LENNOXVILLE, Que. – RSEQ MVP Amaiquen Siciliano (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Velez Sarsfield) scored 31 points including 17 in the second half as the Bishop's Gaiters beat the Concordia Stingers 75-69 on Thursday night in an RSEQ semifinal.
 
The win moves Bishop's into the RSEQ Championship for the first time since 2007.
 
After an early Bishop's 10-0 run to start the game, Concordia, with just seven players dressed bounced back and gave the nation's fourth ranked team all they could handle.
 
Bishop's looked poised to run away with it after a 22-14 first quarter lead, but Concordia on the heels of Areej Burgonio and Gretta Ineza chipped away.  They outscored Bishop's 26-14 in the second stanza to grab a 40-36 lead at halftime.
 
Siciliano carried the Gaiters on her back in the third quarter as she scored 10 points and kept Bishop's in it.  Concordia continued to push and extended their advantage to 58-53 after 30 minutes.
 
The Mitchell gym faithful pulled the Gaiters forward as they jumped all over Concordia in the last frame. It took just 1:14 for Bishop's to pull even thanks to Victoria Gauna (Mendoza, Argentina) scoring five consecutive points. Ineza and Burgonio did what they could for the short-handed Stingers, extending their advantage to as much as six with 5:59 to go. That's when Siciliano and fellow senior Katerina Stoupas (Montreal, Que./Dawson College) took over.
 
Stoupas scored back-to-back layups and Siciliano knocked down a three-pointer.  After a Burgonio triple, Jennifer Louis (Montreal, Que./Cegep Edouard-Montpetit) made a pair of free throws and the Gaiters defense shut down Concordia the rest of the way. A Stoupas layup, and pair of Siciliano free throws iced the game and sent the Gaiters to the RSEQ Championship with a 75-69 victory.
   
Siciliano finished with 31 points and five assists. Gauna added 14 points and Jennifer Louis (Montreal, Que./Cegep Edouard-Montpetit) 10.  Stoupas scored eight and brought energy off the bench.
 
For Concordia Ineza scored 24 and Burgonio 23.
 
In the other RSEQ semifinal it was UQAM stunning the Laval Rouge et Or with a final-second three-pointer to send the Citadins back to the championship for the third consecutive season.
 
Due to a technical issue, tickets for Saturday's championship in Mitchell Gym will be sold at the door starting at 5:45 p.m.  Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
 
Stay up to date with everything Bishop's Gaiters at www.gaiters.ca or on social media by using @BishopsGaiters.
 
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