Tigers comeback to defeat Saints to win Shoveller

The Dalhousie Tigers defeated the St. Clair Saints 84-81 Saturday night at the Dalplex in the Shoveller Memorial Basketball Tournament.

The Saints got on the board first as Chad Vincent-Simon (Scarborough, ON) scored a layup seven seconds into the game. It was a sign of good things to come for Vincent-Simon, as the forward made all four of his field goals in the first half, finishing it with 10 points.

Malcolm Christie (Fredericton, NB) picked up where he left off from his 41-point outburst Friday night against the Calgary Dinos, picking up Dal's first basket of the game with a layup.

Galdo Tutu (Windsor, ON) put the Saints up by three points with a minute left of the first quarter, giving the Saints a 21-18 lead.

Samuel Maillet (Moncton, NB) threw down a monster dunk again tonight, bringing the Tigers within three points to start the second quarter.

The Saints began to score relentlessly in the second quarter, as Vincent-Simon put the Saints up by 11 points with 7:19 left of the half.

Christie cut the lead to five points with just under five minutes left of the half with a 3-pointer. Maillet assisted the play, finishing with four assists in the half. Maillet was sensational last night against the Dinos, finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists.

However, the Saints continued to score and regained a 13-point lead going into the half, thanks to Jesiah Deerr's (Whitby, ON) 3-pointer.

In the third quarter, Dal began to find some footing, bringing the game within 10 points with 4:41 left of the frame. The Saints were up as many as 17 with 7:11 left of the quarter.

With 27 seconds left of the quarter, Christie pulled the Tigers within six points with a 3-pointer.

It was a tight quarter throughout, with Dal clawing back and taking the lead with 4:36 left of the game from a Riley Stewart (Stevensville, ON) layup.

In the fourth quarter, Vincent-Simon had the Dalplex speechless with a viscous posterizing dunk minutes in.

It looked bleak for the Tigers again as the Saints led by five points with two minutes left. 

With 30 seconds left, Lydell Husbands-Browne (Halifax, NS) scored an and-one layup to bring the Tigers within one point. Off the missed free throw attempt from the and-one, Maillet grabbed the rebound and scored an and-one of his own. Maillet missed the free throw, but the Tigers secured the rebound again, eventually leading to Christie receiving free throws.

Christie converted his second free throw to put the Tigers up two points with 18 seconds left. 

Dolu Johnson (Caledonia, ON) put the Tigers up by three points at the free-throw line with six seconds left. The Saints had a final chance of tying the game but failed to do so. 

The player of the game for the Saints was Darnelle Peddie (Pickering, ON), scoring 14 points in the loss.

The player of the game for the Tigers was Christie, who poured in 30 points in the victory.