RSEQ Week #11

Friday vs. Concordia

BU          11    16    15    26  -  68
CU          29    13    21    15  -  78

Unfortunately, this game as it turned out was all but decided in the first quarter. We were not exactly strong defensively early and Concordia got into  a rhythm. Once that happened they made some tough shots and we struggled at the offensive end. It was bad enough that my wife had to stop my 7 year old daughter from coming over to the bench at half time to share a play she had drawn up for me...true story!

We got a little better as the game went on, but Concordia wanted this game and needed this game if they wanted to host the 1st round of the playoffs. The game changed nothing for us. However, it would have been nice to win since it was captain Dave Belanger's final game at Mitchell Gymnasium.

5th Year Captain, Dave Belanger

Dave did have a solid game after returning from a back injury where he was out last week vs. McGill. Dave had 12 points & 8 rebounds. He finished is final season being 2nd in the league in rebounding, 10th in scoring & 4th in FG%. He has played at all star level this year. Kevin Davis was very good again as he led us in scoring with 17 points. Abdul & Jordan each chipped in 10.

Playoff Picture...this Wednesday we travel to Montreal to play McGill at 8 pm. They should be ranked #5 in the country this week as they finished with a 14-2 record in the RSEQ. They are the prohibitive favourite, but we have beaten them once this year. In one game anything can happen! Our women face McGill at 6 pm on Wednesday as well in this playoff doubleheader. They are a veteran group who are a serious threat to win the league. Would be fantastic to get our alumni & Friends of Gaiter Basketball out to McGill on Wednesday night to support us!

Rod

RSEQ Week #10

Thursday vs. Laval

BU          16   14   20   17  -  67
UL          25   20   28   16  -  89

If we were able to defeat Laval by 20 in this game there was a small chance we could catch them for 3rd place. However, they were just really good this game and that was not happening! They are probably the most athletic team in the country and when they are making shots they are very difficult to beat. That was the case in this game and despite beating them a few days earlier, we did not threaten in this game at all.

Graduating Sr - Dave Belanger

Abdul led us in scoring with 16 points. Freshman Jordan Thornhill had 15 points including a couple of nice follow up dunks. Kevin Davis had 9 points and 4 assists, he is starting round into form. Dave played a pretty ineffective 18 minutes. He got hurt Sunday at Laval and played this game, but he just was not right. So much for being thankful for being healthy for the first week in 2 years last week!



Saturday at McGill

BU          13   21   15   22  -  71
MU         28   24   18   23  -  93

We basically had almost zero prep time for McGill after playing Laval on Thursday night. That Thursday night game was supposed to be on Tuesday, but an electrical power issue forced the change of days. Regardless, not sure that was going to make much of a difference in this game. We did rest Dave on Saturday and Nervens played the first 3 minutes before getting a hip pointer which had him out for the rest of the game. Our bench was very short once again!

After a shaky 1st quarter we had some decent minutes, but I would not say we played well. McGill is the class of our league with a senior laden line up that is a heavy favourite to win the playoffs. So, playing well against them is not exactly easy. Put it this way, neither Laval or Concordia are envious of the fact that we open up against McGill in the playoffs! That game will be played on Wednesday February 28th @ McGill by the way.

Abdul - RSEQ Scoring Leader

Abdul continues to score as he led all scorers with 29 points on only 12 field goal attempts. He could have gone scoreless in his last 4 RSEQ games and still probably had the league scoring title. Kevin had a career high 17 points. He does a lot of things for us on both sides of the ball and is likely our best all around player. It is too bad he has missed most of the season with injuries. Jordan was solid again with 8 points and 6 rebounds.


We have 1 league game left before playoffs begin. This Friday is the Shoot for the Cure game and we honour graduating senior Dave Belanger in his final home game vs. Concordia.

Dave has had an excellent 5 year career. He has seen the best of times and the toughest of times in his 5 years, but has represented us with grace & dignity in every situation. He has developed into a well respected player and I believe he is deserving of being recognized as a league allstar this year. More importantly, he has become a strong student at BU and could be an Academic All Canadian/Honour Roll student for the second year in a row this year. Dave is also the Head Delegate of BU's Model UN team that competes in NYC each spring. He will likely be off to grad school next year unless he picks up a position in an organization such as the UN that he cannot pass up on. The future is bright for Dave!

I will keep you posted,
Rod

RSEQ Week #9

Thursday @ UQAM

BU            14   14   23   28  -  79
UQAM     13   13   18   12  -  56

It is never easy winning at UQAM and with a playoff spot at stake we knew it would take 40 minutes.  In the 1st half both teams did a good job defensively and it was a bit sloppy & chaotic on offense at times. We settled in a bit in the 2nd half offensively and even played a little better defensively. I thought we played with a lot energy and determination which UQAM matched until the 4th quarter. We did not relent & really pulled away in the final 7 or 8 minutes.

Abdul led all scorers with 20 points along with 7 rebounds. Joany had 17 points and played some

Joany...defensive pride.  

great D. Dave had 15 points & 9 rebounds...just playing like a 5th year captain should. I think he is very deserving of making a league allstar team this year. Everyone was solid defensively as we held UQAM to 31% shooting and out rebounded them 49-39.

This win all but locked up the last playoff spot for us and allowed us to stay in a position to challenge Laval for 3rd place.


Sunday @ Laval

BU          15   22   19   24  -  80
UL          16   21   16   21  -  74

This win locked up a playoff spot. The game was very tight throughout, but as with Thursday we  pulled away in the 4th quarter and pushed the lead to 11 with under a minute to go.  We are the healthiest we have been in 2 years...what a difference it makes to have some depth and having guys play their proper positions!

Defensively we continue to get a little better individually each game, but we are really starting to play well together at that end of the floor. There was an issue with the stats from this game and I have not seen a boxscore yet. However, I thought we defended dribble penetration well, had a lot of tips & deflections and rebounded well for the most part. Offensively, the ball is moving much better and our spacing is gradually improving. I would guess the majority of our hoops were assisted on. Above & beyond anything, it is nice to get a couple of road wins when you need them!

Andrew Howarth - 3rd Year Forward

Abdul had 30 points based on what our Sports Info office tells me. He probably had at least 8 rebounds and a few assists. He has been spectacular at times and continues to improve each week. He can just score in so many ways. Dave was solid again and had to be double digits in points and rebounds. Joany would have been a double digit scorer as well. Yassin played tough and was close to a double double in points & rebounds. 3rd forward Andrew Howarth had his best game in a Gaiters' uniform. Drew had 5 points, but rebounded well and played some outstanding team defense that impacted the game.

The win leaves us 1 win behind Laval for 3rd place. The rematch is tomorrow night at BU. It will be a tough game and a must win to have any hope of finishing 3rd. Following the Laval game we head to McGill on Saturday to face nationally ranked & 1st place Redmen at 6pm.

I will keep you posted!
Rod