MONTREAL – McGill University will host Bishop's in a basketball doubleheader on Thursday in the opener of a home-and-home series this week. 

In the women's game, the division-leading Martlets are 6-2 and will try to halt a two-game losing streak when they play winless BU (0-8) in a 6 p.m. tip-off at Love Competition Hall, 475 Pine Avenue West.

On the men's side, both teams have identical 6-2 records and first place in RSEQ conference standings will be on the line when the rivals meet in night-cap, which is slated to begin at 8 p.m.

The same schools will reunite at Mitchell Gym in Lennoxville, Que.,on Saturday, in the annual Bishop's Winter Homecoming.  The women's game begins at 6 p.m., followed by the men at 8 p.m. 

All four games are scheduled to be webcast, with the links for each avaialbale on  the "upcoming schedule" section of the McGill Athletics website.

Last week, the Redmen split their two games with Concordia, suffering a 69-67 road loss on Jan. 23 but winning 70-49 at home on Jan. 25.  The Gaiters also split their two games with Laval, winning 87-76 at home but losing 85-74 in Quebec City.

Earlier this season, the Redmen defeated Bishop's 81-63 in their only meeting to date, in late November.  The teams are ranked first and second in the RSEQ in assists (19.3 and 13.5) and steals per game, (11.1 and 8.3), respectively.  Bishop's leads the league with 4.5 blocks per game on the shoulders of Andrews who is second in the CIS averaging 2.1 per game.  McGill's Francois Bourque, from Terrebonne, Que., leads the RSEQ and is seventh in the nation averaging 9.5 rebounds per game. 
 
On the women's side, the Gaiters are coming off two losses last weekend from a home-and-home series with Laval.  Bishop's dropped s 70-46 affair at home and 54-43 in Quebec City. 
 
The Martlets, missing injured point-guards Francoise Charest and Dianna Ros, lost 63-53 and 49-47 to the Stingers. 

Earlier this season, the Martlets cruised to a 70-39 victory over Bishop's.  McGill's Mariam Sylla, a nattive of Guinea, currently leads the RSEQ in both scoring (12.8 points per game) and rebounding (10.0 rpg). 
 
It could be a bit of an emotional weekend for Martlets head coach Ryan Thorne.  He starred for Bishop's during his playing career, serving as team captain and MVP for the Gaiters and leading them to a CIAU national basketball championship (1998) before graduating in 1999 with a degree in economics.

With a new format in place for the RSEQ men's and women's playoffs this year, all playoff-bound teams will rendez-vous in the conference's Final Four tournament, to be held at Laval's new 3,000-seat PEPS Gymnasium in Quebec City, Mar. 1-2. 
 
 
RSEQ WOMEN'S STANDINGS & STATS

RSEQ MEN'S STANDINGS & STATS


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Earl Zukerman
McGill Sports Info Office
514-398-7012