MONTREAL – Jaheem Joseph scored a game-high 17 points as Concordia outlasted McGill 70-60 in men's basketball at Love Competition Hall, Saturday.
 
The game featured the latest installment of a sibling rivalry with limited brotherly love as Concordia's Alec Phaneuf, a sociology senior from Gatineau, Que., tallied 15 points. His younger brother, McGill point-guard Matt Phaneuf, an international development studies sophomore, scored four points. These familiar foes wear identical jersey numbers (4) and have now gone head-to-head five times over the last year with the elder statesman prevailing on the winning side four times.
 
Both teams evened their records at 1-1 in the Quebec-based RSEQ conference. The Redbirds led 19-17 after the opening quarter and held an eight-point cushion in the latter stages of the second quarter but Concordia fought back to take a 28-27 advantage into halftime. The Stingers ignited after the intermission and held a 51-39 lead after three. McGill took the final stanza 21-19.
 
McGill's offensive spark plug Georges Lefebvre, was limited to only 25 minutes of court time after early foul trouble. He paced the Redbirds with 11 points and seven rebounds. Teammates Alexis Messier and Sean Herscovitch were next with seven apiece.
 
The Stingers had a slight advantage in the key statistics, namely rebounds (40-39), blocks (5-1), steals (8-6) and turnovers (19-18). They shot 41 per cent from the field (25/61), drained 13 of 34 treys and went 7-for-9 from the free-throw line. McGill countered with a 33.9 per cent field-goal rate (21/62), dropped six of 18 from downtown and shot 12-for-17 from the stripe.
 
The cross-town rivals are scheduled to cross paths three more times but not until the next semester: on Jan. 16 at Love Competition Hall, followed by two games at the John Dore Court (Jan. 18 and Feb. 20).
 
Both teams resume play with road games on Nov. 16 as McGill (1-1) will play Laval (0-2) in Quebec City and Concordia (1-1) confronting the Citadins at UQAM (1-0).
 
BOXSCORE
 
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS
 
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL: 514-983-7012
E-MAIL:earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca