X-Men drop final regular season game to Sea-Hawks but claim first place
Sea-Hawks secure hard-fought 71-64 victory over X-Men in final AUS regular season game
St. John's, NF – The Memorial Sea-Hawks secured a hard-fought 71-64 victory over the STFX X-Men in the final AUS regular season game Saturday night at The Fieldhouse. It was the second victory in as many nights for Memorial.
The game was closely contested, with both teams battling back and forth before the Sea-Hawks pulled away in the fourth quarter.
The X-Men had a shortened roster, opting to leave league-leading scorer DJ Jackson and big man Jeff Ngandu home in anticipation of the AUS championship next weekend.
Both teams came out strong in the opening quarter, finishing tied at 22-22. STFX's Bennett Grumbach led the way with 8 points, keeping his team competitive, while Memorial's Norm Burry countered with 5 points. The second quarter saw Memorial edge ahead slightly, taking a 41-40 lead into halftime.
The game took a turn in the third quarter, as STFX struggled offensively, scoring just five points on 10% shooting. Memorial also had a tough time but managed to extend their lead slightly, finishing the quarter up 53-45.
Despite a stronger fourth-quarter push from the X-Men, poor free-throw shooting and turnovers proved costly. Memorial's efficient shooting (46.0% FG) and strong rebounding helped them maintain their lead and seal the win.
Burry lead the Sea-Hawks with 22 points on the night and had 9 rebounds. Josh Reimer scored 16 points and added 6 rebounds, while Joshua Francis scored 8.
Grumbach finished the night with 20 points for the X-Men. Gatluak James contributed 12 points and Koat Thomas scored 7 and added 8 rebounds.
The X-Men finish the season with a 15-5 record and 30 points atop the AUS conference, having already locked in first place prior to the final weekend of play.
With the first place finish they have earned a bye directly into the AUS semifinal game. That is scheduled for Saturday, March 1st at 3:00 pm at Halifax's Scotiabank Centre.
The compete AUS championship schedule can be found by CLICKING HERE.
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