By Danny Gonzalez — Contributor

Nov. 3 vs McGill University

The women’s basketball team opened the first of two games on Thursday night. The game started off really close, with both teams prepared and focused on playing their best. However, the Gaiters knew how to take advantage of the score especially with the outstanding duo Siciliano-Kabunda. By the end of the first half, the Gaiters were in the lead by 12 points. 

In the second half, the quarters were really tight, with 17-14 and 12-11 for the Gaiters. This made the fight for the rebounds really important for both teams. For Bishop’s, the top scorers were Jael Kabunda with 16 points and 7 rebounds, Amaiquen Siciliano with 15 points and 8 assists, and Victoria Gauna with 14 points and 6 rebounds.

The women’s team pulled off an impressive 73-57 win over the Martlets to start off their season. They are now preparing to travel to Montreal to play the Concordia Stingers on Nov. 10. After that, they will be returning home to play Université Laval.

Also, we would like to give a very special shoutout to the women’s new head coach, Dianna Ros for her first regular season U SPORTS victory!

Nov. 3 vs McGill University

The men’s basketball team received a warm welcome during their home opener at Mitchell Gym. Following the women’s victory, the team went out to the court with a winning mentality. However, the first and second quarter were very close in score. Both teams went at it at both ends making it a close score at halftime. The lack of scoring from the three-point line did not allow Bishop’s to take the lead before the half. As we have seen in previous games, the Gaiters tend to come back out from the locker room with high energy and focus on details. 

Unfortunately, this time the accuracy in the shots was not there for our purple players. It was in the fourth quarter where things really started to line up, and the squad splashed a few threes in a row that allowed them to come back. The last minutes were very intense, with both teams interchanging in the lead constantly. Ultimately, it came down to minor details such as free throws and defensive rebounds that made the ultimate difference. McGill was not able to score in the last play of the game, permitting Bishop’s to win by a nail biting 72-71 score. Players such as Charles Robert and Hisham Saleh had a great participation in offense, with 22 points and 15 points respectively. 

The men’s team will also be traveling to Concordia on Nov. 10 where both teams are hoping to come home with another win for the beginning of their seasons.