MONTREAL – Cameron Elliot of Ottawa scored a game-high 20 points as the McGill men's basketball team defeated Bishop's 83-80 to extend their perfect record to 10-0 in the RSEQ conference play, Saturday, at Love Competition Hall.

The Redbirds opened up a 22-17 lead after the first quarter, maintained a 37-31 advantage at halftime and held a 58-50 margin after three. McGill then opened up an 18-point lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the final stanza but after McGill made liberal substitutions down the stretch, the Gaiters clawed back into the contest, on the strength of a 13-0 run over the final two minutes and 19 seconds to outscore McGill 30-25 in the quarter.

"We started out hot and were knocking down long shots, but sometimes that can became contagious and we stop being disciplined" said McGill head coach Ryan Thorne, whose troops clicked at a 10-for-26 clip from three-point range. "In the second quarter, I think that we weren't looking for the right shots. We were just taking shots. So we had to get a little more disciplined and focused in the third quarter.

"Then....down the stretch our veterans definitely came through with smart decisions and (they were) able to handle the pressure to get some easy baskets. That opened the game up but unfortunately in the end, some of our youth allowed the score to be a lot closer than it should have been."

Elliot, a 21-year-old management junior, was one of five McGill starters to reach double digits in scoring as his 20 points was a season-high for him. The 6-foot-3 guard shot 8-for-12 from the field, including a 4-for-6 performance from the three-point arc. He was 0-for-1 from the free-throw line but contributed five rebounds, three assists and a steal.

His supporting cast included Jamal Mayali and Haris Elezovic with 13 points apiece. Sam Jenkins added 14 and Quarry Whyne had 11 with a team-high six rebounds before fouling out. Rounding out the scoring off the bench was Sidney Gauthier and Kevin Li, with nine and three points, respectively.

For Bishop's, five players scored in double figures, led by Connor Kelly of Brockville, Ont., with 15. Concordia transfer Anthony Sanogo added 13 off the bench, while Ibrahim Ngom, Michel Hakizimana and Hisham Saleh each had 11.

McGill was mint from the field, shooting a season-best 50.9 per cent (29/57), compared to Bishop's, which connected on 45.3 from the floor (29/64). The Redbirds sunk 15 of 19 from the line, while BU was 13-for-19. McGill had a 29-27 edge in rebounds but lost the turnover battle 21-19. The Gaiters bench outscored McGill's 32-12.

It was an emotional game for McGill's three graduating seniors – Quarry Whyne, Jamal Mayali and Sam Jenkins – who were recognized in a post-game ceremony conducted by bench boss Ryan Thorne who invited a surprise guest, former head coach David DeAveiro to fly in from Toronto where he now guides the Ryerson Rams. DeAveiro, who had seven first place finishes and won five Quebec titles over his decade-long stint at McGill, never had the chance for a proper goodbye, due to pandemic restrictions. He was presented with an engraved plaque, as a token of appreciation for how he turned the program around into a contender with five trips to the Nationals, two of which resulted in fourth-place finishes.

McGill, which has yet to find itself in the Top 10 rankings despite a 10-0 record, needs two wins over second-place Concordia (6-4) next week to close out their campaign undefeated and match the team record win streak of 12-0 to start the 1976-77 season. The Stingers will confront McGill on St. Patrick's Day, in the fourth annual George Lengvari Cup rivalry game, named in honour of the all-star alumnus who played at both institutions. The event is slated for an early 6 p.m. start at  Love Competition Hall and tickets are only available online. The Redbirds, who have won two of the three Lengvari Cups played in previous years, will then have their season finale on March 19 at the John Dore Court on the Loyola campus (4 p.m.).

"The challenge that we have put to our student-athletes throughout the season has been just trying to find different ways that we can challenge ourselves," Thorne said. "We had a great first semester, then building on that was to make sure that we had a great playoff spot (i.e. home-court advantage). Then it was to clinch first place. The one major thing that has eluded us has been playing a full 40-minute game. That doesn't mean that we have to be blowing everyone out. It just means being consistent on getting what you're looking for on possessions, on discipline in your play. We haven't gotten that yet and I believe that we need to find that before we hit the playoffs.

"Because everyone in this conference is solid. The scores might look one way but... it's a one-game elimination (format), so you've got to be playing as a team. And especially with the pandemic, you could be down a player. So if you don't have everyone ready to play, you are going to be in trouble if you rely on one or two guys."

The Gaiters, who dropped to 3-7, are tied with UQAM (3-7) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the RSEQ conference but have their destiny in their footsteps. BU will complete their schedule with a pair against the Citadins, playing in Montreal on March 17, followed by the return match two days later in Lennoxville.

BOXSCORE

RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS

SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-398-7012
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca