Box Score QUEBEC CITY – Senior Matt McLean tallied a "double-double" and four Gaiters scored in double figures as the Bishop's Gaiters beat the Concordia Stingers 74-59 in the first RSEQ semi-final taking place at PEPS gym on the Laval University campus on Saturday, Mar. 1. The Gaiters now play in the RSEQ Championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m. also in Quebec City at the inaugural RSEQ Final 4.
 
McLean (Ottawa) finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five assists and two steals in 33 minutes to lead Bishop's back to the RSEQ Championship where they will play the winner of the Laval Rouge et Or – McGill Redmen semi-final.
 
Concordia got off to a quick start but was not able to extend their advantage to more than four points in the opening frame. An Onnex Blackwood (Scarborough, Ont.) lay-in as time expired in the quarter tied the game at 18 heading into the second.
 
Blackwood, a fifth-year senior finished the contest with 12 points, six rebounds and an assist.  He made four clutch free throws down the stretch as Bishop's put the game out of reach.
 
A tight second quarter left the Gaiters with a two-point advantage at the break and both teams getting solid offensive production.  Bishop's went into halftime shooting 47 percent and Concordia was at 44 percent from the floor.
 
Bishop's started working the ball inside to their big men McLean and Mike Andrews (Oakville, Ont.) in the third.  Andrews responded and finished the afternoon with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.  He also chipped in with eight rebounds.
 
Heading into the final stanza Bishop's held a slim 52-49 advantage.  The fourth frame was the difference maker as Bishop's pulled away, out-scoring Concordia 22-10 in the frame and rolling to a 74-59 win.
 
Jona Bermillo (Montreal) got into the mix leading the Gaiters in scoring with 14 points, 10 of which came after the break.
 
As a team Bishop's out rebounded the Stingers 41-26 and finished the night shooting 49 percent while Concordia was only able to manage 32 percent from the floor.
 
"I was really happy with our second half," said Gaiters head coach Rod Gilpin. "I think Matt McLean had an outstanding game.  He often flies under the radar but really stepped up today.  Mike Andrews and Jona Bermillo did some very good things in the second half that they were not able to do in the first."
 
Bishop's worked their way back to the RSEQ Championship for the second straight year. They will face the winner of McGill-Laval with a ticket to the CIS Championships on the line.  Regardless of the opponent the game will take place at the new PEPS Gym on the Laval University Campus on Sunday, March 2 at 3 p.m. as the inaugural RSEQ Final 4 comes to a close.  The final game will be webcast live at http://www.rseq.tv/html/basketball.php.
 
Follow the Gaiters as they look to return to the CIS Championship for the first time since 1999 at www.gaiters.ca or on Twitter (@BishopsGaiters).
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