Five years ago, Hélène Bibeau and Françoise Charest walked onto the floor of Love Competition Hall for the first time. One-year later, Valérie L’Ecuyer joined the team. Now seniors, the three have presided over the transformation of the McGill Martlets into perennial playoff contenders, with the team winning the RSEQ banner three seasons in a row. Thursday’s contest against the UQAM Citadins held a mixed bag of emotions; although McGillpulled off a close 63-62 victory, the evening also marked the last home game in the Martlet careers of Bibeau, Charest, and L’Ecuyer.
McGill started the game with tenacious play and focus—the players’ tight-hustle and crisp ball movement opening up the game for the home team. Despite the tough full-court pressure by UQAM, McGill posted an easy 38-27 advantage to end the first half.
“[The Citadins] pressured a lot,” Martlet Head Coach Ryan Thorne said. “And they didn’t give us a lot of area to see passes [….] But I think [we] came out ready. Twenty-five points in a quarter is the highest scoring quarter we’ve had [this season].”
However, the second half was a different story for McGill as the home team saw its lead gradually disappear. An inability to end defensive possessions on the glass by the Martlets gave UQAM numerous second-chance opportunities, allowing the Citadins to slowly chip away at McGill’s advantage.
With four minutes left in the game, a three-pointer by UQAM’s Juliette Delaune cut the Martlet lead to just one point. The Citadins’ defence continued to stifle McGill, halting the Martlets’ offence and forcing a number of shot clock violations late in the game. Two free-throws by UQAM’s Valerie Gauvin put the visiting team up by one point with one minute to go. However, Bibeau refused to leave her home court with a loss, nailing a jumper with 53 seconds left in the game to clinch the win.
A teary and emotional celebration took place after the game on the same court where their careers began. Their jersey numbers—Charest’s 8, Bibeau’s 21, and L’Ecuyer’s 22—were honoured of the graduating players as their friends and family looked on.
Charest, one of the first Martlet basketball players out of Quebec City, has been the floor general for the team ever since her arrival. Her trailblazing effort has encouraged other athletes to leave Quebec City for McGill—which has set a precedent for the recruitment of great players.
“Right now, we have a really good squad,” Charest said. “People want to come to McGill.”
For L’Ecuyer, joining the Martlets was a tough task as a bench player out of CEGEP. However, in recent years she has been a key figure in the Martlet locker room, helping the other forwards develop their skills and playing a big role off the bench.
“Basketball brings me lots of things that I can carry on in my personal life,” she said. “Just finishing off with those girls—I’ve been playing with them for four years, so it’s a big family.”
Echoing the sentiments of the other graduates, moving on will be tough for Bibeau after the years of memories.
“[I’ll miss] the game itself; but when you play five years at the same school, you [also] miss the environment and the friends,” Bibeau said. “It becomes a family when you spend so much time here.”
Next up for the Martlets are the RSEQ playoffs, where they will face the Laval Rouge et Or (6-10) in the semifinals. Laval holds the last playoff spot, and while not necessarily impressive in the win-loss column, may prove to be troublesome for the reigning conference champions—particularly on the Rouge et Or’s home court. McGill’s quest for a fourth-straight RSEQ banner begins this Friday, Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m. at Centre PEPS, Quebec City.
