Top 10 battle, Huskies upend Tigers 90-77

Source: Dominic Nolasco, SMU Communications

(Halifax, NS) - Brian Rouse and Achuil Lual combined for 46 points Wednesday night, helping their U Sports No. 9-ranked Saint Mary's Huskies defeat cross-town rival and U Sports No. 6-ranked Dalhousie Tigers 90-77.

Rouse (Mississauga, Ont.) and Lual (Ottawa, Ont.) had six points each in the opening frame, which saw the Huskies outscore the Tigers 20-16.

Dalhousie outscored Saint Mary's 25-20 in the second quarter with Montreal native Jordan Aquino-Serjue adding seven points for DAL who held a slim 41-40 halftime lead.

The Huskies jumped out in the second half, outscoring Dalhousie in the third quarter 27-18 and led 67-59 after thirty minutes.

The Huskies picked up the win 90-77 with a 23-18 final frame.

Toronto native Ritchie Kanza Mata  paced DAL with 17 points while Kashrell Lawrence (Brampton, Ont.) had 14 and Aquino-Serjue finished with 11.

Sven Stammberger (Halifax, NS) and Ryan Stroud (Toronto, Ont.) each had 10 points for Dalhousie, who drop to 2-1 (4 points).

Rouse's 24 points led all scorers while Lual finished with 22.

Toronto native Theon Reefer had 18 points and eight rebounds for SMU while Halifax natives Will Fiander (Halifax, NS) and Marquis Clayton had 14 and 12 points.

Saint Mary's returns to action Saturday night when Dalhousie hosts the back-end of their home-home series at 8 p.m.