The Bishop’s Gaiters men’s basketball team trailed the Concordia Stingers for over 33 minutes in Saturday’s Quebec conference game, but the men from Lennoxville made several key plays down the stretch to prevail with a hard-fought 66-60 win. The final outcome left the two teams tied for third place with 1-3 records heading into the holiday break.
The Stingers appeared headed for a one-sided victory in the opening quarter as they jumped out to a 25-13 lead. However the young Gaiters refused to give up and slowly their defence got them back in the game.
They held Concordia to just eight points in the second quarter and trailed by a mere five points, 48-43, as they entered the final ten minutes of play.
Jona Bermillo scored the quarter’s first five points to tie the game and then Yassin Naji’s jumper gave Bishop’s their first lead at 50-48 at the 6:28 mark. After four lead changes, Nick Harvey’s lay-up gave the Gaiters a one-point lead they would not relinquish. Bermillo added back-to-back threes in the final minutes to ensure the victory.
Bermillo finished the game with a game-high 19 points while Peter Weston chipped in with 12 while Harvey and Abdul Kamane had 11 and 10 points respectively.
“We didn’t get off to a great start but we gradually chipped away,” Gaiter head coach Rod Gilpin said after the win. “I am glad the players had the fortitude to hang in. I don’t see anyone in our league is comfortable with a big lead in the first half.”
The veteran coach had praise for his veteran point guard and rookie forward. “Jona is our leader and that is what he does; he played great in the final quarter when the game was on the line. Nick Harvey got off to a slow start but was great in the second half.”
The undermanned women’s squad dropped their third straight league contest when the Stingers recorded a 69-34 win in the first game of the doubleheader. Joy Bermillo came off the bench to score a team-high 10 points for the Gaiters who were playing without starters Edith Noblecilla, Maude Archambault and Mara Liz Marchizotti.
Both teams now break for exams and holidays and will return to action in the New Year.
