For some reason, the high-five has lost a lot of the popularity it once held. I don’t know why this is, since high-fiving is totally awesome. It’s like saying hi to someone and them saying it back to you and you’re so excited to see each other that you embrace a bit (but just with your hands because you don’t really want to hug because they might have bed bugs) and make a noise to signify your excitement. Also, by high-fiving instead of shaking hands, you’re showing society that you’re still young and cool, unlike those suit-wearing fat cats who are always shaking hands and trading oil futures. On top of this, there are many ace variations of the high-five. You can high-five, low-five, etc. But because the high-five has lost some of its cachet, you may not exactly remember how to do it­—so here are some instructions:

First, you need to decide whether the situation or the partner is worthy of a high-five. I think one reason the high-five went out of style was that it was overused and people became tired of it. Although you should feel comfortable high-fiving often, you need to realize there are certain situations that merit the high-five and others that do not.

There are four basic situations where a high-five might be applicable: saying hello, saying goodbye, congratulating someone on something awesome that they did, and when something awesome happens that directly affects both parties. Greeting someone with a high-five is a pretty ace move. You immediately show them that you’re still hip, and it starts off your time together with a bang, literally. (Note: that was a joke and if I had said it in person, we would have high-fived. I’ll return to this in a minute). However, high-fives are tricky greetings because if you throw your arms back to ready yourself, someone might think you’re going in for a hug. This can be either good or bad, depending on the person. The last thing you want is for your potential high-five partner to think you’re overestimating the friendship and conclude that you’re a weirdo.

Saying goodbye with a high-five is a lot like saying hello with one, but you do it when you’re parting ways. It’s an especially good move if you’ve just had a sweet hangout sesh and want to commemorate your time together with some hand-to-hand action. But you should probably avoid going for a high-five if you’ve just had any type of emotional hangout sesh, like breaking up with someone or talking about your feelings. A high-five will just come off as ironic—a move reserved for hipsters.

Third, you can high-five to congratulate someone on something awesome they did. Some examples include passing a test, telling a good joke, or making a great stew. High-fiving when a third-party does something great is not cool. For example, if you were to see a dude at a bar get to first base with a girl, you wouldn’t turn to your friend and say: “That guy is doing great, let’s high-five now.” But if your friend was the one with the girl, you could go up to him and say, “Great job man, let’s high-five now,” and then you would high-five because your friend is the one doing something great. Similarly, if you were the one getting some action, you should be prepared to get a high-five from your friend. You need to be ready because you don’t want to ever leave anybody hanging. This brings up to a common problem: leaving someone hanging. Don’t do it, man. Don’t do it.

Last, there’s the high-five situation when something awesome happens that directly affects both parties. An example of this would be getting a free pizza. Because both parties are directly affected, you could share a high-five to show your excitement. If the awesome thing only affects one party a high-five might be a possibility, but it will often be uncalled for. A slap on the back or a pat on the ass may very well be more appropriate.

At this point, you should have a better understanding of when to high-five. Now let’s turn to a discussion of how to do it. 1. Find a friend. 2. Assess the situation and make sure a high-five is appropriate. 3. Raise your hand and cock it back with your elbow pointing towards your partner and your hand ready near your head. 4. In a swift motion, smack your hand into your partner’s hand. 5. Smile at your partner and nod in agreement that you just did something awesome.

The Windy City used to be best known for three prominent residents: Al Capone, Oprah and Michael Jordan. Many Chicagoans were content with their reputation for gang violence and the occasional successful sports franchise, but in the early 2000s, Mayor Richard Daley decided the city needed a change of face. The Obama campaign and the  failed 2016 Olympic bid resulted in a massive overhaul of the city’s tourist destinations and transportation systems.  The city is most accessible by train, known as the “El,” and tourists can visit the best of the North, South, and West sides all in one day.

Start: Red Line, Belmont

See: North Halsted, a neighbourhood that never sleeps, is home to Boys’ Town. Sporty visitors should walk to Wrigley Field, where millions of Chicagoans get their hearts broken by the cursed Cubs every year.

Do: Browse the thrift stores on Belmont.

