WOLFVILLE, N.S. - The U SPORTS No. 5 ranked Saint Mary's Huskies defeated the Acadia Axemen 96-70 to sweep the weekend and regular season series. Nikita Kasongo led the field with 21 points that included three timely threes.
An evenly matched opening quarter delivered a 19-17 Huskies lead after 10 minutes.
Huskie Johneil Johnson (Lake Echo, N.S.) opened up the first quarter with 7 points to lead all players.
The Axemen fell behind by 13 points in the second frame, though they were able to recover before the end of the half. Down by only 10 at the half, the game was still within reach for Acadia.
Acadia's Brett Speedy (Fredericton, N.B.) went a perfect three-for-three from the distant arc in the first half, giving him a team-high nine points after 20 minutes.
Nikita Kasongo (Chateauguay, Que.), Kemar Alleyne (Toronto, Ont.) and Johnson all had 11 points at halftime - an indication that the Huskies' were scoring by committee.
Kasongo hit two quick threes at the start of the third quarter to further separate Huskies from the Axemen. He would finish with 21 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, and the Subway Player of the Game honours.
With a 71-54 after three quarters, Saint Mary's would hold on to a comfortable lead for the balance of the game.
The two teams were shooting equally well, but the Huskies were getting more high percentage opportunities, which allowed them to take control of the game.
Saint Mary's did not slow down in the fourth, building on their lead again. The Axemen did all they could but were unable to break the Huskies' win-streak.
The final score favoured the Huskies 96-70, who know remain undefeated at 14-0.
Turnovers hurt the Axemen in the long run with 19 turnovers that led to 23 points. Both team's benches performed well with the Huskies bench producing 51 points compared to the Axemen's 43.
Trevon Grant (Nassau, Bahamas) had the best stat line for the Axemen, posting 13 points, pulling down 7 rebounds and adding four assists for the losing cause. His effort earned him the Axemen's Player of the Game award.
The Axemen take on the fourth place Dalhousie Tigers this coming Saturday night in Halifax for an important four-point game that could disperse the three-way tie for the last playoff spot in the AUS standings..
The Huskies head to Syndey to take on the third place Cape Breton Capers on Saturday.
Submitted by Theodore Giesen, Acadia Athletics Communications Office