(HALIFAX, N.S.) - The STFX X-Men (1st seed) punched their ticket to championship Sunday with a 98-68 win over the Cape Breton Capers (4th seed).
Led by defensive player of the year David Muenkat (Brampton, Ont.) in the first half, the X-Men took control of the game early with 60 first-half points in the 2023 Subway AUS Men's Basketball Championship semifinal.
Subway player of the game Dondre Reddick (Antigonish, N.S.) finished the game with the most baskets, going 11-for-14 on field goals and making both his three-point attempts as part of his 25 points in the game.
CBU's Chris Ruta (Calgary, Alta.) was crucial in the final moments for the Capers in their overtime quarterfinal on Friday and the second-year forward started the semifinal with a three-pointer.
The X-Men were unphased, going on a 10-point run with two layups and a free throw from David Muenkate. The first team all-star finished the night with 21 points and 14 rebounds while going seven-for-10 from the foul line.
STFX fourth-year forward Michael Utsala (Brampton, Ont.) set the tone early in the second quarter with a slam dunk followed by a layup for the first pair of baskets of the second quarter. Despite the score, CBU kept pushing hard, including Live Kivuvu (Harrow, England) coming up with a layup after the Capers fought to keep the ball in the paint.
The X-Men capitalized on a number of fouls, with Meunkat making five-of-six free throw attempts late in the half as STFX went to the dressing room with a 60-37 halftime lead. Avan Nava (Mississauga, Ont.) went three-for-four on three-point attempts in the half.
The Capers came out determined in the second half and kept pace with the X-Men throughout the third quarter. Tyson Cato (Ajax, Ont.) had eight of CBU's 20 points in the quarter. Unable to chip away at the lead, the X-Men held on throughout the second half. STFX had contributions from throughout the lineup, with 31 bench points in the game.
Fifth-year guard and first team all-star Osman Omar (Mississauga, Ont.) wrapped up his illustrious AUS career leading the Capers with 20 points and six rebounds while going a perfect eight-for-eight from the foul line.
STFX faces the winner of UPEI (2nd seed) and Dalhousie (3rd seed) in the final on Sunday, February 26 at 4 p.m. Watch all the semifinals and finals of the 2023 Subway AUS Basketball Championships on AUStv.ca.
Source: Jonathan Briggins for Atlantic University Sport