Owen Kitzan – Sports Editor

While most students were at home spending time with their families during the winter break, the Gaiters basketball team united as a family to participate in the ULaval tournament. With their first game taking place on Dec. 28 in Quebec City, the team had little time to prepare following the holidays.

Image courtesy of Charles Fortin

Their first opponent was a team that the Gaiters don’t often get to face off with as the University of Calgary Dinos made the trip across the country. The game looked like it was in BU’s favor most until a late push from the Dinos in the fourth quarter brought the game close. Ultimately, Bishop’s would come out victorious, beating Calgary 89-83. Étienne Gagnon had a monster game, finishing with 20 points as well as 20 rebounds, joined by fellow big man Charles Robert, who also had 20 points.

The following day, on Dec. 29, the Gaiters took on the McMaster Marauders for what would prove to be a much easier matchup. BU would win with a final score of 85-56. Étienne Gagnon led the way again, scoring 16 points on 87 per cent shooting while also grabbing eight rebounds.

Following the teams two statement wins against out of conference teams, regular season action returned as the Gaiters traveled down to McGill to take on the Redbirds on Jan. 8. McGill held the lead after the first quarter with a score of 22-17. This would prove to be the only quarter they came out of holding the lead, as the Gaiters would prove to be too much for them to handle. BU kept the winning streak alive, beating the Redbirds 82-68. Charles Robert led the way in the scoring department with 21 points, followed by Obinna Dike, who scored 16 points while also picking up eight rebounds and facilitating to his teammates with seven assists. Étienne Gagnon also scored 14 points while continuing to clean the glass with 14 rebounds to match.

Two days later, the Gaiters welcomed the Redbirds to Mitchell Gymnasium on Jan. 10 for a rematch. Bishop’s took the lead after the first quarter in this game, something they would maintain the rest of the way. A dominant third quarter allowed them to secure the path to an 83-72 win over McGill. Charles Robert once again led the way with 21 points as well as nine rebounds, with Obinna Dike following once again with 17 points of his own. Yanis Malanda also played a big role in the win, recording 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Gaiters now improve to 10-1 as an overall record this season across all competitions. The team is now riding a six-game winning streak, with their last loss dating back to Nov. 22. Make sure to come cheer the team on at their next home game, Jan. 24 against the UQAM Citadins.