(WOLFVILLE, N.S.) - The Axemen's four-game winning streak came to an end on Monday night in an overtime thriller against the 10-6 Saint Mary's Huskies who came out on top 106-101.
Acadia jumped out to a 7-2 lead at the start of the game but then went cold as Saint Mary's went on an 8-0 run of their own to grab a 10-7 lead. Acadia had 11 turnovers in the quarter compared to three for the Huskies and trailed 17-20 at the end of the first.
The defence on both teams was strong in the second and Acadia limited their turnovers significantly but were unable to contain Boyd Vassell who scored nine points in the second frame and 35 on the night, earning him the Subway Player of the Game award for Saint Mary's. The Huskies maintained a three-point advantage, 38-35 at the end of the second.
After the intermission, Acadia came out firing, scoring 35 points in the third quarter and reclaiming the lead from Saint Mary's 70-63. Anthony Ashe went off for 13 points in the quarter and finished with 16 on the night while Klassen added 11 in the third alone. Klassen finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds earning a double-double and Acadia's player of the game honour.
The duo of Vassell and Theon Reefer brought pressure in the fourth, contributing a combined 22 points. Reefer finished with a game-high 36 points. Acadia saw their lead slip away, trailing by three with seven seconds remaining in the game. Coming out of the timeout, with four seconds on the clock and well beyond the distant arc, Kyle Arsenault drained a huge three-pointer to force the game into overtime.
Reefer scored the first six points in overtime for Saint Mary's and added two at the end to seal the game as Acadia missed some crucial free throws and could not overcome 32 turnovers resulting in 37 converted points for the Huskies. The Axemen fell 106-101 as overtime expired.
Arsenault finished the game with 16 points and added 10 rebounds in the loss, while senior forward Anthony Sears chipped in 18 points.
The Axemen will play StFX on Friday and then head to Cape Breton for a Saturday afternoon matchup.
Saint Mary's will host UNB on Friday and, in two weeks time, host Memorial for a pair of weekend games to finish up their regular season.
Source: Acadia Sports Information