MONTREAL –Samuel Chaput of Longueuil, Que., scored a game-high 20 points in his first regular season start as the McGill men's basketball squad closed out the fall semester with a 69-64 conquest over visiting Bishop's at Love Competition Hall, Saturday.

It was the second straight win for the defending conference champion Redbirds after dropping their first four league games. More importantly, the result avenged a 73-71 setback at Bishop's in the RSEQ season opener on Nov. 3 and was McGill's 11th win in the last 12 confrontations with the Gaiters.

McGill won each of the first three quarters, 20-12, 20-19 and 21-16, respectively, but faltered in the final stanza, which BU won 17-8.
 
Chaput, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard, filled in for injured veteran Sam Jenkins  and saw 35 minutes of court time in his first regular season start for McGill. He shot 7-for-12 from the floor, including a 2-for-5 effort from three-point range, and went 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. The 23-year-old applied marketing student was also credited with four rebounds, a pair of assists and one steal. A first-year transfer after graduating from the NCAA's Monmouth University, Chaput joined the Redbirds this semester after a summer stint with the Montreal Alliance, where McGill bench boss Ryan Thorne served as an assistant coach.

Joining Chaput in double-digit scoring were teammates Sean Herscovitch and Haris Elezovic, with 14 points apiece. Herscovitch, who went 4-for-4 from the line, made a pair of clutch free throws in the last minute of play that proved to be the winning baskets.

Pacing the Gaiters was Charles Robert, Etienne Gagnon and Tiernan McDougall, with 17, 12 and 10, respectively. Gagnon also had a game-high 12 rebounds to register a double-double.

Bishop's, which had a 27-19 edge in rebounds,  shot 40.4 per cent from the field (23/57), made seven of 24 from the arc and 11 of 14 from the charity stripe.

McGill connected on a stellar 52.2 per cent from the floor (24/46), went 8-for-18 from long distance and 13-for-17 from the line.

Both teams own a 2-4 record and are tied for the last two playoff spots in the  five-team RSEQ conference.  Bishop's returns to Montreal at the end of the month to play Lakehead and Calgary in the UQAM Holiday tourney, Dec. 29-30.

McGill has a 26-day break for exams and holidays before resuming play at Dalhousie's Rod Shovellor Tournament in Halifax,  Dec. 29-31. The Redbirds will open the eight-team tourney against Dalhousie.

BOXSCORE
 
RSEQ STANDINGS & STATS
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
@EarlZukerman (twitter)