MONTREAL –
Frederique Beaudry-Blais of Quebec City scored a game-high 17 points as No. 5 ranked Laval overcame a sluggish start to defeat McGil 59-43 to remain the only undefeated team in U SPORTS women's basketball, Thursday.
The contest, played at Love Competition Hall, also served as the team's annual Black Heritage Game and the Martlets wore special T-shirts in the pre-game warm-up and also those on the bench.
The Rouge et Or improved their division-leading record to 13-0 with three games left to play, two of them against the Martlets. McGill suffered its fifth consecutive setback and dropped to 5-8. The Martlets cannot catch second-place Bishop's (8-6), which won the season-series 3-1. McGill is now tied with Concordia (5-8) for the last two playoff spots in the RSEQ conference. But the Martlets have not yet clinched a playoff berth ahead of fifth-place UQAM (2-11). The magic number to assure post-season play is one McGill win or UQAM loss.
The Martlets led 9-8 after the opening quarter but missed opportunities and turnovers proved to be their downfall. Laval won each of the final three quarters, leading 24-18 at halftime and 44-29 after three quarters.
Laval won the turnover battle 29-20, which translated into a monumental 26-7 advantage on the scoreboard. The Rouge et Or had a 10-7 advantage in steals.
Lily Rose Chatila paced the Martlets with 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Teammate
Katie Rathwell came off the bench to tally eight points and three rebounds.
Laval shot 33.3 per cent from the floor (20/60) and made only three of 18 treys but went 16-for-20 from the free-throw line. McGill shot 30.8 per cent from the field (16/52), made only two of 14 from the arc and went 9-for-12 from the line.
The same teams will cross paths on Saturday evening (Feb. 10) in a 6 p.m. tip-off at Quebec City.
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
