ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

The Bishop's Gaiters Athletes of the Week are Hermon Tesfaghebriel of the Men's Basketball team and Marie-Ève Lemoine of the Women's Basketball team.

Tesfaghebriel led the Gaiters team to their first playoff berth in four years last weekend, averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over the two games. On Saturday, he scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds and made a career-high six assists as the Gaiters scored an 86-74 victory over the McGill Redmen. On Saturday, he broke out 23 points, tying his season high, including 9-for-10 from the free throw line, as the Gaiters downed Concordia 73-67. He finished with nine rebounds, one short of what would have been his third double-double of the season, and made three steals and two blocks, both tying his season high.

Lemoine led the Gaiters 24 points and seven assists over the Gaiters' two games last weekend. On Friday, Lemoine scored 12 points and made a career-high five assists, as the Gaiters downed McGill 64-54. She went 4-for-8 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. On Saturday, she again scored 12 points, her third double-digit game in the past four, on 6-for-13 shooting as the Gaiters fell 68-57 to Concordia. She grabbed a team-high five defensive rebounds, and added a pair of assists.

HONOUR ROLL:

• Onnex Blackwood, Men's Basketball - Rookie guard scored 21 points on Friday night, led Gaiters with 10 rebounds on Saturday
• Mélanie Ouellet-Godcharles, Women's Basketball - Led Gaiters on Friday with 16 points.
• Becky Yates, Women's Soccer - Gaiters' team MVP on Friday night vs. UQAM
• Erika Cook, Women's Hockey - Scored the game-winner on Friday night.
• Gabrielle Côté-Caouette, Women's Basketball - Scored 16 points, on 7-for-11 shooting, on Saturday night
• Damon Thomas-Anderson, Men's Basketball - Scored 18 points in Friday's win over McGill

GAITERS ON SSN

All the Gaiters' remaining home basketball games will be available to watch live and free on SSN Canada at www.ssncanada.ca. The next Gaiters on SSN webcast will be Friday, February 26. Commentary will be provided by Sean O'Neill '08 and Jordan Winnett '10.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (11-15, 9-15 CIS, 6-8 QUBL 4th)
Gaiters notch two wins to clinch first playoff berth in four years

FRIDAY: BISHOP'S 86, MCGILL 74 - Full Story - Box Score
Onnex Blackwood’s 21 point, seven rebound performance led the ’s Gaiters as they downed the McGill Redmen, 86-74, on Friday night at the Mitchell Gym. He scored eight third-quarter points as the Gaiters pulled away from the Redmen, converting a 34-30 halftime lead into a 61-49 edge after three quarters. Blackwood’s 21 points and seven rebounds were both game highs, while three other Gaiters hit double figures. Damon Thomas-Anderson scored a season-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Ryan Steele and Hermon Tesfaghebriel each scored 12. Tesfaghebriel also led the Gaiters with six assists, a career-high. Tim Hunter made two blocks, to bring his league-leading total up to 13 on the season.

SATURDAY: BISHOP'S 73, CONCORDIA 67 - Full Story - Box Score
Hermon Tesfaghebriel scored 23 points to lead the Gaiters to a 73-67 win over Concordia on Saturday. The raucous Winter Homecoming crowd of 1,115 saw the Gaiters clinch their first trip to the postseason since 2005-06. Tesfaghebriel’s 23 points, a season high, led all scorers, and his nine rebounds made him just short of a double-double. The fifth-year centre went 7-for-14 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line, as well as making a game-high three steals and a pair of blocks. The only other Gaiter in double figures was Oraine Green, who scored 13 points including three three-pointers. Rookie guard Onnex Blackwood scored eight points and grabbed a game-high ten rebounds.

