SHERBROOKE, Que. – The Bishop's Gaiters will look to get back on the winning track as they play a home-and-home against the UQAM Citadins. On Friday, the teams will square off at the Mitchell Gym, as the Gaiters host a #BellLetsTalk game, with tip off set for 6 p.m. The return match is set for Saturday at UQAM, starting at 5 p.m.
 
At Friday's game, fans will receive thunder sticks and temporary tattoos and have the opportunity to sign talk bubbles and banners in support of mental health. Fans are also encouraged to take pictures and share on social media on Bell Let's Talk Day to support Canadian mental health and drive Bell's funding for mental health programs.
 
The Gaiters (6-7, 1-4 RSEQ) are coming off a pair of losses to the No. 2-ranked Laval Rouge et Or last week, falling 77-55 in Quebec City and 65-49 in Lennoxville. Bishop's now sits in fifth place in the RSEQ standings, a game back of McGill and Concordia, who are in a virtual tie for third place.
 
UQAM (11-6, 5-3 RSEQ) split a pair of low-scoring games against McGill last weekend, winning 55-47 underground at the UQAM sports centre, before falling 60-54 at McGill. UQAM is currently second in the league, two games back of Laval and two ahead of McGill and Concordia.
 
This will be the second and third meetings of the year between the Gaiters and the Citadins. The first time they met, on Nov. 12 in Lennoxville, Bishop's suffered a heart-breaking 64-63 loss. In that game, Mara Marchizotti (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Edith Noblecilla (Guayaquil, Ecuador/Santo Domingo de Guzmain) each had double-doubles, as Marchizotti had 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Noblecilla scored 12 points and made 12 assists. Véronique Boivin led UQAM with 19 points. Overall, UQAM holds a 33-21 edge in the head-to-head series.
 
Noblecilla, the Gaiters' fourth-year point guard, is now second in Canada with 6.3 assists per game and also second in the country at 35.7 minutes per game. She is averaging 9.3 points per game. Marchizotti is the Gaiters' leading scorer, with 13.5 points per game, which is fourth on the provincial scoring list, and is tied for the conference leading in shooting percentage, as she has hit 50 per cent of her shots.
 
UQAM has the second-rated offence in the league, averaging 61.8 points per game. They are allowing 60.1 ppg, which is third in the loop. They boast the conference's leading scorer, Jessica Lubin, who is scoring 17.9 points per game. Queteline Celestin is sixth in the league with 12.4 points per game.
 
Both of this weekend's games will be webcast, with Friday's being aired on www.gaiters.ca/webcast and Saturday's contest available at http://tvgo.ca/uqam/.