WOLFVILLE, N.S. - A final score of 87 – 62 secured a 4-point win for the Acadia Axemen in tonight's game against the SMU Huskies.
Thomas MacDonald (Rothesay, N.B.) earned the title of AUS Subway Player of the Game. MacDonald gave the Axemen great minutes, posting 19 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.
"We've had a rough stretch and we had to pull together as a team. We know we are a good basketball team, and we were just not showing it. We just had to come together and play to our capabilities. I thought we did that tonight," noted MacDonald following the impressive win.
"We have a lot of new guys this year, so we are always building that team chemistry practice after practice, game after game and I think it is starting to come together and this is the time you want to come together towards the end of the season," added MacDonald.
Jayrell Diggs (East Preston, N.S.) was the player of the game for the Huskies as he contributed a team-high 18 points.
Acadia's Alex Muise (Halifax, NS) hit a fading jump shot at the buzzer to give Acadia an 18-point lead going into half-time.
The Axemen kept their foot on the gas throughout the rest of the game, at one point holding a 38-point lead.
Acadia capitalized off the Huskies' turnovers, as they earned 32 points off of 17 SMU turnovers. The Axemen also gave a strong performance on the boards, outrebounding the Huskies by 10 and securing more than twice the amount of second-chance points.
Jayrell Diggs put up a strong performance and was helped along by Shae Linton-Brown (Toronto, Ont.), but their effort wasn't enough to match Acadia's onslaught.
Acadia's starters outscored the SMU starters 64 – 38, and that proved to be the deciding factor in this match as each team's bench scored within one point of one another.
Muise netted 25 points, while Gabe Davignon (Whites Lake, N.S.) and Demeric Mercer (Halifax, N.S.) added 16 and 13 respectively. Mercer also had five steals.
This was only the Axemen's second win in eleven games.
For Huskies, the loss brings them to an even 6 – 6 this season.
The Axemen will play the Capers in Cape Breton on the 20th at 8:00 PM, while the Huskies will play against the Memorial Seahawks at Saint Mary's on the 21st at 8:00 PM.
RECAP BY: Ryan Wallace, Acadia Athletics