MONTREAL – Victoria Gauna registered a double-double as the visiting Bishop's Gaiters surprised division-leading McGill 53-37 in women's basketball at Love Competition Hall, Thursday. The event also served as the Martlets annual Shoot for the Cure game, part of a national fundraiser in support of breast cancer.
 
The result created a three-way tie for first place in the five-team RSEQ conference, between Laval (7-1), Bishop's (7-2) and McGill (7-3).
 
Bishop's took advantage of a sleepy start by the Martlets and led 20-6 after the first quarter. The visitors extended their advantage to 38-17 at halftime. McGill narrowed the gap to 40-31 after three quarters and both teams appeared to run out of steam in the final stanza, which the Gaiters won 9-6.

Gauna, a six-foot senior from Argentina, tallied 17 points and pulled down 16 rebounds, while teammate Laurie Lafleur added 10 points to pace the Gaiters.

Emma-Jane Scotten of Ottawa led the Martlets with 11 points, while Lily Rose Chatila of Quebec City added eight.
 
Despite fielding a starting lineup that on average had a two-inch height advantage per player, McGill was on the wrong end of a 51-43 tally in rebounding. But the largest factor was in shooting, where BU connected on 34.5 per cent of their field-goals (20/58), compared to McGill's 19.1 success rate. Bishop's went 6-for-20 from downtown and 7-for-11 from the line, while McGill was 4-for-22 and 7-fr-10, respectively. The Martlets had the advantage in turnover (19-13) but couldn't convert on enough of their chances.

The Gaiters narrowed the lifetime series, which the Martlets lead 88-84 since 1972. BU also avenged a 66-64 loss to McGill in Lennoxville on Nov. 21 and now hold a +14 point-differential in the head-to-head tie-breaker (if needed), with two confrontations remaining. The provincial rivals will cross paths again in two days at Lennoxville on Jan. 25, then back at McGill on Feb. 15.
 
BOXSCORE
 
RSEQ STATS & STANDINGS
 
U SPORTS STANDINGS
 
SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
McGill Athletics and Recreation
(514) 983- 7012
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
www.mcgillathletics.ca