Eat: For over sixty years, Ann Sather’s on Belmont and Clark has been serving cinnamon rolls big enough to feed Jay Cutler. They’re even more delicious a la mode.

Red Line, Fullerton

See: L. Frank Baum wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Lincoln Park’s residential park, now known as Oz Park. Today the city honours the classic novel with Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Dorothy and Toto sculptures.

Do: Hop in a paddle boat at the Lincoln Park Zoo and catch a view of some flamingos and the John Hancock building.

Eat: R. J. Grunts has been serving burgers, shakes, and rock ‘n’ roll to the stars for decades. While definitely touristy, their cookie dough milkshakes can’t be beat. For takeout, head to the original Potbelly Sandwich Works on Lincoln Avenue for the meat lover’s “wreck” and an ice cream sandwich.

Brown Line (Loop), Sedgwick

See: John Belushi, Stephen Colbert, and Tina Fey started their comedy careers on the Second City stage. Chicago’s best comedy club is still serving cheap jokes and cheaper drinks seven nights a week.

Do: Walk over to North Avenue Beach for a game of beach volleyball and a view of the skyline.

Eat: The Green City Market just south of the zoo brings local organic produce and baked goods to the city twice a week, and attracts the best local chefs.

Purple Line, Randolph and Wabash

See: The Art Institute of Chicago has always attracted tourists. The newly completed Modern Wing is a work of art in itself, and is the perfect size for an afternoon visit.

Do: Snap a photo in front of the Cloud Gate, also known as the “Bean,” which reflects the city’s diverse architecture.

Eat: Mrs. Field’s chocolate chip cookies on Randolph are filled with butter, chocolate, and more butter and chocolate. It’s impossible to buy less than a dozen. Gourmands looking to splurge should head to the Loop’s Frontera Grill, Japonais, or Tru.

End: Green Line, 63rd and Cottage Grove:

See: University of Chicago students have named the institution “Where Fun Goes to Die,” but a pleasant place to grab some coffee, walk around, and learn about the Manhattan Project. Researchers conducted the first man-made nuclear reaction underneath what is now the Regenstein Library.

Do: See how close you can get to Barack Obama’s Hyde Park home on 50th and Greenwood. See how many Hyde Parkers you can talk to before hearing about the fact that Obama still owns a house in Hyde Park.

Eat: Grab a sandwich from the Medici bakery and walk to the Point on East 57th Street to watch the sunset.

Other Worthy Stops:

China Town (Red Line, 21st and Cermack), the Hispanic Pilsen neighborhood (Pink Line, 18th Street), and anywhere on the lakefront.

Things not to do:

– Swim in Lake Michigan. Newly elected mayor Rahm Emmanuel lost a finger after swimming in the lake with a wounded hand and contracting gangrene.

– Eat deep dish pizza at Giordano’s. The restaurant is filled to the brim with tourists. Edwardo’s or Pizza Capri offer deep dish as well as traditional thin crust.

– Eat in Viagra triangle, the triangular intersection with a slew of steakhouses, and creepy rich men looking to pick up women at 11 a.m. But then again, if you’re a woman under 25 looking to get some, this might be a good hangout spot.

It was quite a weekend for the reigning Quebec Swimmer of the Year.

McGill’s Steven Bielby kicked it off by travelling to frigid Calgary to compete in the CIS championships. There, he qualified for two events at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China by winning two gold medals, one each in the 200 and 400 metre Individual Medley (IM). The two golds raise his career total to six, a McGill record.

Bielby took the hardware and ran, catching a flight straight out of Calgary to Vancouver, connecting from there to Sydney, Australia, where the third-year electrical Engineering major will spend the next semester, studying, and training at the University of Sydney. In August, Bielby will make the shorter jump to Shenzhen to represent both Canada and McGill on the world stage. The summer’s event could be a precursor of things to come, as Bielby’s looks towards London in 2012.

Origin story

Bielby broke onto the university swimming scene back in 2009, when, in his freshman year at McGill, he won three gold medals at the year-end CIS championships. Since then, he hasn’t looked back, winning a gold, two silvers, and a bronze in 2010, and following that up with this past weekend’s double gold performance.

Though his results haven’t varied much, Bielby and his CIS competition have undergone drastic changes in the past three years.

