Strong offensive play helps Dal top Memorial 91-69

(Halifax, N.S.) – The Dalhousie Tigers (12-4) used a strong inside presence to knock off the Memorial Seahawks (9-7) 91-69 on Saturday afternoon at the Dalplex.

Dalhousie managed 23 free-throw attempts – cashing in on 19 of them – while the Seahawks had just 11 total attempts.

Guard Kashrell Lawrence (Brampton, ON) led the way for Dalhousie with 24 points – nine of which came from the charity stripe. Forward Vasilije Curcic (Kragujevac, Serbia) and guard Austin Chambers (Ajax, ON) added 24 as well to lead the way for the Seahawks.

Both teams played tough on the defensive end in the first quarter, forcing a combined nine turnovers and grabbing 10 boards each.

Offensively, forward Sven Stammberger (Halifax, NS) led the way for the Tigers with two treys and eight points total. Forward Warren Liang (Vancouver, BC) and guard Ryan Harnett (Cornerbrook, NL) contributed eight combined points off the bench as well, as Dalhousie took a 20-12 lead into the second quarter.

Guard Nathan Barker (Massey Drive, NL) was Memorial's leading scorer in the opening 10 minutes with four points.

Dalhousie went on a roll offensively in the second quarter, shooting 68.8 percent from the field – including going 5-of-7 from downtown. Stammberger recorded all six of his points in the quarter from beyond the arc, while forward Sascha Kappos (Miami, FL) also added six points.

Memorial put themselves in a tough position, giving up 15 straight points in the early stages of the second quarter, before charging back on the strength of a 76.9 percent shooting percentage from the field.

They cut a 20-point deficit down to 11 heading into halftime, thanks in large part to Chambers who recorded 12 points – nine of which came from the land beyond.

The Seahawks picked up where they left off towards the end of the half, starting the third quarter on a 12-5 run. Ten Memorial's 12 points came from Curcic, who was effective from inside as well as beyond the arc.

Dalhousie came charging back however, led by Lawrence, who got to the line three times in the quarter and had 10 points overall. Stammberger added seven points as well, including an emphatic dunk as the Tigers entered the final 10 minutes up 70-58.

Dalhousie closed out the game in the fourth quarter, forcing six turnovers while holding Chambers and Curcic to a combined five points en route to a 22-point victory.

Dalhousie is back in action on Tuesday, battling StFX on the road, while Memorial's next contest is at home this Saturday against UPEI.