McGill rally falls short against unbeaten Gaiters

MONTREAL — Sean Duff led McGill with a game-high 18 points and Saransh Padhy chipped in with a double-double but it was insufficient as Bishop's opened the second semester with an 82–68 victory over the Redbirds in RSEQ men's university basketball Thursday night at Love Competition Hall. The unbeaten Gaiters improved to 9–1, while the Redbirds slipped to 1–9.

Obi Dike scored 16 points and Etienne Gagnon collected 14 points and 14 rebounds to pace the Gaiters.

McGill led 22–17 after the opening quarter, but Bishop's seized control with a dominant second frame, outscoring the hosts 26–12 to take a 43–34 halftime advantage. The Redbirds answered with a strong third quarter, trimming the deficit to 58–54 after a 20–15 run, before the Gaiters pulled away down the stretch by taking the fourth 24–14 to seal the decision.

Bishop's shot 42.9 per cent from the floor and hit 9-of-28 from three-point range, while McGill was held to 32.8 per cent shooting and 7-for-31 from beyond the arc.

Duff, who tallied six of his 18 points on free throws, received offensive support from teammate Alex Reinert-Woodfine, who added 13 points, and Padhy contributed 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. The Redbirds shot an impressive 19-for-23 from the free-throw line (82.6 per cent) but were outworked on the glass, losing the rebounding battle 51–38 and surrendering 18 second-chance points.

Bishop's featured balanced scoring throughout the lineup, with Charles Robert pouring in a game-high 21 points and seven assists, while Yanis Malanda added 12 points. The Gaiters, who shot 13-for-25 from the stripe, finished with a 40–24 edge in points in the paint and committed just 11 turnovers, compared with McGill's seven.
 

With nine games remaining on McGill's schedule, the fifth-place Redbirds are in danger of missing the playoffs as they sit four wins behind both Concordia (5-4) and Laval (5-4), who each hold a game in hand.


The contest marked the 212th lifetime meeting between the longtime rivals, with McGill holding a 134–78 edge in the all-time series. The teams will meet again quickly, as the Redbirds travel to Lennoxville to face Bishop's on Jan. 10 in an 8 p.m. tipoff.