The Concordia Stingers defeated the UBC Thunderbirds 68-66 to win the championship at the annual Concordia-Reebok Women’s Basketball Tournament held Dec. 29-31 in Montreal.
The Stingers rolled over the Ryerson Rams 82-62 in the opening round of the eight-team tournament. Concordia beat the Memorial Sea-Hawks 66-59 in the semifinals.
“We played with a lot of heart,” said assistant coach Rastko Popovic. “I thought we played very well defensively. We had some good moments on offence.”
The Stingers relied on veteran guard Kendra Carrie for scoring throughout the tournament. She scored 15 points in each of the three games for a total of 45 points.
In the championship, rookie guard Kaylah Barrett and forward Anne-Marie Prophete also scored 15 points apiece. Guard Magalie Beaulieu chipped in with 11 points.
The tenacious Stingers forced 29 turnovers and nabbed 17 steals in the game.
The Queen’s Gaels finished in third place thanks to a 69-59 victory over the Memorial Sea-Hawks on the last day of action.
Concordia’s Beaulieu was the tournament MVP and Carrie was named to the all-star team.
“Magalie was a game-changer with her defensive play and the team follows her lead,” explained Popovic. “Kendra was solid and provided a lot of leadership. She made key shots when we needed them. She gave us exactly what we needed from a fifth-year player.”
UBC’s Devan Lisson, Memorial’s Grace Fishbein and Hanna Koposhynska of Queen’s rounded out the tournament honor roll.
