(HALIFAX, N.S.) The Dalhousie Tigers (3rd) defeated the University of New Brunswick Reds 81-75 in Saturday night's second men's semifinal game to advance to Sunday's final game in the Subway AUS Basketball Championships.
The Reds got off to a strong start, taking a 14-6 lead at the halfway mark of the first quarter fueled by Daniel Pitcher and Will Legere.
Pitcher knocked down back-to-back threes, pushing the Reds' lead to 14 as they held a 20-6 edge with under four minutes to play in the first.
Dalhousie did their best to hang with the Reds but trailed 26-12 after 10 minutes of play.
Opened by Jordan Wilson's old-fashioned three-point play, the Tigers went on to score eight unanswered to start the third, cutting the Reds lead to 26-21 just over two minutes into the second quarter.
Dalhousie continued to surge in the second quarter outscoring the Reds 26-9 and taking a 38-35 lead into the half.
The Tigers' six-foot-10 forward, Sasha Kappos, scored five quick points to start the second half as Dalhousie rattled off an 11-0 run, pushing their lead to 14, 49-35.
For the rest of the quarter they held onto their double-digit lead, never allowing UNB closer than 13 after the seven-minute mark of the third.
The Reds made their push in the fourth quarter, mounting a valiant comeback over the course of the final ten minutes, finally tying it up with just two minutes to play on a three-pointer by Daniel Pitcher, his third of the game.
Dalhousie scored their last nine points of the game at the free throw line, including five straight by Subway Player of the Game, Cedric Sanogo, keeping the Reds at bay and sealing the victory in the final seconds.
The Tigers move on to play the top-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies in Sunday's 4:30 p.m. championship final at Scotiabank Centre—their fourth trip to the finals in five years.