The Bishop's Gaiters men's basketball team looked to upset the undefeated McGill Redbirds in the final match-up between the two teams on Saturday afternoon in Montreal and secure a playoff berth in the process.
Despite competing hard and putting up 30 points in the final frame, the Gaiters fell just short of the win, as the Redbirds escaped with an 83-80 victory.
The Gaiters held an early 5-3 lead in the first quarter but trailed 22-17 after the opening 10 minutes of play.
Bishop's and McGill played an evenly-matched second quarter as the Redbirds posted 15 points while the Gaiters were one behind with 14. At the halftime break, McGill held a slight 37-31 advantage.
The Gaiters shot 41% from the field in the third which allowed the Redbirds to extend their lead to eight after 30 minutes. With the game within striking distance for the Gaiters, the two teams headed into the final frame.
After being down by as much as 16 points in the closing minutes of the game, the Gaiters went on a scoring frenzy. Bishop's recorded 13 points in the closing two minutes and nineteen seconds while holding the Redbirds scoreless. Despite pulling within three, the Gaiters were unable to find the equalizer and the Redbirds escaped with the win.
Five Gaiters hit double digits in points this afternoon led by
Connor Kelly (Brockville, Ont./St. Mary's C.S.S.) with 15.
Anthony Sanogo (Montreal, Que./) scored 13 while
Ibrahim Ngom (Montreal, Que./Vanier College),
Michel Hakizimana (Gatineau, Que./) and
Hisham Saleh (Alymer, Que./Champlain-Lennoxville) each had 11.
Next Up
The Gaiters will now shift their focus to the final two games of the regular season as they will look to earn a spot in the RSEQ playoffs. Bishop's will face the UQAM Citadins on Thursday in Montreal before returning to Mitchell Gym on Saturday for the rematch. Tip-off for both games is set for 8PM.
