Game recap by: Kirk Jessome
(Halifax, NS) – Getting day three of the Shoveller Memorial Invitational Basketball Tournament underway in the game for 7th place were the MSVU Mystics and Acadia Axemen. A big run made by the Axemen in the second quarter pushed them into a commanding lead, and they never looked back, taking this one 90-65.
Both sides got off to a hot start, each team hitting their first three shots from the field including Bradley Fuller (Wolfville, NS) hitting from deep to open the game for the Mystics.
After the teams traded baskets early, the outside shooting for the Mystics went cold midway through the first, and Acadia was able to take advantage with an 11-2 run to put them ahead 18-7. Rhys Larry (Brockville, ON) was key to that run, leading all scorers with seven points in the quarter.
The Mystics were able to dial in their defensive intensity to make a run of their own to close out the quarter using fast break opportunities to get into the lane.
Free-throws from Greg Dicks (Dartmouth, NS) brought the Mystics within six at the end of the first, with the Axemen still on top 28-22.
When the transition game was working for the Mystics, they were able to keep it in reach, getting the deficit down to two multiple times early in the second.
With just under five minutes to go, Acadia played shut-down defence and broke out on a 20-2 run to end the half sparked by Mitchell Tempro (Three Miles Plains, NS) who led scoring with 13 points heading into the half.
Heading into the half, the Axemen run put them up big at 54-34.
The Mystics fought to bring the game closer with the shooting of fuller, and interior presence of Joel McCrossin (Amherst, NS), but the size of Acadia was proving too much to handle.
Forest Mahoney came off the bench and once again delivered a great offensive effort getting into the paint for the Axemen.
The Mystics were able to make a 6-0 run to end the third quarter by getting to the line and making it count. Heading into the fourth the Axemen still led 72-52.
The teams traded baskets in the fourth with Acadia keeping the game out of reach, finishing with a final score of 90-65.
Liam Mitchell (Halifax, NS) earned the player of the game honour for the Mystics, finishing with 11 points, while Rhys Larry got the nod for the Axemen with a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double performance.
With the win, the Axemen take 7th palce in the tournament while the Mystics finish 8th.