The times they are a-changin’

In a 2009 interview with the Tribune, Bielby said of the CIS championships, “My main focus was on just one of the events, the 1500-metre freestyle … which I would say is my best event.”

This year, Head Coach Peter Carpenter said Bielby directed his energies primarily towards the two events he won. He didn’t even compete in the 1500m freestyle because it was right after the 200m IM and also partly because the presence of 2008 Olympic 1500m freestyle bronze medallist Ryan Cochrane represented a serious hit to Bielby’s chances of winning the event.

The two faced off in the 400m freestyle, which Cochrane won. But Bielby got his revenge in the 400m IM, beating out Cochrane by almost six seconds and finishing nearly a full four seconds ahead of second-place David Dimitrov of the University of Calgary. The bronze marked the only event Cochrane competed in that he didn’t win.

“To be honest, the 400 IM, I have no problem saying, was probably the greatest swim of [Bielby’s] life,” said Carpenter. “It’s not a best time but given the situation and the circumstances, that was probably the best swim he ever put together. And the fact that he won the race by four seconds shows total dominance.”

The “circumstances” to which Carpenter refer are, in addition to a pressure-packed championship-setting, 3500 feet of altitude and the accompanying lack of oxygen—a significant problem for one of the single most taxing aerobic sports. Despite this challenge, swimmers were setting record or near-record CIS paces.

“I think that really what we’re seeing, more than individual successes or failures, is the level of the CIS championships is going up significantly every year,” said Carpenter. “It seems like more and more kids are staying in Canada which is definitely something that we’re striving for.”

Despite the uptick in competitiveness, Bielby’s time in the 400 IM at CIS championships peaked in 2009 at 4:11.42. He regressed to 4:14.72 in 2010, and then won his latest gold with a time of 4:13.60.

The numbers

For the average sports fan, swimming is a sport either known not at all, or for its three celebrities: Michael Phelps, of the bazillion gold medals and 10,000 calorie per day diet, Ian Thorpe (the Thorpedo), and the infamous Speedo LZR Racer Suit.

If you don’t remember, the LZR was at the centre of a broiling controversy in Beijing when swimmers wearing the suit demolished the record books.

Looking at Bielby’s times over the three-year span, it would be easy to disregard his progress. At first glance it appears that 2009 was a high watermark, maybe a fluke. But, consider the fact that 2009 was the last year the LZRs were permitted for competition and the numbers starts to make a lot more sense.

Some of Bielby’s other numbers are more difficult to understand, however.

“He is very … well yes, very short,” said Carpenter. “He’s 5’8″, which is incredibly short in the world of swimming. It’s almost comical. For the 200 IM walkout last night, you watch him walk out and he’s in the middle lane and you see one guy who’s 6’2″, one guy who’s 6’6″, one guy who’s 6’1″, Steven at 5’8″ and then another guy who’s 6′ and another guy who’s maybe 5’11”. It’s very funny to watch.”

Carpenter, along with the rest of McGill, and maybe Team Canada, has good reason to laugh, knowing that Bielby has some pretty good weekends in sight.

The second ranked Redmen kept on rolling during the break as they advanced to the OUA East final by sweeping the Ottawa Gee Gees and Nipissing Lakers in consecutive series.

On Saturday, at McConnell Arena, the Redmen ended the Lakers’ playoff dreams with a 6-4 victory. McGill cruised to a 1-0 lead in the first period as they outshot Nipissing 12-6. They exploded for four goals in the later half of the second period to take a 5-1 lead into the third. Nipissing responded with three consecutive goals to open the final period. But with four minutes remaining Simon Marcotte-Legare scored his third goal of the playoffs to double the Redmen lead and extinguish any hopes the Lakers had for a comeback.

“We had good performances from a lot of different guys in the first four games,” said Head Coach Kelly Nobes. “[We were] real effective on the forecheck, in the corners and along the boards.”

The victory came three days after McGill travelled to North Bay to capture the first game of the series 4-1. McGill was outshot 32-31 for the game and entered the third period trailing 1-0. They remained composed, however, as Maxime Langelier-Parent scored the first two goals of the third period to give the Redmen their first lead at 2-1. A minute after Langelier-Parent’s second goal, CIS scoring champion Alex Picard-Hooper found the back of the net to double the McGill lead.

