MONTREAL – Rookie sensation Saransh Padhy of Stouffville, Ont., scored a game-high 20 points but it was insufficient as the McGill men's basketball team fell 71-61 to visiting Concordia at Love Competition Hall, Saturday.
 
It was the fourth consecutive win for the Stingers who sit second in the RSEQ conference with a 6-2 record, two points behind division leading UQAM (7-1).
 
The Redbirds, a young squad that features 12 freshmen, two sophomores and five seniors, dropped to 1-7.
 
The Stingers led 18-14 after the first quarter but McGill battled back to take a five-point lead late in the second quarter before settling for a 29-29 saw-off heading into halftime. Concordia took a 47-43 advantage into the final quarter and outpointed the Redbirds 24-18 down the back stretch.
 
Concordia was led by veterans Alex Phaneuf and Sami Jahan with 15 points apiece, while teammate Tyrell Williams added 10.
 
Phaneuf, who also had a pair of rebounds and played 36 minutes, won the head-to-head starting battle against his younger brother Matt Phaneuf, a McGill freshman who finished with five points and three rebounds in 20 minutes.
 
Padhy, a 6-foot-6 centre, registered his second consecutive 20+ outing after being held to a season-high of seven points in previous regular season games. The 19-year-old electrical engineering freshman finished with an 8-for-11 performance from the floor and a 3-for-4 effort from the free-throw line. He added three rebounds and a steal.
 
Teammate Dilane Pele, a freshman from Montreal, contributed a career-best dozen points and newcomer Joshua Soifer of Regina, Sask., was the next best with six.
 
The visitors held a 36-26 edge in rebounds and won the turnover battle 19-16. They shot 39.7 per cent from the field (25/63), made five of 23 from long distance and drained 12 of 16 from the line. McGill shot a similar success rate at 37.9 per cent (22/58), made five of 23 from beyond the arc and was 12-for-16 from the stripe.
 
Its now crunch time for the Redbirds, who trail fourth-place Laval (2-5) by two points for the final playoff berth. With nine games left to play, McGill will meet third-place Bishop's (4-5) in a home-and-home series next week. The Gaiters will travel to Montreal on Thursday (Jan. 18) for an 8 pm tip-off, then return home to host McGill in Lennoxville on Jan. 20 at 8 p.m.

BOXSCORE

RSEQ STANDINGS & STATS

SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (cell)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
 
SOURCE