Box Score
MONTREAL --
Thomas Lacy, a sophomore from Jericho, Vt., came off the bench to score a career-high 30 points as the seventh-ranked McGill University Redmen cruised to a 79-53 decision over Laval in basketball action at Love Competition Hall, Thursday .
It was the most points scored by a McGill player in league play since
Matt Thornhill dropped 32 in a 72-65 home-court win over Laval on Jan. 15, 2010.
Lacy, a 6-foot-1, 2-1-pound shooting guard, shot a stellar 70.5 per cent from the floor (12-for-17), highlighted by an impressive 6-for-11 performance from downtown. The six treys was one shy of the team's single-game record. The 20-year-old elementary education major was also credited with three rebounds, three steals and one assist.
"What was key about Tom was that he had 12 points attacking the basket," said fourth-year Redmen head coach
David DeAveiro. "We have been encouraging him to find other ways to score. If you are one-dimensional in this league you are easy to guard."
McGill, which has three games remaining and leads the RSEQ conference with an 11-2 record, can clinch the division pennant for the second consecutive season with a win at Bishop's on Friday night.
The Redmen ultimately used a 33-point third quarter to pull away from Laval, which kept the score tight throughout the first half. McGill had a narrow 16-14 advantage after the opening quarter and an even slimmer 32-31 edge heading into the break.
"We survived the first half and that was the main thing," said DeAveiro, who collected his 284th career victory in 465 games as a CIS head coach, including a nine-year stint with the University of Ottawa. "We got into foul trouble early but did enough good things to stay in it and give ourselves a chance in the second (half)."
Laval went to the line 15 times before halftime, compared to only four by the Redmen. By game's end, Laval had doubled McGill 28-14 in free-throw attempts.
Lacy brought the Redmen to life in the third frame, scoring 22 of his 30 points as the Redmen outscored Laval by a whopping 33-14 margin in the period. McGill then outscored the Rouge et Or 14-8 in the final quarter. The second half surge by McGill could also be attributed to their increased intensity in the defensive end. They held Laval to just 22 second-half points on 27.6 per cent shooting from the field.
"When we stop teams it feeds our offence," explained DeAveiro, whose squad forced the Rouge et Or into 21 turnovers (16 of them on steals), which translated into 18 points at the other end. "It gives us a chance to run and get out there. We can then be creative and find a Tom Lacy for transition threes."
Vincent Dufort, a co-captain from Smiths Falls, Ont., provided secondary scoring with15 points, off 6-for-11 shooting from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from the stripe. He also dished out four assists and snagged three rebounds.
Francois Bourque, a freshman forward from Terrebonne, Que., controlled the glass for McGill pulling down 10 boards while adding seven points.
Overall McGill shot 44.9 per cent from the field (31/69), including a 9-for-20 performance from downtown. They drained eight of 14 from the line.
The Rouge et Or shot 30.4 per cent from the floor (17/56) and five of 18 from three-point range. They didn't fare much better from the charity stripe, sinking only 14 of 28.
Laval was led by
Thibaud Dezutter, who scored 22 points in a losing cause. "He is a strong guy that gets to the rim better than anyone in the league," noted DeAveiro. "We need to get in the lane and force him to pass first or take charges."
The Redmen travel to Lennoxville on Friday to take on second-place Bishop's (8-4), which is looking to snap a five-game losing streak to McGill. Tip-off is set for 8.p.m. and the contest will be streamed live on
Gaiters TV. Fourth-place Laval (4-9) will get a day off before hosting third-place Concordia (7-6), Saturday.
REDMEN RAP: The McGill single-game record for treys is seven held by
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ryne Bondy and
Earl Zukerman
McGill Sports Info Office
514-398-7012
