MONTREAL – "You've come a long way, baby" -- a major advertising slogan coined in 1968 to highlight the women liberation movement -- might be apropos when Queen's and McGill meet in their preseason hoops opener this weekend. It will mark the 100th season anniversary of the first-ever women's basketball game between two universities in Canada.

The centennial event is slated for a Saturday matinee on Oct. 5 with a pre-game ceremony followed by a 1 p.m. tip-off at Love Competition Hall, inside the Sir Arthur Currie gymnasium, located at 475 Avenue des Pins ouest. Advance tickets are available online and the game will be streamed live on the McGill Sports Network.
 
The long-time foes first crossed paths in the 1919-20 season with a pair of McGill victories, 21-16 in the inaugural game on Feb. 6, 1920 and a 21-7 result in a rematch the following afternoon.
 
Nowadays, the archrivals compete in separate leagues under the U SPORTS banner, with McGill playing in the Quebec-based RSEQ conference and Queen's in the Ontario-based OUA. Since both squads have tight schedules in February and were not able to put this centennial game in the middle of their respective seasons, a preseason meeting to kickoff the campaign was the next best option.
 
"It's an honour to be a part of Canadian university women's basketball history," says Ryan Thorne, head coach at McGill, the alma mater of basketball inventor James Naismith. "The game has strong roots here and we hope to continue growing it to its full potential. I am proud to be a part of this historical showcase and I hope that all who are interested in the growth of women in sports will come out to support this event."
 
Vicky Tessier, a McGill Sports Hall of Fame inductee who was a five-time All-Canadian and played from 1992 to 1997, will serve as a game ambassador for the Martlets. Lisa Minutillo, a 2014 Queen's grad who went on to play and coach in France, will serve in a similar capacity for the Gaels.
 
"It's a fantastic honour to play and compete in this game," said Queen's bench boss James Bambury. "We have 125 years of women's sports history at Queen's and an incredibly strong tradition in athletics. The women's game has grown exponentially -- the players are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before."
 
According to the Old McGill yearbook, a Queen's team of 13 players, was met at the train station in Montreal on Friday, Feb. 6, 1920 at 7 p.m. and "conveyed in motors to the Royal Victoria College", a venue where all female students were housed and educated on the McGill campus. A banquet was given in their honour and "a "toast to the king was proposed" by Queenie Savage, a McGill player who was serving as president of the R.V.C. Athletic Association.
 
Other toasts and welcoming remarks were made by the opposing captains, Grace Moody from McGill and Eileen Campbell of Queen's.
 
"At a quarter to 10, the two teams stepped on the floor of the high school gym, amid the cheers of the spectators," the yearbook reported. "The match which followed was exceedingly closely contested, both teams being well-matched and playing their best brand of basketball throughout. The forwards and guards of the Queen's team were strong and effective but the superior combination of the (McGill) team gave them the victory."
 
According to a post-game account of the first confrontation, published in The McGill Daily, "Marjorie Legatt played a brilliant game for (McGill) and was the most consistent goal-getter", while Eileen Campbell of Queen's "broke away in the first period and found the basket unerringly... Gladys Monroe played a strong game for (the Gaels) in the last period and scored most of the goals for her side."
 
Nowadays, these rivals meet infrequently, every few years. The upcoming rendezvous will be the first matchup between these clubs since Oct. 22, 2017, when the Martlets came away with a 78-57 victory to capture their own Redbird Classic tournament.

"I am proud to be representing the team and to be part of this celebration," said co-captain Geraldine Cabillo-Abante, a fifth-year physical education senior from St. Laurent, Que., who was a key cog on McGill's first national championship team in 2017.  "Once you enter the program, you become part of the family and I feel honored to be able to play in front of all the alumni.  I thank everyone who was here before me and have built this program to what it is now."

Myriam Fontaine, a fifth-year Life Sciences senior at Queen's, is equally thrilled to be part of the festivities.

"To me, playing in this game means that I get the opportunity to celebrate and thank the players that came before me," said the native of Cornwall, Ont. "It's a very special thing to be able to honour the first Queen's varsity team and the history of this game. They are the reason players like me are able to continue playing the sport that they love and compete at the university level."
 
Gaels' forward Michelle Istead highlighted the tradition of varsity sports to her family.

"Being able to represent Queen's and all those who have played before me is a humbling experience," the kinesiology junior from Ottawa said. "Through the past century, the game has been played with dignity, respect and passion which has paved the way for us to compete at the highest level of sport. My father, mother, older sister and myself have all played basketball at the university level and it is an experience that has shaped our lives and family for the better. I aspire to continue to push the game to new heights so that the generations to come can enjoy it and leave their own mark like all the athletes have done over the past 100 years."

SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
m.athletics.mcgill.ca (mobile website)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca