LENNOXVILLE - The Bishop's Gaiters opened their Quebec University Basketball League schedule with a split against the Concordia Stingers. In the men's game, the Gaiters fell 69-67, depsite leading most of the night, while the women salvaged a split with a 65-55 victory in the nightcap.

MEN: CONCORDIA 69, GAITERS 67
A 16-point effort from Hermon Tesfaghebriel (Coquitlam, B.C.) went to waste as the Gaiters fell 69-67 to the Concordia Stingers. Starting point guard Oraine Green (Toronto, Ont.) keyed the Gaiters to an early lead with nine first-half points, as the Gaiters overcame Concordia's pressure defence to build up a 38-29 lead at the break.

Late in the third quarter, a three-point play by Onnex Blackwood (Toronto, Ont.) stretched the Gaiters lead to 15 points, their largest of the night. However, Concordia came back in the fourth quarter, using a 16-4 run to take the lead. After Concordia's Vali Lazarescu made a free throw to put the Stingers up 69-67 with 20 seconds to go, the Gaiters had the ball with a chance to tie or win. After a string of missed shots, Blackwood was fouled and sent to the line for two shots with one second left. However, the fairy tale ending was not to be for the rookie, as he missed both shots, as well as an attempted follow-up off the last shot, leaving the Stingers to escape with the two-point win.

Tesfaghebriel's 16 points led the Gaiters, while Green and Blackwood added 12 each and Damon Thomas-Anderson netted ten. For Concordia, Hamza Ruhezamihigo scored a game-high 20 points, while Decee Krah scored 19 and James Clark had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

With the loss, the Gaiters fall to 3-7 overall (2-7 CIS, 0-1 QUBL). They return to action next Friday, as they play the McGill Redmen (0-2 QUBL). Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. in Montreal.

WOMEN'S: #7 GAITERS 66, CONCORDIA 55
Gabrielle Côté-Caouette's (Quebec City, Que.) 17 points led the seventh-ranked Bishop's Gaiters to a 66-55 victory over the Concordia Stingers tonight in Montreal. Côté-Caouette scored nine of her points in the second quarter, as the Gaiters broke the game open with a 16-6 run.

Coming off a two-week layoff, the Gaiters had to battle some early rust, as the Stingers held a 13-12 lead after the opening ten minutes. However, Côté-Caouette's 11-point second quarter put the Gaiters up 30-21 at halftime, and they never looked back. In the second half, veterans Katy Germain (Val d'Or, Que.) and Mélanie Ouellet-Godcharles (Gatineau, Que.) hit a series of three-pointers as the Gaiters led by as many as 22 points and cruised to the victory.

Côté-Caouette led all scorers with her 17-point performance, on 8-of-12 shooting. Germain added 15 points, on five three-pointers, while Ouellet-Godcharles scored 12. The Gaiters shot 43.3% from the field, while holding Concordia to 33.3%, and forced 22 Concordia turnovers while taking only 16 of their own.

For Concordia, Anne-Marie Prophete scored 14 points, with Jill Verhesen adding 13 and Kristin Portwine scoring 12. Portwine also collected a game-high eight rebounds.

The Gaiters (5-2, 5-2 CIS, 1-0 QUBL) will take their four-game winning streak into McGill next week, as they take on the Martlets (0-2 QUBL) next Friday at 6 p.m.