TORONTO –
Sirah Diarra of Longueuil, Que., registered a "double-double" as McGill rallied from a staggering 22-point deficit to defeat UBC 66-60 in the bronze medal game of the Darcel Wright Memorial women's basketball tournament at Ryerson's Coca-Cola Court, Sunday.
According to school records, which are incomplete, it is believed to be the largest deficit ever overcome in a Martlets victory. The previous high on record occurred eight years ago when McGill erased a 17-point third quarter deficit in a 74-69 victory over Thompson Rivers University at the Concordia Invitational Tournament on Dec. 31, 2011. The Martlets highest known rally in league play was overcoming a 14-point margin, twice against Concordia (J-25-14 & N-24-16) and once against Bishop's (D-1-18).
Separated by over 4,400 km, the Martlets and Thunderbirds had not battled since a 59-57 McGill overtime win at the 2015 CIS Final Eight championship in Quebec City.
The Martlets, who trailed for about 36 of the 40 minutes, had a woeful start and found themselves behind by a whopping 24-4 margin after the first quarter. UBC stretched their lead to 37-15 with just over three minutes remaining in the second quarter and took a 37-23 advantage into halftime. But a recharged McGill squad came out after the break, outscoring the Thunderbirds 18-6 in the third and 25-17 in the final stanza.
Senior point guard
Gladys Hakizimana and
Nadege Pluviose, a first-year NCAA transfer, led the McGill offence with 12 points apiece, while three Thunderbirds had double-digit afternoons:
Keylyn Filewich (15),
Madison Legault (12) and
Jessica Hanson (12).
Diarra, a second-year transfer from Clemson, tallied 10 points and 10 rebounds with a pair of assists and a steal before fouling out with 3:32 remaining.
Hakizimana, a fifth-year senior, shot 5-for-11 from the floor and sank 2-of-8 three-point attempts. She also collected four rebounds and three steals in 24 minutes of court time. The 5-foot-7 point-guard is a key cog in the back-court and missed the preseason opener due to an undisclosed injury. She has seen her court time increase steadily for six straight contests and has now started two in a row.
Pluviose, a 5-foot-10 transfer from Robert Morris University, shot 50 per cent (6/12) from the field while registering eight rebounds, three steals, three assists and one blocked shot. She missed both of her three-point opportunities, however.
All 11 players who dressed for the Martlets, made their mark on the scoresheet. Rounding out the scoring was
Shayann Laguerre (7),
Jessica Salanon (6),
Geraldine Cabillo-Abante (5),
Stephanie Mondou (4),
Delphine Robitaille (3),
Maddy Colpitts (3),
Ruth Tshikudi-Tshila (2) and
Kamsi Ogbudibe (2).
McGill shot 42.6 per cent from the floor (26/61), 22.2 from beyond the arc (6/27) and 72.7 from the free-throw line (8/11). UBC shot 46.3 (25/54), drained two of 14 treys and made 8 of 23 attempts from the line.
Both teams continue preseason preparations Oct 25. McGill (3-4) will host the Acadia Axewomen (1-1) at 6 p.m. while UBC (4-4) plays Mount Royal University (1-0).
SCORING SUMMARY
