MONTREAL --
Maude Archambault of St. Augustin de Desmaures, Que., scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds as No.9 ranked Laval cruised to a 57-46 road victory at McGill in women's basketball to open the second semester, Wednesday, at Love Competition Hall.
McGill took an early five-point advantage but Laval bounced back to hold a 13-12 lead after the opening quarter and never trailed again. The Rouge et Or outscored their hosts 14-6 in the second stanza and 20-10 in the third. McGill took the final frame 18-10.
It was the first action by the Martlets since Nov. 30 and they looked a bit rusty, shooting only 28.6 per cent from the floor (16/56), compared to Laval, which connected on 35.3 per cent of their shots (18/51). The visitors went to the foul line twice as much as McGill, shooting 13-for-18 compared to the Martlets, who drained eight of nine free-throws. Laval was 8-for-30 from three-point range, while McGill was 6-for-24.
Carrie-Ann Auger was the only other Laval player to reach double-digits, with 11 points to go along with eight rebounds.
McGill's offence was led by Montrealer
Nadege Pluviose with a dozen points and
Geraldine Cabillo-Abante of St. Laurent, Que., with 11. The next highest-scoring Martlets came off the bench as
Shayann Laguerre and
Delphine Robitaille contributed seven and six points, respectively.
McGill had a favourable 21-17 difference in turnovers but Laval converted that into a 21-15 advantage. The Rouge et Or had a 37-30 margin in rebounds and a 2-1 edge in steals, while McGill had the upper-hand in steals (9-8)..
The bitter provincial rivals -- who have combined to win the last 15 RSEQ conference championships -- will cross paths again in Quebec City on Friday when McGill (2-5) hooks up with Laval (4-2) in a 6 p.m. tip-off.
With nine games remaining on McGill's schedule, they are currently tied with Concordia (2-4) for the fourth and final playoff berth.But the positive news is that the Martlets are only two wins behind league-leading Bishop's (4-1).
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RSEQ STANDINGS & STATS