The Redmen victory against Nipissing came on the heels of a sweep against the Ottawa Gee Gees in the first round. That series started slow for the Redmen as they found themselves trailing 1-0 midway through the third period at home in game one. However, sniper Francis Verreault-Paul was able to tie the game with 13 minutes to go. With less than three minutes left Christophe Longpre-Poirier scored the game winner. The Redmen scrambled to close the game as they took two penalties and were reduced to three skaters. With the pulled goalie, Ottawa had a six on three advantage but weren’t able to find a way to score.

With one win already under their belts, the Redmen cruised to a 10-5 victory in the second game against Ottawa. McGill put the game out of reach quickly as they jumped out to 6-0 first period lead and were a dominant five for seven on the power play. Andrew Wright, Francis Verreault-Paul, Guillaume Doucet, and Simon Marcotte-Légaré all scored twice for the Redmen.

McGill now advances to the OUA East final against the eighth ranked UQTR Patriotes, who defeated Carleton in three games in the other East semifinal. The winner earns a berth in the OUA Queen’s Cup final and gets a spot in the upcoming CIS Championship.

With the victories, McGill extended their perfect record at McConnell Arena to 18-0, which bodes well for the Redmen, who have home ice advantage in their upcoming series. The series will begin Wednesday at 7 p.m. in McConnell Arena. The second game will be played at UQTR on Friday night. If the series is tied, the tiebreaker will be played back at McGill on Sunday night.

Playoff recap

The Martlets won the Quebec Student Sports Federation semi-final series, a best-of-three contest, against the Carleton Ravens last week. The Martlets, however, didn’t need all three games against the Ravens: on February 23 Gillian Ferrari, former defender for the national team, put a quick end to game one to earn a 1-0 victory. In game two, more members of the squad (Katia Clement-Heydra, Lisa Zane, Chelsea Saunders and Alessandra Lind-Kenney) contributed on the scoresheet in a dominant 4-0 win. As a result, the Martlets are heading into the QSSF final against the University of Montreal Carabins at McConnell Arena on March 3, and at Montreal on March 4. After this last QSSF hurdle, they’re hoping to head to the CIS nationals to reclaim the gold.

The team also clinched a winning streak of 100 consecutive games against Quebec University Hockey League opponents the Friday before last against Montreal. In addition, two players, Ann-Sophie Bettez and Carly Hill, scored the winning goals to help Canada snag the 2011 Winter Universiade Gold Medal in Turkey in early February. Although these achievements in themselves are phenomenal, the team is far too busy with their eye on CIS gold to spend time patting themselves on the back.

The Martlets won gold two years in a row before last season, when Alberta sniped the title, with McGill’s all-star goalie Charline Labonte away at the Olympics in Vancouver. The girls are determined to win gold in Waterloo, Ontario at nationals this year.

Most athletes can attest that any successful team has its roots in its coaching staff. Head Coach Peter Smith has been a significant factor in the success of the Martlets. Smith has coached women’s hockey national teams at the last two Olympics, and has coached the McGill Martlet squad since 1999. Being named CIS Coach of the Year and QSSF Coach of the Year on numerous occasions, he and assistant coaches Amy Doyle, Shauna Denis and Stewart McCarthey are all integral to the team’s consistent success.

This confluence of talent and a history of excellence makes the Martlets unlike any other team at McGill.

“I think when you have success over a period of time there are very high expectations,” said Smith. “So I think sometimes your successes as you go along aren’t appreciated as much. But, you know, there are no victims here.”

Accolades aside, what further sets the team apart from others at McGill is that they break the age-old prejudice that only male sports engage fans enough to come out and watch them. Smith hopes for a big outporing of support before the team heads to Waterloo for CIS championships,

“I think it makes a difference for the players,” said Smith.

History

With a roster of exceptionally hard-working, successful, and dedicated hockey stars, the Martlets squad is a team that warrants watching. The girls have represented McGill University not only in Montreal and Quebec, but across the nation, and internationally as well.

