Sylla and Besse named McGill athletes of the week

Mariam Sylla, a native of Guinea, andRyan Besseof Aurora, Ont., are the McGill University athletes of the week, sponsored by Ye Olde Orchard Pub & Grill, for the period ending Oct. 14, 2012.
Sylla, a 6-foot-1 forward on the women's basketball team, scored 51 points and grabbed 27 rebounds in three non-conference games last week, two of them victories by McGill. The 20-year-old pharmacology freshman shot a stellar 57.1 per cent from the floor (20/35) and 68.8 per cent from the free-throw line (11/16) to go along with a pair of assists, four steals and two blocked shots. A product of the basketball program at College Montmorency, she racked up 24 points with eight rebounds in a 75-64 conquest over Western on Saturday, then registered a "double-double" with 13 points and 11 rebounds in a 61-49 victory at York on Sunday. Sylla also had 14 points and six rebounds in a 69-60 loss at Laurier on Oct. 12.
Besse, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound attacker on the men's lacrosse team, produced back-to-back hat-tricks for the Redmen last week. The 21-year-old economics senior tallied three goals and added an assist in a 12-6 triumph over Trent University last Saturday. He also added three markers in a 14-7 exhibition loss at Plattsburgh State on Oct. 12. Besse joined McGill in 2009 out of St. Andrews College in Aurora.
Both athletes will receive a gift certificate from Ye Olde Orchard Pub.