X-Men dominate Acadia 93-59 in front of sold out crowd
STFX delivered a dominant performance on their home Coach K court, defeating the Acadia Axemen 93-59 in front of a sellout 1245 fans
Antigonish, NS - STFX delivered a dominant performance on their home Coach K court, defeating the Acadia Axemen 93-59 Saturday night in a one-sided matchup in front of a sellout 1245 fans.
The win also earned the X-Men the Coach K Challenge trophy, in the annual game played between the two schools in honour of former X-Men coach and Acadia player Steve Konchalski.
STFX set the tone early, exploding out of the gate with a commanding 28-12 first-quarter lead. Their efficient shooting (52.6% FG) and relentless defense stifled Acadia, who struggled at just 29.4% from the field.
The second quarter saw more of the same, with STFX maintaining their pressure and doubling Acadia's output to end the half up 56-24.
Acadia showed some life in the third quarter, outscoring StFX 17-14, but the deficit was too significant to overcome. STFX's balanced attack returned in the fourth, scoring 23 points to seal the comfortable 93-59 victory.
X-Men's DJ Jackson led all scorers with 16 points in game, adding 5 rebounds and 3 steals. Gabriel Pizza player of the game Jeff Ngandu posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, alongside 2 blocks, while Koat Thomas also had a double-double night, dominating the boards with 11 rebounds while contributing 10 points.
The STFX bench contributed a remarkable 36 points, led by Bennett Grumbach's 11 points and 5 assists.
Kyle Munro was a bright spot for Acadia with 18 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double game. Glen Cox added 12 points.
The win extends the X-Men winning streak to eight games as they sit atop of the AUS conference with an 11-1 record. The Axemen drop to 4-8.
Acadia will be back in action on Friday night, January 24th when they host the UPEI Panthers.
The X-Men take to the road Thursday evening, January 23rd when they travel to Sydney for a game against the Cape Breton Capers.
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X-Men Basketball players and coaches receive the Coach K Challenge Trophy from Steve Konchalski. The Coach K Challenge was established in 2021 as one of the initiatives to commemorate the retirement of long-time STFX men's basketball coach and Acadia basketball alumnus Steve Konchalski. The Coach K Challenge features one regular season game between the Acadia Axemen and STFX X-Men on an annual basis.