MONTREAL, Que. - Another impressive season is in the books for the Bishop's Gaiters women's basketball team after the 2021-22 RSEQ regular season wrapped up this past weekend.

The Gaiters finished the season with an 8-4 record and have constantly been a threat in a very competitive RSEQ conference.

While Bishop's remains focused on team performance in the post-season, five Gaiters received RSEQ accolades on Tuesday for their performances this season.

Senior guard, Amaiquen Siciliano (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Velez Sarsfield), headlines the major award winners as the 2021-22 RSEQ Women's Basketball Player of the Year. Joining her are Victoria Gauna (Mendoza, Argentina/), the RSEQ Rookie of the Year, and Jennifer Louis (Montreal, Que./Cegep Edouard-Montpetit) who was named the RSEQ Defensive Player of the Year. Siciliano was also announced as a First Team All-Star while Gauna received Second Team All-Star and All-Rookie Team honours. Third-year forward, Jael Kabunda (Montreal, Que./College Montmorency), was the second Gaiter to get a 2nd Team All-Star nod and mathematics student, Katerina Stoupas (Montreal, Que./Dawson College), earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team.

Amaiquen Siciliano (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Velez Sarsfield) - RSEQ Player of the Year & RSEQ First Team All-Star
#4
Guard
Buenos Aires, Argentina



Amaiquen Siciliano (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Velez Sarsfield), a fourth-year guard from Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been an impact player in the RSEQ since setting foot in Lennoxville, Quebec. She was named a member of the RSEQ and U SPORTS All-Rookie Teams in 2018-19 and, in the following season, the RSEQ Player of the Year and a U SPORTS 1^st Team All-Canadian. As the 2021-22 RSEQ Player of the Year and, after winning the same award last season, Siciliano becomes the first back-to-back Bishop's RSEQ Player of the Year in 30 years.
 
The Gaiters' captain led the conference in scoring and assists, averaging 21.3 points per game and 6.5 assists per game, during the regular season. The Argentinian national shot 46.2% from the field and 33.9% from 3-point range during her average of 34.4 minutes on the court each contest. In addition, Siciliano achieved second in assist to turnover ratio (2.1), fourth in steals (1.8 per game) and second in minutes played.
 
Nationally, Siciliano leads U SPORTS in assists per game and ranks fourth in the country in both points per game and minutes per game.
 
The Gaiters' playmaker is a key reason that Bishop's ranks first in the conference in scoring offense (74.8 per game), scoring margin (+11.4), turnover margin (+5.58) and field goal percentage (.409) and secured second place in the RSEQ for the second straight season.

"Amaiquen is one of the most talented players I have ever had the privilege of coaching. She can take over a game and has done that on many occasions. She is, without a doubt, the most dangerous player in our conference and probably the country.  She plays a ton of minutes and teams often game plan around her, yet she is still able to put up historical numbers in a very difficult conference. Ama is the heartbeat of our team and as she goes, so do we."

             - Craig Norman, Bishop's Gaiters Women's Basketball Head Coach

Victoria Gauna (Mendoza, Argentina/) - RSEQ Rookie of the Year, RSEQ Second Team All-Star & RSEQ All-Rookie Team 
#9
Forward
Mendoza, Argentina


A first year forward from Mendoza, Argentina, Victoria Gauna (Mendoza, Argentina/), has made a seamless transition from international competition to the U SPORTS level. Gauna averaged 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She scored in double-digits in nine of the Gaiters' games this season, including a career high 28 points in November.
 
The Gaiters' rookie made her presence felt in the RSEQ as she ranked second in both steals (2.3 steals per game) and defensive rebounds (5.9 per game) in the conference. The Argentinian was also a key part of the Gaiters' offense as she shot 37.3% from the field, scoring 160 points throughout the season to rank sixth in the RSEQ in scoring.
 
Gauna averaged 34.4 minutes per game which makes her a national top five leader in minutes played.
 
With just twelve regular season RSEQ games under her belt, Gauna has found her stride, cementing herself as a talent on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
 
The rookie looks to make Gaiters' history as the team's first ever consecutive U SPORTS Rookie of the Year after teammate, Jael Kabunda (Montreal, Que./College Montmorency) won the award in 2019-20. By winning the award, Gauna and Kabunda would also be only the second duo from the same team to ever win the Kathy Shields Award in back-to-back years.

"Victoria came to Bishop's as a highly touted recruit in the middle of a pandemic.  She has international experience and has not disappointed in her transition to U SPORTS and a very physical RSEQ conference. She is a generational talent that plays multiple positions on both sides of the ball and is a complete basketball player in all aspects of the game. Because of her unbelievable work ethic, we so look forward to seeing her continued development. Victoria is also outstanding in the classroom and is on pace to be an Academic All-Canadian."

               - Craig Norman, Bishop's Gaiters Women's Basketball Head Coach

Jennifer Louis (Montreal, Que./Cegep Edouard-Montpetit) - RSEQ Defensive Player of the Year
#6
Guard
Montreal, Que.


Jennifer Louis (Montreal, Que./Cegep Edouard-Montpetit), a Montreal, Que. local, has been named the 2021-22 RSEQ Defensive Player of the Year. A third-year guard, Louis averaged 0.9 steals and 2.8 defensive rebounds per game this season for Bishop's. With an innate ability to shut down any opponent, the junior would regularly match-up with some of the best guards in the country and she was a crucial component in the Gaiters ability to hold opponents to just 63.3 points per game throughout the regular season.
 
The Cegep Edouard-Montpetit product was able to extend defenses on the other end of court as she was a constant threat from outside of the arc, shooting 38.3% from 3-point range and knocking down 18 three pointers on the season.
 
Louis averages 34.2 minutes per game which ranks her sixth nationally in that statistical category.

"I am so happy for Jennifer to earn this recognition as Defensive Player of the Year. She has worked as hard as anyone after coming back from a very serious knee injury in her first year at BU. She always matches up against some of the best guards in the country and makes their lives difficult. She's averaging over 34 minutes a game and does not take a possession off.  Jennifer is not solely a one-way player, she's able to extend defenses on the offensive end and has excellent court vision."

            - Craig Norman, Bishop's Gaiters Women's Basketball Head Coach

Jael Kabunda (Montreal, Que./College Montmorency) - RSEQ Second Team All-Star
#14
Forward
Montreal, Que.

A third-year forward from Montreal, Que., Jael Kabunda (Montreal, Que./College Montmorency), has played two seasons in the purple and silver. This season, the 2019-20 RSEQ Rookie of the Year and Kathy Shields Award Winner, averaged 10.4 points per game and shot 38.7% from 3-point range.
 
Kabunda pulled in 7.2 rebounds per game and had a season high 19-points in the season home opener versus Laval in November.
 
Scoring 125 points this season, the Collège Montmorency product recorded double digits in nine of the Gaiters' 2021-22 contests.
 

Katerina Stoupas (Montreal, Que./Dawson College) - RSEQ All-Rookie Team
#21
Centre
Montreal, Que.

A redshirt freshman, Katerina Stoupas (Montreal, Que./Dawson College), played in her first RSEQ regular season with the Gaiters this year. The Dawson Blues product shot 51.7% from the field, second best in the conference and also averaged 5.1 rebounds per game.
 
Stoupas recorded her first career double-double on February 26^th in Mitchell Gym with 22 points and 10 rebounds against the Concordia Stingers.
 
In her eleven games this season, the Montreal local had 5 blocks, 8 steals and 71 points for Bishop's.
 

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