The McGill women’s hockey program was the first of its kind in North America when it began in 1896, only 12 years after women were first allowed to study at McGill. While the women’s team wasn’t always nationally acclaimed, the arrival of Kim St-Pierre (two time CIS All Canadian, CIS Player of the Year in 2002-2003, CIS Championship MVP 1999-2000, Team Canada Olympian 2002, 2006, 2010) jump-started the program. Since her arrival, amazing athletes have consistently joined the highly competitive squad. One such player is Melodie Daoust, a nationally sought-after hockey star, who just signed a letter of intent to play with McGill next season. With her years of experience playing in the intense national development program, she still says she was “impressed by [the Martlets] team chemistry and how hard they pushed themselves at practice.”

There will be a bus from McGill’s Currie Gym leaving for the University of Montreal at 6 p.m. on March 4 for fans hoping to catch one last glimpse of the team before Nationals. Seats can be reserved on the Red Thunder website: ssmu.mcgill.ca/redthunder (not accessible on Firefox).

Full disclosure: Monika Fabian is the president of Red Thunder.

Additional reporting by Sam Hunter.

Women’s volleyball

A crushing defeat to Sherbrooke in the Quebec bronze medal match ended McGill’s bid to win a wild card and qualify for the CIS championship this year.

Despite posting a perfect four and zero record against the Vert et Or in regular season play, the Martlets were swept out of the playoffs.

“Our team played really shaky in the first game, which is  really important one,” said Head Coach Rachele Beliveau. “If we win that one game then we would probably have been OK in the second one.”

The team’s veterans were the ones who folded in the heat of the moment, while younger players exceeded expectations.

“When you’re younger there’s less pressure, when you’re graduating it’s your last chance,” said Beliveau. “It shouldn’t be like that, you should be agressive and intense but it was the opposite this year. [The vets] were hesitant and that creates doubt, which is no good for volleyball.”

Rookie Genevieve Plante was probably the player-of-the-series, recording a game-high 21 kills in game two and 16 in game one, which was also a game-high mark she shared with graduating senior Kelsey Irwin.

Plante, along with the vast majority of the Martlets’ core, is young, so next season brings renewed promise of success.

 

CIS Swim Championships

in Calgary

Despite contending with 3,500 feet of altitude and the discomfort of a prairie winter, McGill swimmers performed well at the CIS championships held in Calgary over the weekend.

Led by two gold medals from Steven Bielby, the Redmen and Martlets fell into the middle of the pack, with the men finishing 11th and the women 14th.

Rookie Pierre-Alexandre Renaud and third-year Matthew Khatchadourian were the next best McGill performers on the men’s side, both finishing eighth in the 200m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke respectively.

For the women, Maxime Charron, Sophie Overney-Ragan, Leanne Roach, and Myriam Donato all finished in the top-16, but no Martlets made the final (top eight).

“The level of effort was phenomenal,” said Head Coach Peter Carpenter. “The meet was difficult in that [it] was held at 3,,500 feet, so that did pose some issues.”

The lack of oxygen at altitude affected the times, so it’s difficult to compare this meet with others of the year.

“It’s hard to say how we did vis-a-vis the other teams,” said Carpenter. “I can definitely say that more often than not our athletes moved up in the rankings than they moved down. By that standard we did well.”

Some sports’ trade deadlines arrive with a ton of hype and coverage, but rarely a trade that’s actually interesting, *cough* NHL *cough*. The NBA trade deadline is not one of those lame ducks, and 2011 was no exception. In fact, the 2011 deadline was one of the craziest in recent memory, with 14 trades involving 17 draft picks and 49 players, ranging from the Carmelos and Derons of the world all the way down to the Luke Harangodys. I’d love to go through every one of them, but that would require a lot more space than I have. I’ll take the space I do have to break down the deal that shuffled the deck at the centre of the universe: New York City.

After all the Melo-drama, the New York Knicks finally got their man, acquiring Carmelo Anthony along with Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter, and Shelden Williams from the Denver Nuggets, and Corey Brewer from the Minnesota Timberwolves. In return, the Nuggets got Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Galinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kostas Koufas, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 (both originally belonging to the Warriors) and $3 million in cash. As part of the deal, the Timberwolves picked up Eddy Curry’s expiring contract and Anthony Randolph from the Knicks, the Nuggets’ 2015 second-round pick and $3 million.

