SYDNEY, N.S. – The Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers (5-8) defeated the Acadia Axemen (2-10) 96-79 in Atlantic University Sport (AUS) basketball action on Friday night at Sullivan Fieldhouse.
In a low-scoring opening five minutes, the sides were knotted at 8-8, with Seth Blundell (Wolfville, NS) meshing six points for Acadia, while Jason Callaghan (Sydney, NS) nailed an acrobatic right-handed lay-up off the glass after making a sensational spin move on his defender.
After the Capers jumped to a 15-11 edge, sophomore forward Chris Ruta (Calgary, AB) made a high-flying shot block for the home team to maintain the momentum.
A short time later, when the seas parted in the middle of the lane, CBU forward Ceejay Hanson (Manchester, England) came off the wing and soared to the hoop for a thunderous right-handed dunk.
The visitors answered in the see-saw stretch; highlighted by Gabe Davignon (Whites Lake, NS) nailing consecutive three-pointers, making the second one with a Caper defender draped over him.
Acadia led 23-21 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Ruta set the tone defensively with his third blocked shot of the contest.
After Live Kivuvu (Harrow, England) corralled an offensive rebound and put in a lay-up, the Capers led 30-27.
With the pace quickening, the teams exchanged baskets over the next few minutes, with CBU leading 42-38 late in the second stanza.
Keyed by a three-pointer from Mitchell Mersereau (Sydney, NS) and an acrobatic left-handed scoop shot on the fast break by Jahnian Simmonds (North Preston, NS), the Capers made a late run.
In the final seconds of the first half, Tyson Cato (Ajax, ON) secured an offensive rebound for the Capers, His heave from just beyond half court banged off the backboard before Mersereau – who continued to hustle – snagged the offensive rebound and made a buzzer-beating basket.
That hoop put an exclamation point on the 7-0 spurt, which gave CBU a double-digit lead – 49-38 – heading to the locker room.
The Capers outscored the Axemen 28-15 in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, sparked by a quick 10-4 run in the opening two minutes, the CBU lead ballooned to 59-42.
Acadia answered with back-to-back hoops, including a lay-up by Adam Barney (Ottawa, ON) off a nifty dish from Ryan Munro (Halifax, NS).
Led by Callaghan, who sank a pair of free throws and then made a behind-the-back pass to Kivuvu for a lay-up, the Capers took a 71-50 advantage with four minutes remaining in the stanza.
The Axemen cut the deficit to 71-56 on consecutive three-pointers from Davignon and Miguel Perez Boskovic (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain).
Highlighted by a fast break slam from Hanson, the Capers maintained their tight grip on the game and took a 79-58 lead to the fourth quarter.
In the opening minute, the fifth-year tandem of Subway player of the game Osman Omar (Mississauga, ON) and Paul Watson (Mississauga, ON) ensured the Capers would not let the pedal off the metal; Watson fashioned an old-fashioned three-point play, while Omar made consecutive fast break lay-ups after Axemen turnovers.
After scoring the first nine points of the fourth quarter, CBU led 88-58.
Buoyed by the three-point shot, including makes from Davignon and Munro, Acadia tried to mount a comeback, but they couldn't shrink the CBU edge to anything less than 17 points.
Munro led five Axemen in double figures, with 18 points, while adding two assists and two rebounds.
Davignon, who shot 5-for-7 from the three-point line, scored 15 points, while Blundell added 12.
Alex Muise (Bedford, NS), who added six assists and five rebounds, and Perez Boskovic chipped in 11 points apiece.
For the Capers, Omar scored a game-high 20 points, while Kivuvu finished with a career-best 17 points and added nine rebounds. Callaghan chipped in 13 points, three rebounds and three assists. Justus Peuser also hit double digits – with 10 points – while contributing seven assists.
Ruta and Cato, with nine and eight points, respectively, chipped in seven rebounds apiece.
Ruta also continued his dominance on the defensive end with five blocked shots.
The teams will be back in action on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m., at Sullivan Fieldhouse.
Provided by Corey LeBlanc, Cape Breton Capers Communications Office