadeau; assistant Francois Patenaude; assistant Justin Robert; trainer Leandre Gagne-Lemieux
The champion McGill Redmen: Alexandria Kiss-Rusk; Frederique Potvin; Gladys Hakizimana; Chiso Ufondu; Marie-Love Michel; Geraldine Cabillo-Abante; Ruth Tshikudi-Tshila; Stephanie Guinois-Cote; Stephanie Mondou; Kiana Scantlebury; Maggy Chabot; Van-Leap Sry; Charlotte Clayton; Kamsi Ogbudibe; Darnelle Noel; coach Ryan Thorne; assistant Helen Magadalinos; assistant Bayonne Taty; assistant Francoise Charest; doctor Andrea Dolan; therapist Laura Abbatiello