UP NEXT: The Gaiters close out the regular season with two games. Friday night will feature a playoff preview, as the UQAM Citadins (15-13, 14-9 CIS, 10-4 QUBL) visit for Seniors' Night. Prior to the game, the Gaiters' three graduating seniors - Hermon Tesfaghebriel, Damon Thomas-Anderson and Tim McAleenan - will be honoured. On Saturday night, the Gaiters will visit Laval (14-17, 12-14 CIS, 8-6 QUBL) to close out regular season play. Tipoff for both games is set for 8 p.m. Friday's game will be carried live on http://www.ssncanada.ca, while Saturday's will be webcast in French on http://www.rougeetortv.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (11-12, 11-12 CIS, 5-9 QUBL t-4th)
Women's Basketball splits pair of home games

FRIDAY: BISHOP'S 64, MCGILL 54 - Full Story - Box Score
Mélanie Ouellet-Godcharles scored 16 points to lead the Gaiters to a 64-54 victory over McGill on Friday night at the Mitchell Gym. Her game-high performance was highlighted by a pair of consecutive three-pointers early in the fourth quarter that gave the Gaiters a 49-44 lead that they did not relinquish. Ouellet-Godcharles hit four three-pointers overall as her 16 points led all scorers. Marie-Ève Lemoine scored 12 points and tied her career high with five assists, while Robyn Wilson scored ten points.

SATURDAY: CONCORDIA 68, BISHOP'S 57 - Full Story - Box Score
The Stingers kept their playoff hopes alive as they came from behind to score a 68-57 victory over the Gaiters on Saturday night. The Gaiters committed a season-high 24 fouls, as Concordia went 17-for-25 from the free throw line. Conversely, the Stingers committed only nine fouls, and the Gaiters were 3-for-7 from the line. The Gaiters were led by a pair of 16-point outbursts by Gabrielle Côté-Caouette and Katy Germain. Marie-Ève Lemoine’s 12 points, her third double-digit game in the last four, rounded out the Gaiters leading scorers, while rookie centre Elizabeth Coolen led the Gaiters with a career-high eight rebounds.

UP NEXT: The Gaiters close out the regular season with two games this weekend. On Friday, the Gaiters will host the UQAM Citadins (13-11, 13-11 CIS, 8-6 QUBL) for Senior Night. The Gaiters' three graduating seniors, Robyn Wilson, Mélanie Ouellet-Godcharles and Marie-Ève Lemoine will be honoured after the game. On Saturday, the Gaiters will close out the regular season at No. 7Laval (18-6, 18-5 CIS, 12-2 QUBL). The Gaiters would clinch a playoff spot with a win in one of their last two games. Tipoff for both games is set for 6 p.m. Friday's game will be carried live on http://www.ssncanada.ca, while Saturday's will be webcast in French on http://www.rougeetortv.

WOMEN'S INDOOR SOCCER (0-5-1, 8th)
10-man Gaiters fight UQAM to a draw

The Gaiters picked up their first point of the season in a spirited 1-1 draw with the UQAM Citadins. Véronique Lafrance put UQAM up on the stroke of halftime. The Gaiters tied the contest in the 61st minute off a corner kick, with Katie Wallace being credited with the goal. The game was physical, with UQAM receiving three yellow cards in the contest, while Gaiters' Katie Montelpare was booked in the 56th minute and sent off after an incident with UQAM's Lora Lehr in the 86th minute. Becky Yates played goal for the Gaiters, and was named the team's player of the game.

UP NEXT: The Gaiters (0-5-1) close out the regular season at Sherbrooke on Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. at the Centre Multi-Sport Roland Dussault.

WOMEN'S HOCKEY (5-11-1)
Women's Hockey defeats Sherbrooke Juniors, hosts Alumni

The Polar Bears played one game last week, on Friday night vs. the Sherbrooke Junior A squad, and came away with a 3-2 shootout victory. Erika Cook netted the shootout winner in the fourth round, while Alysha McLeod was perfect in the Bears' net. Taylor Coté and Chantal Richard scored the two Bears goals in regulation time.

On Saturday, the Bears faced off against the Polar Bears Alumni, as part of Bishop's Winter Homecoming festivities. The current Bears came out on top, scoring a 6-2 victory over the "old girls". After the game, the Bears hosted a reception for their alumni at the Old Lennoxville Golf Course where many stories were recounted, some of them true.

UP NEXT: The Polar Bears are off until March 12, when they will play in a tournament in Stowe, Vt.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE: (All times Eastern)

Wednesday, February 24

• Women's Indoor Soccer at Sherbrooke, 8:30 p.m., Centre Multi-sport Roland Dussault

Friday, February 26

• Basketball vs. UQAM, 6 p.m. (W) & 8 p.m. (M), Mitchell Gym

Saturday, February 27

• Basketball at Laval, 6 p.m. (W) & 8 p.m. (M), Quebec City