When a team starts meshing, results will follow. The McGill Martlets basketball team is putting truth behind this formula, as the women have won two straight RSEQ conference games to open the New Year. On Thursday night at Love Competition Hall, the Martlets downed the Bishop’s Gaiters by a score of 65-61 to improve to 4-3 on the season.

McGill started out of the gate strong, led by third-year guard Francoise Charest, who was effective all night and finished the game with a team-high 18 points. However, the Martlets’ offence sputtered in the second quarter and the team looked stagnant on the perimeter. The Gaiters entered the first half break with a 31-23 lead.

Head Coach Ryan Thorne noted his team’s second quarter struggles, specifically emphasizing their inability to get the ball inside to their senior forward Anneth Him-Lazarenko. “We had a size advantage but weren’t utilizing that as we were playing too much on the perimeter and weren’t going inside to Anneth, [who] was frustrated because she thought she was getting held, so she left the paint a lot and that played into their hands,” Thorne said.

McGill entered the second half with some adjustments to get Him-Lazarenko open in the paint and run the offence from an inside-out approach. This was effective as the Martlets quickly took control of the game, outscoring Bishop’s 21-11 in the third quarter. “We made some adjustments in the second half, went to [some sets] that would get her more space on the inside and that’s when the game turned,” Thorne explained.

The veteran backcourt, led by fifth-year Natalie Larocque and junior Marie-Eve Martin, also hit some huge outside shots in the third frame, taking McGill to a 44-42 advantage heading into the final quarter. “Once [Him-Lazarenko] started getting touches, [Martin] hit some big shots, Larocque hit some big shots … and that’s what we expect from them,” Thorne said.

The Martlets withstood a run by the Gaiters in the fourth, and controlled the paint while playing solid perimeter defence to preserve their lead and claim the win. Thorne was pleased with his team’s performance, and credits their recent success to a variety of factors.

“I think we’re starting to understand each other better, understand what each rookie brings. I think we’re getting into a better rotation in terms of substitutions … specifically changes in our starting line with Larocque coming off the bench even though she can start on this team,” Thorne said. “She’s giving up a bit of her [playing time] just to better the rotations and give us a scoring punch off the bench. That’s a huge sacrifice and shows her character.”

One rookie that stood out was freshman point guard Dianna Ros, who led the offence and contributed with 13 points on 6-11 shooting.

With the win, the Martlets now have eight points in the RSEQ, placing them second behind the Concordia Stingers who remain undefeated on the season, while Bishop’s left the building with a 2-4 record. McGill looks to continue their success and team development on the road in an important game against the aforementioned Stingers on Jan. 21. They return home to play UQAM on the 26th.