Quebec City, QC – In the end the Laval Rouge et Or were simply undeniable.
The eighth seed, the write-off, the one that everyone looked past, and now, after a 77-71 win over the Queen’s Gaels, the 2024 U SPORTS Men’s Basketball National Champions.
For the first time in 26 years, the W.P. McGee trophy will reside in Quebec as Laval becomes the first RSEQ school since the Bishop’s Gaiters won it all in 1998 to take home the national title.
So much can and will be said about this team and how they came together to capture this moment, but as he stood at centre court post-game, MVP trophy in one hand, medal around his neck, Ismaël Diouf said it probably better than anyone else probably could.
“I’m where I’m supposed to be.”
From the moment the buzzer sounded on the bronze medal game, the event staff went to work. Each seat inside Amphithéâtre Desjardins had a set of thundersticks placed on it, decorating the red seats with dots of white, and ensuring that the Quebec crowd would have ample opportunity to amp up the noise.
A supporter section on the east baseline, equipped with drums, bells and whistles, meant the noise started at a peak and stayed there. From the moment the Laval starters were introduced to cheers so loud it made the PA announcer inaudible, to the first dunk of the night from Ismaël Diouf, the 3000 fans inside the stadium were electric.
When Diouf finished off a putback slam for his second dunk to make it 21-8 for Laval with three minutes to play in the first, sitting on the baseline, you could almost feel the building physically shake.
That impact of that noise and that energy has been a critical point of discussion all weekend, but the Rouge et Or knew they felt it.
“The difference was the energy in the crowd here,” Diouf said. “I was exhausted, and the crowd just kept screaming, which gave me some push to finish the game.”
Three straight baskets from Luka Syllas and a Cole Syllas three-pointer brought the crowd back down a bi,t though and brought the score down to 24-17 for Laval at the end of one quarter
In the second, the OUA champion Gaels began to truly fight back. Fofo Adetogun scored seven points, while Aaron Tennant scored eight, including his putback dunk that lit up the cluster of Queen’s supporters who made the trip to Quebec City.
A Cole Syllas jumper with under five seconds to go made it 43-39 for the Gaels at halftime, and as the halftime entertainment rolled on, that energy that radiated across the building started to get a hint of nerves. Once the second half began, though, Laval’s stars stepped up.
Diouf picked up six in the quarter on a pair of triples as part of his game-high 26 points, while Steeve Joseph dropped in seven as part of his 24 points.
“The best players in the country come up big in these kinds of moments,” their coach Nathan Grant said.
“I say this all the time: ‘You guys can win all the MVPs you want during the season, all the all-stars, rookie of the year, defensive player of the year, all that stuff that’s not going to help you in this tournament.’
“This tournament, you’ve gotta come out and be focused, be physical, you gotta be gritty and relentless to get it done, and on this stage, the greatest players all shine the brightest.”
Thanks to Diouf and Joseph, the Rouge et Or took a slim 57-56 lead into the final frame but with the Gaels successfully running the ball through Luka Syllas in the final quarter (who finished with a team-high 23 points), he picked up eight points as Queen’s clawed back inch by inch.
With 90 seconds on the clock, a turnover led to a fast-break dunk from Aaron Tennant that put Queen’s up 69-68. The Gaels faithful exploded, but the Rouge et Or remained calm. After Steeve Joseph missed his 3-pointer, Diouf picked up the rebound and nailed a jumper to put the Rouge et Or up 70-69, a lead they would never relinquish.
As free throws were traded and the clock wound down to under ten seconds, with Laval at the line, Sydney Tremblay-Lacombe walked up and down the court, motioning the crowd to get as loud as they could.
On Friday, Tremblay-Lacombe said that the goal had always been for the Rouge et Or to prove they belong. Tonight, with a smile on his face and gold around his neck, his answer was pretty simple.
“I’m pretty sure we did it.”
