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March 7, 2019 | Basketball (W)

Concordia rookie Myriam Leclerc had 13 points in the opening game.Concordia rookie Myriam Leclerc had 13 points in the opening game.

Stingers lose first game at women's basketball Final 8

The No. 7-seeded Concordia Stingers lost 86-68 to the No. 2-ranked McMaster Mauraders in opening round action at the U SPORTS Final 8 women's basketball championship in Toronto this afternoon.

It was a strong start for the Stingers as they opened the scoring and rolled up an early 7-1 lead. But McMaster picked up the pace and at the end of the first quarter, the Marauders were up 26-19.

In the second quarter, the Ontario champions continued to surge, and Concordia missed out on a number of opportunities. McMaster took a 16-point lead, 44-28, into halftime.

The Stingers had a little more fight in the last 20 minutes and pulled within nine points, but McMaster was relentless and pushed ahead for a convincing victory.

“For us, everything was a little too late,” said Concordia head coach Tenicha Gittens. “Especially when you’re playing against a team that has national experience. So just being at nationals and getting to this stage kind of got to us today. But we will be back, trust me.”

Third-year guard Caroline Task led the Stingers with 27 points and five rebounds. Coralie Dumont had 14 points and seven rebounds, while U SPORTS rookie of the year Myriam Leclerc chipped in with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

McMaster’s Sarah Gates put up a career-high 32 points to help defeat the Stingers.

Concordia will meet the Acadia Axewomen in a consolation semifinal match on Friday at 6 p.m. The Marauders will face the Saskatchewan Huskies in a semifinal game on Saturday.

Players of the Game

Concordia: Caroline Task

McMaster: Sarah Gates