Box Score
MONTREAL -- Helene Bibeau scored 13 points, including a last-minute, game-winning basket in the final home game of her five-year university career, as McGill edged the UQAM Citadins 63-62 in women's basketball at Love Competition Hall, Thursday.
 
The Martlets, who improved to 13-2, clinched first-place for the fourth consecutive season. A victory in their final regular-season game will mark the second-high win total in team history, behind the 16-4 mark posted in 1996-97.

McGill swept the four-game series over their cross-town rivals and extended their head-to-head win streak to seven consecutive meetings since a 70-65 UQAM overtime victory on Nov. 17, 2012.
 
Bibeau, who also pulled down four rebounds to go along with four assists and three steals, was one of three McGill seniors honoured in a post-game ceremony, along with graduating veterans Francoise Charest and Valerie L'Ecuyer.
 
"The seniors, they came out ready," said Martlet head coach Ryan Thorne. "We scored 25 in the opening quarter which I think is the highest output we have had all season."
 
L' Ecuyer, who normally comes off the bench, got the start in her final game and scored a season-high eight points. She was also credited with five rebounds and three assists.  Charest, who has been the team's floor general for the last five years, chipped in five points, five rebounds and two assists.  
 
Teammate Mariam Sylla, a 6-foot-1 forward from Guinea, was one rebound shy of yet another "double-double" as she posted a game-high 17 points along with nine rebounds. She was 7-for-14 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the foul-line.
 
The hot start saw McGill up 25-11 after the opening quarter. In the next stanza, UQAM decided to switch to a "match-up zone defence", which gave McGill some trouble. "They pressured a lot in that zone," noted Thorne. "We just watched, stood around and didn't help each other out."
 
The zone gave UQAM some momentum as they cut the McGill lead to 38-27 at halftime.  The Citadins continued to give the Martlets fits after the intermission, outscoring McGill 18-13 in the third and narrowing the gap to 51-45 heading into the final frame.
 
UQAM, which entered the game tied with Concordia for second place in the RSEQ league standings, kept their foot on the gas in the fourth quarter. They actually took a one-point lead with 65 seconds remaining left after Valerie Gauvin knocked down a pair of free-throws. That lead lasted an unlucky 13 seconds however; as Bibeau hit her game-winning jumper with 53 seconds left on the clock.  A steal by Gabriela Hebert in the final seconds sealed the deal.
 
Despite having trouble with UQAM's zone, McGill shot a solid 42.4 per cent from the field (25/59), including a 5-for-13 performance from three-point range. The Martlets were also strong from line going 8-for-11. UQAM connected on 39 per cent from the floor (23/59), went 5-for-15 from the arc and made only 11 of 22 free-throws.
 
Questeline Celestin and Camille Michaud led the way for UQAM with 16 points apiece. Juliette Delaune also hit double figures for the Citadins, scoring 11.
 
Both teams have one game left to fine tune anything before going into the RSEQ playoffs. UQAM (9-6) will host fourth-place Laval (5-9) Friday night. McGill will travel across town on Saturday to close out the campaign at Concordia (9-5). That game is slated for a 2.p.m. tip-off and will be streamed live on StingersTV. , followed by the men's contest.


FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:

Ryne Bondy or Earl Zukerman
McGill Sports Info Office
514-398-7012