The Stingers finished the Concordia Classic Tournament on top with a 3-0 record, beating the University of Toronto, the University of Northern British Columbia, and Ontario Tech.
Forward Angela Batrla earned the tournament MVP title and point guard Areej Burgonio was named tournament all-star.
The Stingers’ first game of the tournament was a close one versus the Toronto Varsity Blues. The Blues had a one-point advantage going into the second quarter but that was the only quarter the Maroon and Gold found themselves behind all tournament long. They went to halftime with a 27-24 lead and never let the Blues come back, ultimately winning it 53-49.
The second game was against the UNBC Timberwolves. The Stingers were up 17-16 after the first quarter, and increased the lead to 45-26 at the half. They continued playing a strong game, leading 62-32 after the third and finishing the game with a 75-40 victory.
The Stingers dominated in their final game from start to finish versus the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, ending the first quarter up 33-6, and going into the half with a 51-22 lead. They didn’t slow down in the second half, maintaining a big 74-36 lead after the third quarter to ultimately win the game 99-46.
“I was pleased with our overall effort all weekend,” said head coach Tenicha Gittens. “We did a good job at better executing our defensive game plan from game to game. We went into this tournament coming off a very tough loss. We were and are determined to never lose back-to-back games and to protect our home court.”
She added that as fun as it was to win three home games, the focus is now on the next game and challenge.
“We are striving for more than just the Concordia Classic Championship,” Gittens said.
Women’s basketball has almost doubled their roster size this off-season, and with a good mix of vets and rookies, the Stingers will be a team to keep an eye on in the lead up to the RSEQ season that starts at Laval on Nov. 6. Stingers basketball open their home schedule on Nov. 11 versus McGill.
All-star Burgonio averaged 13.3 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game in the tournament. She also had five steals in the game against UNBC.
MVP Batrla also put up an average of 13.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game. She scored 27 points in the game against Ontario Tech.
Other tournament scores:
- Ontario Tech 52 - UNBC 80
- Toronto 70 - Ontario Tech 67
- UNBC 53 - Toronto 63
Come support the Stingers as they face the Ottawa Gee-Gees in their next pre-season matchup at home on Friday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m.
