MONTREAL -- The No.1-ranked McGill Martlets raised their 2017 national championship banner to the rafters in front of the team they beat in the gold medal game to earn it, but sixth-ranked Laval got the last laugh as the Rouge et Or stole the RSEQ women's basketball regular season opener 58-50, Saturday, at Love Competition Hall.

But when all was said and done, the Rouge et Or were unable to tarnish the lustre off the post-game ring ceremony, where the Martlets received their bling, commemorating the team's first national title in school history.

Sarah-Jane Marois and Raphaëlle Côté each tallied 13 points for the victors in a game that featured an incredible 15 lead changes. Laval took a 17-15 lead after the first quarter but the Martlets had a 29-28 edge at halftime and maintained the one-point advantage after a 16-16 third frame. Then the wheels fell off as the Rouge et Or took control of the final quarter, 14-5.

Marois shot 6-for-12 from the field and sank one of two free-throws. She also pulled down nine rebounds, had two assists and a pair of steals. Côté shot 6-for-15, including 1-for-5 from three-point range, collected two rebounds and had two steals.

The difference came down to shooting as McGill connected on 30.4 per cent from the field (17/56). The Martlets shot a lofty 46.2 per cent in each of the first two quarters but drained only 20 per cent in the third and sunk to the depths of 13.3 per cent in the final stanza. Normally a strong outside threat, McGill only made 4-of-22 attempts fom beyond the arc. They were 12-for-17 on free-throws (70.6 per cent).

The Rouge et Or replied with 38.3 per cent (23/60), including 4-for-16 from downtown, and 57.1, respectively (8-for-14).

McGill was led by Frederique Potvin, a 5-foot-10 guard from Ste. Julie, Que., who registered a game-high 15 points. The social work senior shot 5-for-18 from the field, including 2-for-13 from beyond the arc, and was perfect on her three free-throws. She also grabbed four rebounds, had two steals and an assist.

Two McGill players fell one rebound shy of a double-double, with Marie-Love Michel, a 5-foot-9 senior from Montreal, collecting 11 points and nine rebounds. Senior Alex Kiss-Rusk, a 6-foot-4 centre from Beaconsfield, Que., who normally leads the Martlets in scoring, was held to just 10 points and nine rebounds.

Laval had a 7-4 margin in steals, a 13-20 difference in turnovers and the only block of the game, while the Martlets held a 37-32 rebounding advantage.

The Rouge et Or (1-0) returns to the court against Concordia (0-0) on Sunday, Nov. 12. The Martlets (0-1) have a 12-day break before visiting UQAM (0-1) on Nov. 16.

MARTLET MURMURS: The national championship won by the basketball Martlets was the fifth by a McGill women's team under U SPORTS, CIS and CIAU banners. They join the hockey Martlets, who won CIS titles in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2014. On the men's side, McGill has claimed six such titles, in swimming (1972), soccer (1981, 1982, 1997), football (1997) and hockey (2012)... In non-U SPORTS programs, McGill has won national titles in synchronized swimming (14 times), woodsmen (10), baseball (7), lacrosse (2) and tennis (1).