Jonny Roach – Staff Writer

The Bishop’s Women’s Basketball team entered a challenging stretch of RSEQ

competition before the holidays that was followed by back-to-back matchups with McGill in the New Year. Since their late-November victory over UQAM to extend the winning streak to three games, the Gaiters have battled a demanding slate of conference opponents, revealing both the strength of their schedule and signs of collective improvement. While the win-loss column describes a tough stretch at this point in the season, the performance of this women’s squad suggests a team rising toward playoff contention as we approach the final leg of the season.

The Gaiters began this portion of the season with a convincing 66-42 win on the road over UQAM, showcasing defensive discipline and manipulating the tempo by forcing 41 turnovers. Bishop’s would then be tested at home on Nov. 27 against the first-place Laval Rouge et Or, where they would fall victim to an 81-39 defeat to end the hot streak. Despite the demoralizing loss, the Gaiters would head into the break in action with a revival of their spirits in

a nailbiting 59-57 win at home on Nov. 29, showcasing their elite hands-on defence to generate 17 steals in a resilient bounce-back victory to reignite their confidence into the new year. That response proved important as Bishop’s turned its attention toward the New Year and a demanding pair of matchups against McGill. 

Opening the calendar year on the road, the Gaiters were held to a 66-50 loss on Jan. 8, which tested their offensive output against an aggressive and high-powered Redbird attack. Although an unfortunate result, Bishop’s remained poised on all fronts throughout, continuing to pressure the ball and limit easy scoring opportunities despite the Gaiters attempting just four free throws to McGill’s 16. Bishop’s guard Zou Boithias led all scorers with 18 points and battled for nine rebounds, including four offensive rebounds, to move the needle for the Gaiters offensively. Tenacious team perimeter-defence totalled 15 steals for the Gaiters on the other side of the ball, with seven Gaiters marking a steal during the contest. There were many positive and negative takeaways from this game for these BU ballers that would definitely be on their minds in the coming days.

The Gaiters returned home for a rematch on Jan. 10, applying clear adjustments and their unrelenting determination for a chance at redemption. Bishop’s fought to rally back from being

down 15 at the halfway mark of the game, ultimately falling short of a comeback, ending the game 60-59, in a tightly contested finish. The narrow loss highlighted the team’s ability to adapt quickly, respond to a total on the scoreboard and compete with one of the conference’s strongest opponents, reinforcing the belief that the Gaiters are closing the gap as the season progresses. Mariama Toupey Diallo led the charge offensively with 22 points on an efficient 7-of-15 shooting, including four makes from three-point range. Toupey Diallo also fought mightily for second-chance opportunities as she collected six of her eight total rebounds on the offensive end. Laurie Lafleur poured in 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Zou Boithias added 11 points and seven rebounds, respectively. The Gaiters made a conscious effort to be aggressive and earn 14 attempts at the free-throw line, but would fall short in an intense game that undoubtedly has the Redbirds sweating about their next contest.

The Gaiters, now 4-4 on the season, enter the remainder of the season with a

vengeance to continuously give the RSEQ’s top dogs a fight before the playoffs. This Gaiter squad is unanimously a hard-nosed ball club, and will look to send that message in each of their remaining affairs this semester. Go Gaiters!