Axemen rebound and improve to 7-5 with win over X

WOLFVILLE, N.S. - Fifty seven combined three point shot attempts were featured in a shoot-out between the 7-5 Acadia Axemen and the 1-9 StFX X-Men. With 47.1% from the floor and 39.4% 3pt Field goal percentage, the Axemen topped the visiting X-Men 84-75 in a game that had nine lead changes and three ties.

While Nick De Palma (Bedford, N.S.), Ben Miller (Winnipeg, Man.) and Shaquille Smith (North Preston, N.S.) worked the perimeter, first year post Erik Nissen (Quispamsis, N.B.) grabbed the Subway Player of the Game honours by working the paint for 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Leading 26-23 after one quarter, the Axemen fell short in the second frame and trailed 41-40 at the half after Julius Antoine (Woodbridge, Ont.) drained a three point jump shot in the closing seconds of the first half.

Antoine, named as the StFX Subway Player of the Game, finished with a game high 25 points that included six of 12 three point baskets.

After three quarters, the Axemen took a 67-61 lead on the balanced play of the perimeter game and inside, while the three point success of the X-Men dried up with 0-5 from the distant arc.

Edging the X-Men 17-14 in the fourth, the small quarterly leads gave Acadia a game high 16 point lead with 4:33 remaining in the game.

With time not on their side, the X-Men fell short in gaining ground in the closing minutes of the game, giving the Axemen their second win against StFX in three of the four game regular season series.

X-Men Kevin Bercy (Kanata, Ont.) added 15 points to Antoine's 25, while Davonte Provo (East Preston, N.S.) and Temitayo Shittu (Burlington, Ont.) each had eight points. Bercy and Cameron Walker (Dallas, Texas) led StFX with nine rebounds each.

Second year sharp shooter Nick De Palma posted 17 points of which 15 came from the three point arc. Ben Miller added 14 points and 12 assists, while senior forward Shaquille Smith netted 18 points and pulled in eight rebounds.

Head Coach Kevin Duffie noted that the opening half exchange of three point shots was slowed down in the second half. "We didn't really contest their shooters well in the first half but we tightened it up in the second half. There was a wild pace to the opening of the game with a lot of threes and dunks - great for the fans but stressful for the coaches"

The Axemen improve to 7-5 and find themselves in a three-way tie for second place with eighteen points, however UNB and Dalhousie both have a game in-hand. The X-Men drop to 1-9 and host Acadia this Friday for the fourth and final game of the regular season series.