Jon Roach – Staff Writer

Following a rocky preseason, the Bishop’s Women’s Basketball team has turned it around through their first three games of the regular season. They tipped off their 2025-26 campaign at home against the University of Laval on Nov. 6 – their first taste of RSEQ competition of the year. The Gaiters opened the first quarter on an 8-2 scoring run, before the Rouge et Or rallied back to finish the quarter leading 17-12 against our Gaiters. The second and third quarters saw a mere 15 points from the Gaiters to Laval’s 36, facing the Gaiters with a 53-27 deficit entering against their first regular season opponent. In the final stanza of the match, the Gaiters fought back valiantly, outscoring ULaval 18-14 to end the game on a high note despite the 67-45 loss. 

Photo courtesy of Blair Shier

The women’s team came out of this one with room to improve on both ends of the floor. Eve Atchampone led the way offensively with 16 points and three makes from beyond the three-point arc. Laurie Lafleur and Zou Boithias added seven points respectively, and Boithias tallied four steals on the defensive side of the action. 

The second matchup of the year for the Gaiters took the team to Concordia University on Nov. 8, to seek an entry in the win column. The Concordia Stingers kept the score within five points the entire first quarter, trailing your Gaiters 19-14. The second quarter saw the Gaiters shoot a proficient 4-8 from three-point range en route to a 40-28 lead at the halfway mark; Laurie Lafleur tallied 11 points of her own in eight minutes of action. The hot shooting performance on the offensive end continued for the Gaiters in the third quarter, extending the lead to 18 points for Bishop’s. The final frame proved not enough time for a Stinger rebuttal, providing Bishop’s women’s team their first regular season victory, winning 73-57 on the road. 

The Gaiters shot the ball considerably better in their second outing of the season and racked up nine steals on defence to secure the win. Guards Laurie Lafleur (18 points, two steals) and Shaylan Greaves (17 points, three steals) led efforts offensively and defensively, while Lea Boulanger (eight points, seven rebounds) and Phania Desir (four points, 10 rebounds) battled diligently on the glass. 

With the wind in their sails after their first regular season triumph (1-1), Bishop’s squared up with the Redbirds of McGill University on Nov. 15, on the road. The Gaiters came out hot with a 13-4 scoring run to open the action, leading 17-9 after the first quarter. McGill fought back hard in the second quarter to even the 30-30 score 30-30 20 minutes of play. Bishop’s guard Zou Boithias played out of her mind in the third frame to contribute 16 of the collective 26 points in the quarter, shooting a perfect 4/4 from beyond the three-point line. After leading 56-47 through three quarters of action, the Gaiters closed out the Redbirds with a huge 75-55 victory to improve their season to 2-1. 

The scoring effort in the third outing of the season was led by an exceptional performance from Zou Boithias, tallying 26 points on immaculate 8/12 shooting from the field, 5/6 from three, and a perfect 5/5 from the charity stripe. Shaylan Greaves followed up with 18 of her own through attacking the rim, getting to the free-throw line and converting 11/13 attempts. Eve Atchampone added 13 points of her own to the team’s season high in points thus far. 

The Gaiters now rest at 2-1 overall, earning them a second-place position in the RSEQ behind only the undefeated Laval Rouge et Or, whom they will take on at home on Nov. 27.