Tribune Athletes of the Week

Jenning Leung

Basketball, Guard

Sophomore – Arts

It was a tough week for Leung and the rest of the Redmen basketball team after they bowed out of national title contention with a loss to Bishop’s in the RSEQ Championship game. Though it is likely a small consolation, Leung was impressive in both of McGill’s games this week, notching 10 points and a couple of steals against Concordia in the RSEQ Semifinals and 15 points, six assists, and four steals in the finals. The sophomore point guard will continue on next season as the team’s likely starter, after stealing the job from the graduating Ave Bross. If these performances are any kind of preview, the Redmen have good reason to be confident in their floor general going into next year. 

 

 

 

 

 

Mariam Sylla

Basketball, Forward

Junior – Science

Sylla gave the Martlets a top-tier performance when it was most needed this past week, leading McGill to its fourth consecutive RSEQ Championship. The Conakry, Guinea native collected double-doubles in both the semifinal game and championship, including a season-high 25 points in the latter. On the week, Sylla averaged 23.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, all while shooting 61.2 per cent from the field and 81.8 per cent at the line. Her most important points came at the end of the championship game, as Sylla drained the game-winning basket with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Sylla was named game MVP of the finals, and after such an impressive season, should end up a CIS All-Canadian for the second consecutive year.

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond the box score

Redmen Hockey

After dominating the OUA East division to the tune of a 21-5 regular season record, the Redmen hockey team came within 61 seconds of punching their ticket to the CIS tournament. Down 1-0 with under two minutes left, the Windsor Lancers pulled goalie Peter Van Buskirk in a last-ditch effort to salvage their season. Mere seconds later, third-year Lancers forward Ryan Green deflected a shot from teammate Julian Luciani to send the game to overtime. McGill had held an edge in shots all game up to that point, and it looked like star goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard had his second playoff shutout in the bag, but the wild goal proved too devastating to overcome for the Redmen, as Green would score the game-winner just five minutes into the extra period to claim the OUA men’s hockey bronze for Windsor.  

Fourth-year centre Guillaume Langelier-Parent put McGill up early in the third period on a pass from winger Neal Prokop, but that was all the offence the Redmen managed to muster. There were no heroics from superstar defenceman Samuel Labrecque, no big-time shots from junior winger Jonathan Brunelle, and no sight of McGill’s lethal power play unit, which was held scoreless on two overtime opportunities.  

After a miraculous playoff run that featured overtime victories, record-breaking performances, and astonishing individual efforts, this squad can be confident that it gave its best effort, and should be back with renewed energy and determination next season. Though the team expects to lose seven seniors to graduation, including Cedric McNicoll, Neal Prokop, Guillaume Langelier-Parent, Marc-Olivier Vachon and, Benoit Levesque, they will be strengthened by a host of core players returning.  

(Photos courtesy of McGill Athletics)