After wading through the details of that monster deal, what does it all mean? It means  that the Knicks will be starting two of the best players in the league, in their prime, for at least the next five years or so.

I read a lot of articles from various sports media outlets leading up to and following the trade about how Carmelo wasn’t worth the price, how he was just a volume shooter who couldn’t, and wouldn’t, play defence. That’s bogus. Carmelo Anthony is not the best scorer in the league. Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Dwyane Wade are all averaging more points per game and all shoot a higher percentage from the field. But Carmelo Anthony is the most versatile scorer in the league. Carmelo Anthony is faster than you, and if he’s not, then he’s stronger than you. He’s probably stronger and faster than you. He can play with his back to the basket and he can kill you from the outside. He can get to the line, where he shoots better than 80 per cent. When you need a bucket, say, I don’t know, sometime in May or June, Carmelo can get it for you any way you want it. That kind of skill set is rare and invaluable.

Is Carmelo Anthony a terrific defender? No. He doesn’t have the mentality to lock down his guy, possession after possession, game after game. But he has shown himself to be more than capable when he wants to be, just ask Kobe Bryant. When the Knicks play the big games, Carmelo will show up on both ends of the court. Throw in the fact that he’s a New Yorker who wants to play in the Garden more than anywhere else and it’s a slam dunk. If you can get Carmelo Anthony, you do it.

Yes, the price was steep, but it was worth it, and let’s not forget that Carmelo didn’t arrive in the Big Apple alone. Flying in with him, somehow under the radar, is a former Finals MVP, Chauncey Billups, who is definitely an upgrade at the point-guard position over Raymond Felton.

It’s not all doom and gloom in Denver, either, and I think, given the circumstances, the Nuggets came out of this in pretty good shape. They avoided getting Leboned, Boshed, or whatever you want to call it, by getting the most they could for their departing superstar. Along with draft picks, the Nuggets got a couple of nice young players in Danilo Galinari and Wilson Chandler, a promising big man in Timofey Mozgov and either a really good backup guard, or a good trade chip in Raymond Felton. They’ll have to make a decision on whether to resign Chandler after the season, but the rest are signed for at least one more. Remember, these guys made up the majority of a starting lineup that had already begun New York’s resurgence and they’ve started well in Denver, beating the East-leading Celtics in their post-trade home opener.

Nuggets fans should feel good about where they’re at. Kenyon Martin’s $16 million salary comes off the books after this season, meaning they should be able to re-sign anyone they want to keep among their list of expiring contracts (Martin, J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler, and Aaron Afflalo). As part of the Anthony deal, they have a $17 million trade exception they can use to sign a marquee free agent if and when they choose.

It would be rude not to mention what the Timberwolves got out of the deal but, to be honest, no one really cares. It is kind of funny that one team has now accumulated Eddy Curry, Darko Milicic, and Michael Beasley. Funnier still is that team’s GM is David Kahn (widely regarded as the worst in the league). Unfortunately, Minnesota is hopelessly irrelevant, their fans can only count the days until Kevin Love inevitably leaves, and don’t even have the comfort of knowing that Clippers fans understand their pain. They once did, but now they have the immeasurable pleasure of watching Blake Griffin on a regular basis, so they don’t care anymore.

Martlets close strong, fall short

The Martlets’ wings failed to feed Anneth Him-Lazarenko down the stretch, and it came back to bite them as the UQAM Citadins rallied to upset number-one-seed McGill 89-88 in double overtime.

Him-Lazarenko leads the Quebec conference both in scoring, with a 15.6 points-per-game average, and field goal percentage, at 54.1 per cent. Still, throughout the game she got the ball on the block infrequently, and three of her six made baskets were off offensive rebounds. She finished with game with 14 points on 66.7 per cent shooting.

Shouldering the scoring load in crunch time were guards Natalie Larocque and Marie-Eve Martin with 11 and 18 points respectively.

Helene Bibeau was well on her way to a big game, with 16 points in only 17 minutes of playing time, before going down with what appeared to be an ankle injury with 1:13 to go in the third quarter.

