Box Score
MONTREAL -- Veteran Noah Daoust of Dorval, Que., and rookie Greg Trahan of Gatineau, Que., each scored a game-high dozen points and Francois Bourque registered a "double-double" as McGill defeated the Florida A&M University Rattlers 69-62 in men's preseason basketball at Love Competition Hall, Tuesday.

The victory snapped McGill's 12-game losing streak to USA-based teams and was the first Redmen conquest over an American team since an 87-72 decision over Howard Community College, an NCJAA team, on Dec. 29, 2013. The result also marked McGill's first over an NCAA Div. 1 squad since a 74-72 victory over Siena College on Aug. 25, 2013.

Daoust, a 6-foot-7, 233-pound forward, shot 4-for-7 from the floor and went 3-for-4 at the free-throw line. The industrial relations junior also collected four rebounds, a blocked shot and a pair of assists.

Trahan, a 6-foot-2 point-guard, came off the bench for his 12 points, shooting 4-for-5 from the floor, making three of four long-range attempts from downtown. He was 1-for-5 at the line and was credited with two rebounds and a pair of steals.

Bourque, a management senior from Terrebonne, Que., tallied 10 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Teammate Jenning Leung, a native of the Phillipines, also reached double figures in scoring with 11 points.

Craig Bowman and Marcus Barham shared the scoring lead for the FAMU Rattlers with 11 points apiece.

"Today we made it clear to our guys that some of them probably weren't going to play much as we were trying to win this game with the guys we thought would give us the best chance," said McGill head coach David DeAveiro, who had been liberally subbing out five players at a time through most of the first three exhibition contests. This was our plan and it came through today."

In a game that McGill never trailed, the Redmen led 18-11 after the opening quarter, 33-24 at the half and 48-39 after three stanzas. The key statistic took place under the glass, where McGill held a lopsided 48-26 margin in rebounds.

"That was a point of emphasis for us in the locker room, we wanted to win that category," confided DeAveiro. "Unfortunately, we weren't that good in the turnover category. But its a win and something to build on."

The Redmen committed 24 turnovers compared to 18 by the visitors. However, McGill transitioned nicely into their outside-shooting game, going 11-for-29 from three-point range (37.9 percent).

"There were wide-open shots and if you consider yourself a shooter, you gotta take them and knock them down with confidence," explained DeAveiro. "I thought we didn't shoot the three that well but we got good shots. So if you're getting good shots, you're doing good things. Now you have to concentrate and make them."

McGill shot 40.4 per cent from the floor (23/57) and made 12 of 25 attempts from the free-throw line. FAMU shot 33.3, 50.0 and 58.6, respectively.

The Rattlers (1-2) opened their four-game cross-border tour with a 94-92 double overtime win at UQAM on Aug. 13, followed by an 87-74 loss at Laval on Aug. 14. They will conclude their Canadian schedule at Concordia on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

McGill, now 1-3 in preseason play, will close out their training camp schedule against U.S.-based squads, on Saturday at 3 p.m. when they host the Farleigh Dickinson University Knights, a Div. 1 institution from Teaneck, N.J.

SOURCE:
 
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
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