“[It was a] small sprain, she’s fine,” said Head Coach Ryan Thorne. “She thinks [she’ll be back for the first game of the playoffs]. I haven’t really spoken to everyone yet so I’m not 100 per cent sure, but we think so.”

Her presence might have made the difference in a game that, despite looking like a mismatch on paper (the Martlets came into the game with a 13-2 record, while UQAM was 8-6), featured the two teams currently ranked first and second in the Quebec conference playing as if they were battling for the top spot.

McGill built a nice lead in the first, finishing the quarter up 21-13, but the Citadins stormed back in the second, tying the game at 26 apiece. The game was tight from there, as every McGill run was answered by sharp shooting from UQAM.

In overtime, UQAM built a five-point lead but Martin, who hit a buzzer-beating three-point winner at Laval on January 28, converted a four-point play with 1:30 remaining to pull McGill within one. UQAM answered with a jumper but Francoise Charest sent the game to double overtime with a clutch three-pointer.

In double OT, McGill centre Valerie L’Ecuyer fought to keep her team in the game, scoring the Martlets’ first four points, but the Citadins pulled away with incredible shooting from Karine Boudrias, who nailed consecutive three-pointers, one from well beyond the arc.

The Martlets showed championship mettle by rallying yet again, as Martin scored two three-pointers in the final 11 seconds, which, along with a bricked free throw by the Citadins, cut the Martlet deficit to a single point. With a second to go however, the Martlets weren’t able to defend the inbounds pass and the Citadins escaped with the victory.

Next, McGill will advance to face Laval in the Quebec semi-final game. The Martlets will need to find a better balance of inside and outside scoring against a long Laval frontline that includes Marie-Michelle Genois, the third most prolific rebounder in the CIS, who’s averaging 10.6 boards per game.

The game will be held at Love Competition Hall on March 2 at 7 p.m.

McGill’s own White Knight

2011’s seniors’ night might as well have been called “Michael White Night,” as the graduating fifth-year forward set the tone on both ends of the floor throughout a defensive, grind-it-out 64-61 McGill win over the visiting UQAM Citadins.

White finished with 11 points on five of seven shooting from the field, a three-pointer, and seven rebounds (three offensive). Fellow senior Kyle Bernard scored six points and had Redmen game-highs in offensive boards (four) and assists (two).

“When you have seniors you’ve got to rely on [them], especially down the stretch in games,” Head Coach David DeAveiro said. “When we needed a big shot today, Michael hit a big shot, when we needed a big rebound, Michael got a big rebound. He was just doing what seniors are supposed to do but I’m glad he did it tonight in his last home game.”

Of the Redmen, only Winn Clark, who scored five points and brought some much needed hustle off the bench, and Tristan Renaud-Tremblay, who scored 15 with a variety of smooth spin moves in the post, joined White in shooting over 50 per cent. The team as a whole was mired in a shooting slump, hitting 35.4 per cent for the game.

Both teams’ offences were particularly anaemic in the first half, shooting a combined 10 for 35 and registering 45 total points. McGill led 23-22 heading into the third quarter.

The Citadins were able to gain a five-point lead in the third but Simon Bibeau hit a late jumper to bring the Redmen within three (39-42) heading into the final stanza.

In the fourth, McGill was able to start scoring with more of their customary regularity and opened up a five-point lead with 12 seconds remaining off of two clutch free-throws by Karim Sy-Morissette.

However Sy-Morissette, a defensive leader, made a mistake on the ensuing possession that nearly proved costly. With less than 10 seconds on the clock, UQAM’s Thierry Justin induced Sy-Morissette to leave his feet with a pump-fake, created contact for the foul, and managed to chuck in an ugly three-pointer for the potential four-point-play. Justin hit the free throw to cut the McGill lead to one.

After a McGill timeout, the Redmen  avoided a five-count on the inbound pass by getting the ball to big man Renaud-Tremblay, who had his defender sealed. Renaud-Tremblay, whose size gives him an advantage in catching inbounds   passes, has improved his accuracy from the line as of late. He’s shooting 66.7 per cent on the season, but 80 percent over the last three games. He iced the game by hitting both free throws for the final margin.

McGill plays next at Laval on March 1 at 7 p.m. in the Quebec Semifinal.